London is an amazing place to visit but London accommodation also comes at an amazing price.
London hotel's have had a steep price increase in the past few years.
So finding a hotel that meets your budget and needs is essential. It can change your entire opinion of your trip, and London.
I want you to have the best time, so I am sharing with you my favourite London hotels.
I will also be giving you ideas of what you can see, do and eat in the local area.
HOLIDAY IN LONDON
I recently got invited to stay at Hotel Saint in the City of London.
Hotel Saint is a modern hotel in an ancient city, a place to work, rest and play.
They have a 24 hour bar and restaurant on the ground floor, a gym and a rooftop bar with stunning views of the city.
Hotel Saint is next to Aldgate East tube station. Offering easy access to the city, trendy Shoreditch and London landmarks.
This is how I spent 24 hours holidaying in the city I live in, staying at Hotel Saint with one of my pals.
GETTING THERE
Myself and my friend decided to meet early and go for some lunch locally before we checked into Hotel Saint at 3pm. Making the most of our hotel stay.
The hotel is next to Aldgate East station, but I opted to go to Blackfriars, as it direct from where I live.
It was a beautiful day and I wanted to go full tourist mode and take a stroll via the river to the hotel.
Blackfriars has the most stunning view of any London station as the station spans over the river Thames.
I took the Southbank exit to leave the station.
Walking past one of my favourite London pubs, The Founders Arms. It's an an iconic spot right on the river Thames and next to my route to and from home.
I walked past the Tate Modern and crossed the river at The Millennium bridge.
By the side of the bridge is the gorgeous Globe Theatre.
*If you're looking for a theatre experience you can grab a standing ticket for £5 or book a tour.
The Millenium Bridge frames St Paul's and gives you a spectacular view.
There's so much to see in a short walk.
Once across the bridge I took the Thames path that runs directly next to the river.
This side of the Thames path is much quieter but there's still so much to see.
*If you're sensitive to large crowds but still want to see everything this side of the river will suit you far better.
From this side of the river you get great views of the Tate Modern, The Globe, Tower Bridge and the Shard. There's also cafes and restaurants which will have tables available.
If you continue walking along the river you'll meet the Tower of London and St Katherines Dock.
I took a turn off from the river for a quick visit to St Dunstans in the East.
A beautiful ruin of a church that's a popular lunch and Instagram spot.
As I continued my walk I passed The Sky Garden and Garden at 120, both offer superb views over London and are free to visit. You have to book for Sky Garden. Garden at 120 generally has no queue and you can turn up spontaneously.
ARRIVAL
I met my friend in the reception at Hotel Saint, which looked like we'd stepped into an interiors magazine.
The hotel reception has beautiful fresh flowers and green thriving plants.
Considering the city street outside is loud and busy, the reception is a calm and peaceful place.
The staff offered to check us in early, and were friendly and fun.
Although this hotel has 267 rooms, they've managed to maintain an intimate feel.
We couldn't wait to get to our room on the 13th floor, a suite with city views.
We took time to appreciate the beautiful carpet and wallpaper.
We are 2 girls who are more used to staying in a Travelodge, so the gratitude for everything was real!
The hotel has a smart and modern feel but with elegance. There's a peacock theme that runs throughout.
OUR ROOM
As we opened the door to our room, the first thing we noticed was the view. The city below is a juxtaposition of ancient meets modern .
We were given a corner suite with a desk and sofa area. Our room had a Nespresso coffee machine, mini bar and 2 televisions.
You can watch television from the sofa or from the bed! There's also free wifi.
The bathroom has a walk in shower and everything you could need in smart little Hotel Saint packs.
Inside the wardrobe is fluffy robes and slippers in branded bags.
What I loved most about this hotel was the attention to detail. The Hotel Saint branded touches and thoughtful items, makes this hotel special. It was so clean and new.
Once we settled in, our door bell went and a bottle of champagne was presented. Very happy and spoilt ladies!
We sat and had a couple of glasses of champagne whilst sitting by the window taking in the view of the City. We relaxed in the sun that streamed through the windows, like cats!
Before heading out to explore the rest of the hotel and local area.
GYM
Downstairs of the hotel is a small but functional gym.
We checked it out for research purposes, drank some water and went on a cross trainer for 3 minutes!
Our priority was checking out the local area, and cocktails.
24 HOUR BAR AND RESTAURANT
On the ground floor of the hotel is a 24 hour restaurant and bar.
