When looking for budget hotels in Central London we are ideally looking for a hotel, as near to the city centre as possible, that doesn’t cost the earth. Somewhere to stay from where you can walk to some of London’s most important tourist spots without having to commute daily into central London.
If that’s what you’re looking for, then we have good news. We have researched tirelessly to find a list of budget hotels in central London for those planning a trip to London. Hopefully, you’ll find that one of the hotels recommended here is the one for you! We have considered the location of these hotels and those recommended for good value for money.
In our previous article, “where to stay in London”, we discussed how London is divided into zones and how to choose a specific area to stay in. In this article, we have only chosen hotels located in zones 1 and 2 of London, to minimize travel times.
Budget Hotels in Central London: Premier Inn hotels
We always find ourselves recommending Premier Inn hotels when someone asks us where to stay in London. It is simply because they are reasonably priced, and their locations couldn’t be better. We truly believe they are consistent, so you sort of know what to expect once you have stayed in a Premier Inn.
In addition, children under 16 stay for free – breakfast included! – so they are perfect if you plan to visit London with children.
Our favourite Premier Inn hotels in London are:
Premier Inn Waterloo
Located just behind the London Eye. You can easily walk to the London Eye, Big Ben and central London from this hotel. With numerous cafes and restaurants, this is undoubtedly one of my favourite ones. The nearest tube/train station is Waterloo, London transport zone 1.
Find out more: Premier Inn Waterloo
Premier Inn County Hall
In the heart of London, right next to the London Eye, and only a few metres away from Premier Inn Waterloo. Again, a few minutes’ walk to Southbank and everything that Southbank has to offer – cafes, restaurants, London Eye, Big Ben… The nearest tube/train stations are Waterloo and Westminster, London transport zone 1.
Find out more: Premier Inn County Hall
Premier Inn Victoria
This Premier Inn hotel is located in the heart of Victoria in London, next to the Victoria bus, train and tube station. This area is full of restaurants and cafes too and easy transport links to central London make this one of the best locations to stay in London.
Find out more: Premier Inn Victoria
Premier Inn Southwark
This hotel is next to London Bridge, within walking distance of Southbank. We love the location of this hotel, as from here you can walk towards the London Eye and Big Ben, or London Bridge and Tower Bridge. A short stroll away is the Millenium Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral, so definitely one to consider if you are planning a trip to London. The nearest tube station is Southwark, in London transport zone 1.
Find out more: Premier Inn Southwark
Premier Inn Blackfriars
This hotel is located near St. Paul’s Cathedral, Somerset House and only a 10-minute walk to Trafalgar Square. The nearest tube station is Blackfriars, in London transport zone 1.
Find out more: Blackfriars
Premier Inn St. Pancras
Right in front of King’s Cross – St Pancras train station, which is also London Transport Zone 1. This location is perfect if you arrive or leave from St Pancras. This area is also full of cafes and restaurants and very easy connections to central London by tube or bus. Big Bus Sightseeing Tours have a route, the Green Link, that takes you from King’s Cross St Pancras to central London and connects with their other routes. So if you arrive at St Pancras and stay in London for a couple of days or so, you could just use the tourist bus to get into central London.
Find out more: St. Pancras
Premier Inn Angel
Angel is one of our favourite neighbourhoods in London, probably because we used to live fairly near and visited this area regularly. There’s a small shopping centre with loads of restaurants and cafes, as well as shops, and easy travel into Central London by bus or tube.
Angel Underground Station is in London Transport Zone 1.
Find out more: Premier Inn Angel
Other Cheap Hotels in London
In addition to the Premier Inn hotels, there are some cheap hotels in London worth mentioning. The hotels mentioned below have very good ratings and are considered good value for money. I have only included cheap hotels in London that are central, mostly in London Transport zone 1.
Cheap hotels in Euston and St. Pancras
The following budget hotels in Central London are in London Transport Zone 1, and therefore very well located if you are visiting London. From here, you will need to take the bus or go on the tube for a short ride to go central London, but it will only take a few minutes, depending on where you want to go.
As we have already mentioned, looking for a budget hotel in the St Pancras area is ideal if you arrive or leave from King’s Cross or St. Pancras stations. Also, a good base if you plan to go to Paris by Eurostar for the day. The following budget hotels in Central London have good reviews and would be considered very cheap for London prices:
- The Euro Hotel: Find out more: Euro Hotel
- Avonmore: Find out more Avonmore London Hotel
- The George Hotel: Find out more: George Hotel
- Meridiana: Find out more: Meridiana Hotel
- Saint Athans: Find out more: St Athans Hotel
Cheap hotels near Hyde Park
These cheap hotels are perfect if you want to be near Hyde Park, maybe for that relaxing morning stroll… From here, you will also be just a few minutes’ bus ride to London’s tourist stops and must-sees.
- The Darlington: A hotel located in a beautiful Victorian building near Little Venice and a short walk from Hyde Park. The nearest tube stop to this hotel is Paddington. More information: Darlington
- Commodore Hotel: Hotel offering a mix of simple rooms, deluxe rooms and an apartment. The nearest tube station is Lancaster gate. More information: Commodore
- Dawson Place: Located in Chelsea, Dawson Place is a spectacular typical British bed and breakfast with very good ratings. More information: Dawson Place
- Luna And Simone: Located in Victoria, this hotel stands out for its interesting decor at unbeatable prices in one of the best areas of the city. We do believe this is one of our favourite budget hotels in Central London. The nearest tube station is Pimlico and Victoria. More information: Luna And Simone
- Arosfa: Located in the beautiful area of Bloomsbury, next to the British Museum. From here you can walk to Goodge Street, where there are several pubs and restaurants, and it is also possible to walk to London’s Soho. The nearest tube stop is Goodge Street. More information: Arosfa
- The Corner London City: A very modern hotel close to the city centre and Liverpool Street station. More information: Corner London City
- The Paramount Hotel: Located in Earl’s Court in zone 1, and only a short walk to South Kensington and some of London’s best museums – such as the Natural History Museum, the Science museum and the Victoria and Albert. The nearest tube station is Earl’s Court. More information: Paramount
Recommended hotels in London
If, on the other hand, you are not specifically looking for budget hotels in Central London but are more interested in finding a hotel that is maybe a bit more special and you don’t mind spending a bit more on accommodation, check out our Top 10 recommended hotels in London.
If you have recently stayed in a hotel in London that you think is reasonably priced, please comment below to let others know! Thank you =)