Our top tips for Hotels:

Stay in an 'unusual' location. Lots of London is both near the centre and unfashionable and with good transport links to boot. Think centring your search for hotels on City of London rather than Westminster. For example Borough and Bankside, minutes walk from St Pauls, not traditional tourist dormitaries, offer better prices, and are more convenient than posher places in the west. Bermondsey St, our manor, despite being 5 minutes walk from the City, was neglected until the late 1990s (it actually had WWII bombsites until the early 1990s) and then took off like a rocket, becoming fashionable, and expensive, within 3 years (location, location, location...)
The area bordered by Tower Bridge Road, Long Lane/Marshalsea, Blackfriars Road and the river is still hugely undervalued and there are many hotels there. The East End is another very good place to start. Check out this article on decent cheap accommodation in the east end.

Stay in University Halls if you're coming in vacation time (summer, easter or christmas) - not hotel standard, but usually better than B & B, very good value accommodation right in the centre. Contact University College London (0707 387 7050), King's College London (0207 836 5454), The London School of Economics (0207 405 7686) to find out which halls are renting rooms. The LSE runs a good operation from its Bankside Halls, tel: 0207 633 9877 - open May-Oct, right behind the Tate Modern and convenient for the City and St Pauls. Also recommended are their halls on Rosebury Avenue and in Fitzrovia (near the Post Office Tower).

Brown's Hotel Has been removed from our listings after some truly dreadful reviews. It is not, apparently, what it was in the 80s and early 90s by a long chalk. Our reviewers recommend the Duke’s Hotel, 35, St James' Place (0207 491 4840), the Stafford, 16 St James' Place (0207 493 0111), or the St James Club 7, Park Place (0207 629 7688) which does actually rent rooms to non-members. All are a few minutes walk South from Green Park Tube. An alternate recommendation is the Goring at Beeston Place, Grosvenor Gardens, (0207 396 9000), a short walk from Victoria Station, which is very convenient if you are flying to Gatwick.

Hazlitt's, 6 Frith Street. This is a deconstruction (in Structuralist terms) of an 18th Century gentleman's house - it's not labeled as a hotel and doesn't like to think of itself in those terms. It's named after William Hazlitt who died there in 1830. If you want a true period experience this is for you. Single from £130, double £170. Tel: 0207 434 1771. Tube: Leicester Square (Northern) or Tottenham Court Road (Central). Website. Their offspring hotel, THe Rookery in Smithfield is an equal delight and costs an equally large amount, access through the same website.

Cannizaro House - a Georgian Country House converted into a hotel, in Cannizaro Park in Wimbledon. Although it's owned by a chain it does have a special feel. Tel: 0208 879 1464. Tube: Wimbledon.

The Capital, 22, Basil Street - has a Michelin star for its restaurant and receives glowing reports from guests. We've not been able to source the rumour that Lady Diana saw it as a watering hole when shopping, but it probably originated with the management. Single room about £185, double £245.

The Connaught Carlos Place, W1. A better bet than Browns according to reports - a similar time warp and a similar dress code. Royalty and film stars stay here, and the health club and pool facilities (shared with other hotels) are superb,. Sadly the price is astronomical: from £280 single, £360 double. Tel: 0207 499 7070. Between Bond St and Green Park Tubes (Piccadilly, Jubilee, Central)

Basil Street Hotel, 8, Basil Street - built on top of the original Knightsbridge Tube station, it later came to incorporate the building when it fell out of use. It dates from 1910 and has been in the same family since 1919. SOme rooms overlook the street and can be noisy, despite double glazing. Excellent service. Tel: 0207 581 3311. Tube: Knightsbridge (Piccadilly) Single rooms from about £130, double £190.

Blake's - 33 Roland Gardens SW7. Created by fashion designer Anouska Hempel, each room is individually decorated, and the clientele can be starry. Tel: 0207 373 0442 Tube: Gloucester Road (Piccadilly, Circle)

Halkin Hotel, 5 Halkin St SW1. Unlike Hazlett's this Georgean facade hides an ultra-modern interior. Very Italian in style, though more Milanese minimalism than Amalfian rococo. Tel: 0207 333 1000. Tube: Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly )

Malmaison, Charterhouse Square. Chain of very trendy urban hotels. Great place and good City location. Good food, too in the basement restaurant which is where we eat when in the area, our only gripe is that the menu changes slowly. Tube: Barbican (Circle) St Pauls - 500 yard walk (Central). Website.

Hoxton Hotel Perhaps the best bargain of London. Trendy arty hotel in the vibrant Hoxton area - great for restaurants, bars and nightclubs (but not so great for tourist sights). A little off the beaten track, but right in the City, which we reckon is a great place to be... see the website   for details.

Langorf Hotel 20 Frognal, Hampstead. In the beautiful Georgian village of Hampstead, up in north London. Singles from £80, doubles from £100. Tel 0207 794 4483.

Sandringham Hotel 3 Holford Rd, NW3. Another Hampstead bargain - similar prices to the Langorf. Tel: 0207 435 1569.

Budget hotels cluster round Bloomsbury, south of Euston Station, Victoria, and Earl's Court, (round King's Cross they tend to offer hourly rates.....) There are booking agents in these stations. All the below offer singles under £60 and doubles under £80 - though this may change...

Abbey House, 11 Vicarage Gate, W8 . On Trendy Kensington Church Street that links Notting Hill and Kensington...great for shopping and restaurants. Tel: 0207 727 2594.

County Hall Travel Inn - right opposite the Houses of Parliament, in the County Hal building that also houses the Aquarium - very central. Tel: 0207 902 1600.

Five Sumner Place SW7: B& B in South Kensington - tel: 0207 584 7586.

La Gaffe, 107 Heath Street, Hapmstead. Italian Restaurant with rooms. Tel: 0207 435 8965.

Lime Tree Hotel, 135 Ebury Street, SW1. Tel 0207 730 8191.

La Reserve 422 Fulham Road. In Chelsea/Fulham, good for antiques shopping and small trendy restaurants, as well as the football ground (so watch out on Saturdays). Tel: 0207 385 7662.

Thanet Hotel, 8 Bedford Place WC1. Bloomsbury Georgian House, well run. Tel: 0207 636 2869.

The apartment phenomenon grows apace with new entrants like Orion and Citadines (0207 543 7878) chain members springing up all over London. Best to go through an agent though there are loads of private advertisements on www.gumtree.com and similar sites. An apartment is perhaps the best way to do London if you've got children.


i London Apartments, 159 Gloucester Road , SW7 Tel: 20 8878 0990 HERE OR HERE

Holiday lets is a very good site for apartments.

Accommodation London offers rooms from four nights to one year at fairly reasonable rates. Shared houses, studios, shared apartments and hostels. You can do it all online HERE

Central London Apartments, 39 Bedford Square, WC1 Tel: 0207 323 1192 Website

Go Native, 26 Westbourne Grove, W2. Tel: 0207 221 2028, Fax: 0207 221-2088, Website

Euracom, 52-53 Margaret St, London W1. Tel: 0207 436 3201, Fax 0207 436 3203. Website

John D. Wood , 39 Foley St, London W1 Tel: 0207 436 6666 Fax 0207 436 1333.