Checking In! The Top Hotels To Book For A Summer Stop In London

It's never a question whether one should go to London, but as to where one should stay? Well, that is indeed something to carefully consider lest you find yourself wrapped up in a tourist-filled, culture-less black hole.

Whether you're looking to be right in the thick of the fun, tucked just off the poshest high streets around, or posted up in an iconic historic landmark, these five hotels are the chicest perches to consider booking for your turn about town...

The Chelsea Townhouse
26 Cadogan Gardens
First thing's first about staying at this beautiful 5-star boutique hotel tucked away in a most charming red-bricked enclave of Chelsea - it's Ca-dug-an Gardens, not Ca-dog-an.

Just steps from the fashionable frenzy along Sloane Square and the King's Road, the newly renovated property is a lesson in quiet luxury. Many of the rooms in this Relais & Châteaux face the block's glowingly green private interior garden, a most enviable perk in Southwest London. The primarily residential blocks of Cadogan Gardens offer a delightfully slow stride to settle into, the carefully chosen interiors are contemporary classic with a heavy hand of grand detailing. High ceilings, plush furnishings in a relaxing palette, . The Chelsea Townhouse isn't trying hard to impress you, which somehow makes it all the more successful in its game.

Beaverbrook Town House
115 Sloane Street
With a snap-worthy scene at every turn - the candy pink sofa set against the bright teal walls of the bar lounge is a particularly charming study in color theory - Beaverbrook Town House is the most stylish stay in Chelsea. 

Housed in two combined, restored Georgian townhouses, the luxury hotel boasts an intimate offering of 14 suites, each styled after iconic London theatrical playhouses. Think chic velvet sofas with cord fringe skirts, plump ottomans, lacquered walls, and fabulous patterned fabrics.

Tucked away on the ground floor, beyond the glossy stretch of Sir Frank's Bar, sits The Fuji Grill, a local's favorite sushi haunt with a 9-course Omakase featuring Red Bream with Kentish ants, Scottish Loch Duart Salmon with yuzu salt and a Lemon Cremeux Biscuit with citrus sorbet.

The Berkeley
Wilton Place
For a most metropolitan vibe with an eye towards design, The Berkeley is a posh perch like no other. There's the rooftop pool overlooking Hyde Park, a cabana-lined interior pool, full service spa, a Sporty Spice-worthy fitness studio, two bars, a terrace, a café and the most delicious sugary-smelling bakery you'll ever have the privilege of breathing in (to not dig into Cédric Grolet's Vanilla Flower confection during your residency would be a huge mistake).

The Dorchester
53 Park Lane
Surely the royals would feel at home in the grand halls of The Dorchester. Built in 1931 by Sir Robert McAlpine, this luxury hotel's grounds were previously the site of grand homes and even an American Embassy before finding its higher calling as the social hub for higher classes. Often lauded as the Best Hotel In London, its quintessentially British interiors have made it a destination for tourists and locals alike. Tea in The Promenade is a must - and don't even get us started on their table-side salad trolley.

Hotel Café Royal
10 Air Street
For those looking to be in the mix while still feeling removed from the hustle and bustle, head to Hotel Café Royal on Regent Street - a most magic corner where St. James’, Mayfair and Soho all mix and mingle. The massive building, a fortress where privacy, spaciousness and style reigns supreme, has quite the glamorous history, featuring amongst its new modern, sleek suites historic rooms that have been carefully restored from as far back as the 1860s, like The Grill Room, which drips with just as much elegance today as it did way back when.