THE LOCAL AREA
We ventured out and grabbed a sandwich to soak up the champagne,
There is a park next to the hotel where we sat and ate our sandwiches in the sun.
There's some rather interesting snail art in the park. We decided to call this art 'snart'.
We then headed towards Brick Lane, passing Whitechapel Gallery.
* Whitechapel Gallery is free to visit and open until 6pm, 9pm on Thursdays.
Whitechapel is an area known for Jack the Ripper You can join a Jack the Ripper street tour, or get chips from Jack the Chipper!
Brick Lane is known for it's street art, vintage shops and curry houses.
*If you are looking for a curry house I'd recommend City Spice. The food is delicious, the food wonderful and there's vegan options.
All this walking made us thirsty and we had a swift half at The Golden Heart on Hanbury Street. This gem of a British boozer has art by Tracey Emin, a jukebox and frequented by artists.
From here you can walk over the road to Spitalfields Market or take in the Van Gogh exhibition next door.
We had a booking at the Hotel Saint's rooftop bar, Jin Bo Law, so we headed back to the hotel.
JIN BO LAW
Jin Bo Law is a rooftop bar at Hotel Saint, located on the 14th floor.
It's intimate with amazing views over the city. A perfect location at Golden hour.
We enjoyed a champagne slushie called Summer nights £16.50
Followed by Jin Bo Law's signature cocktail Jin Bo Papai £16.50. This tasted like Summer, it also contained a lot of rum
The staff were lovely and very attentive.
If you'd like to visit Jin Bo Law, you must book. This is a popular spot for large corporate bookings.
After cocktails we headed out again for much needed dinner at Crispin.
CRISPIN
Crispin is a wine bar and restaurant, a short walk away from Hotel Saint. They also have Bar Crispin in Soho and an online shop.
Crispin is in a small modern building in Spitalfields that's informal and cool.
They serve a modern European menu with low intervention wine and seasonal plates.
Working with independent growers and small scale producers.
The staff are as cool and slick as the restaurant, and very helpful. I'm a vegan and they were happy to adapt dishes for me.
We loved our meal at Crispin, everything tasted fresh and was delicious.
The Dusty Knuckle bread is out of this world.
We had padron peppers, bruschetta, asparagus, courgette and chickpeas.
They also made me a special dessert of peaches, strawberries and pistachios. All dishes were delicious and washed down with a low intervention red wine.
BACK TO THE HOTEL
We had a slow walk back to the hotel, stopping to look at art and peek in bar windows.
Once we were back we put on our fluffy dressing gowns and slippers and finished the rest of the champagne.
Finishing our day at Hotel Saint as we started. Admiring the view of the city, now in darkness with twinkling lights.
We watched some telly and I made use of the Nespresso machine.There was some much needed Hotel Saint water left some water by our bedsides.
We were pretty tired after our wonderful day holidaying in our home town, and both slept soundly in our cosy beds.
THE NEXT DAY
I had work bright and breezy in Waterloo. After a few beverages the day before I felt the best thing to do was to walk to work. Taking full advantage of being in a central location and see some more of the wonderful city on foot.
The walk-in shower was delightful and made myself a coffee from the Nespresso machine.
I left my friend to sleep and take advantage of the breakfast we were getting delivered from Crispin. She actually ended up with double breakfast, I was jealous!
My walk to Waterloo took around 40 minutes and was delightful. I walked across London Bridge and by Borough Market.
I joined the big queue at Monmouth coffee for my stroll down the Southbank.
I passed The Golden Hinde, The Globe and the Tate Modern. Then the BFI, National Theatre, Southbank Centre and the London Eye.
I arrived to work with a big smile on my face and a heart full of love for this beautiful city.
My friend could walk to Tower Pier and get a boat home to Greenwich, what a way to travel!
You can access so much of London from Hotel Saint by foot and even boat.
THE VERDICT
Hotel Saint treated us like Cinderella, when she got to go to the ball.
My friend actually said she felt like she'd won Willy Wonka's golden ticket!
We had the most wonderful time having a holiday in London. Staying in a friendly and informal hotel, that felt like luxury.
The rooftop bar is a must if you're in the area.
I'd also highly reccomend Crispin for an intimate meal. That low intervention wine is far less likely to give you a hangover!
Both Hotel Saint and Crispin offer relaxed, personal service with personality. We had the most wonderful time.
*My stay at Hotel Saint, Drinks at Jin Bo Law and dinner at Crispin was gifted with no obligation to post. All views are my own.