Hotels
The 6 Best Design Hotels in London
Six London hotels where the building, the lighting and the bar do the talking. From a Brutalist tower at King's Cross to a Lutyens bank turned members' playground in the City.
In short: our top picks are The Standard, London, Sea Containers London and The Ned. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
A design hotel earns the label when the room is the point, not the view from it. London has a lot of hotels that call themselves design-led because someone hung a brass pendant in reception. These six are the real thing: places where an architect did something brave with the bones, where the lobby is somewhere you’d actually drink, where the lift itself becomes a talking point. We’ve left out the famous Marylebone firehouse, much loved, because it’s shut until 2027 after the fire, and the old Mondrian on Curtain Road, which is a Virgin Hotel now. What’s left is open, running and worth the room rate. A few are City bank conversions, a couple are Shoreditch through and through. All of them photograph well and, more to the point, feel good to be inside at midnight.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| The Standard, London | £££ | |
| Sea Containers London | South Bank | £££ |
| The Ned | City of London | ££££ |
| NoMad London | Covent Garden | ££££ |
| One Hundred Shoreditch | Shoreditch | £££ |
| The Hoxton, Shoreditch | Shoreditch | ££ |
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Editor’s choice
The Standard, London
Why we pick itA 1974 Brutalist slab, the old Camden Town Hall annexe, reborn with a glass extension and a bright red lift bolted to the outside that carries you up the facade to Decimo, Peter Sanchez-Iglesias's Spanish-Mexican rooftop. Rooms run from snug pods to suites with sunken baths and curved private terraces facing St Pancras.
Brutalist design hotel
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Sea Containers London
Why we pick itTom Dixon ran the design and leaned hard into the building's shipping past, so the lobby has a vast copper-clad wall shaped like a hull and a reception desk that seems to float at the waterline. The riverside rooms look straight across the Thames, and the rooftop bar is one of the better places on the South Bank to watch the light go.
1920s cruise-liner design hotel
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The Ned
Why we pick itSir Edwin Lutyens designed this as the Midland Bank headquarters in 1924, and the grand hall with its forest of green marble columns is now a buzzing all-day floor with nine restaurants ringing it. Bedrooms carry the deco line through with vintage furniture and rainforest showers. The old vault, lined with safe-deposit boxes, is a cocktail bar.
Art deco bank conversion
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NoMad London
Why we pick itThe old Bow Street Magistrates' Court, opposite the Royal Opera House, redrawn by New York studio Roman and Williams. The three-storey glass-roofed atrium restaurant is the showpiece, all palms and plush banquettes, and the 91 rooms feel more like a grand private flat than a hotel. Side Hustle, the agave bar, takes the rowdier crowd.
Design hotel in a former courthouse
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One Hundred Shoreditch
Why we pick itThe old Ace site, reworked into something calmer and more grown-up across 258 rooms, with a tapestry-walled lobby and Studio Lofts that pull in proper daylight. The draw downstairs is Seed Library, Mr Lyan's low-lit basement cocktail bar, and a rooftop kitchen with a terrace that runs across the East End skyline.
Independent design hotel
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The Hoxton, Shoreditch
Why we pick itThe one that started the whole Hoxton story back in 2006, freshly refurbished in 2025 so the parquet, exposed brick and roaring lobby fires look sharp again. Rooms are mid-century in feel and sensibly priced for the area, and the lobby works as hard as any bar in Shoreditch. Good value if you want the look without the City prices.
Original industrial-chic design hotel
Before you book
Rooms generally start around 280 to 400 pounds a night, climbing well past that for suites and weekends. Book the design hotels direct for the best rate and the better rooms; the corner and loft categories go first. Most of the bars and rooftops here take walk-ins or non-residents, so you can test the place over a drink before committing to a stay.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
The Standard, London is our editor's choice: A 1974 Brutalist slab, the old Camden Town Hall annexe, reborn with a glass extension and a bright red lift bolted to the outside that carries you up the facade to Decimo, Peter Sanchez-Iglesias's Spanish-Mexican rooftop. Rooms run from snug pods to suites with sunken baths and curved private terraces facing St Pancras. The Standard, London, Sea Containers London and The Ned lead the guide, with 6 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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