Where to Stay in London: The 4 Best Areas for Every Traveler

We have a lot to discuss, so let us get right to the point. 

Some of you are going to hurl your left shoe at the screen and shout, “Just tell me where I can stay or rent a room in London; I do not have time to read all of that,” and we know it. 

If you are pressed for time, here’s a brief synopsis of this guide; nonetheless, for advice and items to add to your list, we suggest reading the section about the hotel you ultimately choose. 

If you are interested, you can read the rest of the guide below this section for a range of information.

Stay in Bankside, which is in the Southwark borough, if you want to stay in our favorite area of London. Explore single rooms for rent in London.

We really prefer the vibes on the south side of the river, even though the Tube connections are a little worse than in the other two central neighborhoods we favour (more on them in a moment). This is especially true on weekends, when the City of London—basically the Financial District—is a dead zone and many firms are closed.

Everything about our stay at CitizenM Bankside was excellent. In fact, it was our first time staying at CitizenM, and if that speaks well of our experience, we have since been to three of their other locations throughout the world.

In addition, I just visited and stayed at Native Bankside, a contemporary

Choosing a neighborhood in London to stay or rent a room is heavily influenced by two criteria, in my opinion. 

The amount of time you have in London is the most important consideration when deciding where to stay. 

We would highly advise lodging centrally if your vacation is less than four days in order to maximize your time.

Despite the effective underground system, traversing the vast city of London might take up to thirty to forty minutes. 

The second thing to think about is whether or not this is your first visit to London. 

I would strongly advise staying in a more central location if this is your first visit to London in order to make the most of your time there, as that is where most of the tourist sites are located. 

For background, this was my fourth or fifth visit to London, and I had stayed in a number of different districts throughout the city (more on which ones are listed in the part below titled “Where We have Stayed”). 

On our most recent journey, which began in the City of London before moving to Southbank, I was most struck by how much better connections the Tube offers north of the river.

Combining those two considerations, I believe there are two levels of London neighborhoods that I would suggest (there is a ton of information about individual neighborhoods below!).