The Most Romantic Hotels In London For A Valentine's Break
The capital’s most romantic hotels, from the shiny Londoner to the super-cool Standard
Paris may officially be Europe’s most starry-eyed city, but there are some seriously romantic hotels in London, too.
The capital has it all for couples this Valentine's Day, whether you want proposals at the top of the London Eye, over-the-top Italian dinners in a secret garden (Clos Maggiore), shopping in Seven Dials, wild swims in Hampstead Heath or cosy strolls through one of the many royal parks.
At the Standard in King’s Cross, some of the rooms have bath tubs outside on the terrace – and being whisked up to the top-floor Decimo restaurant in the red pill-shaped elevator will be a dreamy start to date night.
Meanwhile, Leicester Square’s most lavish spot, the Londoner, has an underground spa, a whisky bar and floor-to-ceiling windows in the rooms for romantic skyline views.
And for romance with added history, look no further than Batty Langley’s, a sumptuous Spitalfields stay in a Georgian house – or discover one of the most magical views of the City from the river-front Sea Containers, also home to a super spa.
Here’s the ELLE UK edit of the most romantic hotels in London for 2023:
The Londoner
This super-polished London hotel extends the term ‘boutique’ slightly (there are 350 rooms), but there are lots of intimate, guest-only spaces, right in the middle of Leicester Square. These include a drawing room and a room dedicated to whisky, as well as a library filled with Assouline books and boardgames.
At the Londoner's subterranean spa, poolside cabanas are lined up ready for you to enjoy post-treatment, as is Refuel – not a café, but a ‘superfood and drinks clinic’, that – on the off chance that you weren’t already feeling great – will ensure optimal wellbeing. And if that sounds too healthy, head to the rooftop izakaya (Japanese pub) for some sake around the fire-pit.
The London Edition
A few steps from Oxford Street, the London Edition is most famous for its Jason Atherton restaurant, Berners Tavern – which packs more paintings onto its walls than is necessary (but looks great) and could not be further from your average tavern (there are elaborately corniced ceilings and chandeliers, for a start). Even the lobby is a special place to sit, with its metallic orb suspended from the ceiling, cosy velvet sofas and fireplace.
Linger in the lobby for a game of snooker before cocktails (and, of course, a ladle of punch) at the speakeasy-style Punch Room – then retreat to your sleek, mostly-wood suite.
Batty Langley’s
One of the most atmospheric hotels in town, Spitalfields’ Batty Langley’s is located just outside the ancient walls of the City of London. Named for the publisher of handbooks that helped people plan their houses and gardens ‘in Grand Taste’ in the 18th century, the hotel has followed suit, with four-poster beds, heavy curtains and antique wardrobes.
Outside among the cobbled streets and Georgian buildings are some of the capital’s best bars, restaurants and markets. For guests wanting to continue to take their Georgian-era existence seriously, pop next-door on Folgate Street to Dennis Severs House, which has been set up to display precisely what life would have looked like for a family of Spitalfields’ Huguenot silk weavers.
The Mandrake
This feel-good Fitzrovia stay is perfectly placed for trips to Soho, Oxford Street and all of the West End. The Mandrake's Jurema restaurant has a terrace for South American sharing places with a live-music soundtrack. If that hasn’t made you feel good, locate the cabana hidden in the garden for cocktails and private dining, or consult the spiritual wellbeing concierge, on hand to organise everything from shamanic rituals and sound-healing to energy cleansing and ceremonies involving cacao.
Guests can sign up for crystal singing bowl meditations and gong baths, too. It’s also one for the art fans, since there’s a rotating artist in residence. Also adding to the generally good vibes are the three-storey flower walls.
The Standard London
King’s Cross’ coolest address The Standard reclaimed a Brutalist council building when it opened in 2020. For all London lovers, the decor features subway-tiled bathrooms and tube-seat upholstery, with the spires of St Pancras visible through some of the windows. The most romantic rooms are the ones with bath tubs out on their terraces.
More amazing views (and mezcal cocktails) await up on the 10th floor at Decimo, which is accessed via the best lift you’ve ever seen (it’s shaped as a red capsule). The lounge, once a public library, still has its own librarian to keep things authentic. Staff can help with date-night prep by arranging manicures and blow-dries.
Sea Containers London
This South Bank hotel has possibly the greatest view of St Paul’s in all of London, not to mention some of the city’s coolest cocktails, courtesy of its flocked-to bar Lyaness, a regular star of best-bar-in-the-world lists thanks to its resident master mixologist.
Sea Containers' riverside terrace is romantic all year round, even in winter thanks to sheepskin blankets and faux-fur throws helpfully supplied by staff. At the Agua Spa, the organic Hedgerow product line is blended on-site, and guests can book beautifying treatments, too. The hotel has its very own Curzon Cinema, ready for couples to locate the back seat.
Mondrian London Shoreditch
As stylish as its Shoreditch setting, the Mondrian has a rooftop for guests to enjoy bracing morning swims and breakfasts on. BiBo transports Andalucia to London, with its sunshine colour scheme of terracotta walls and red tiles forming the backdrop for tapas (classic croquetas, oxtail on brioche) and huge pans of paella. The weather may be more British than Spanish, but there’s courtyard seating, too.
Or settle in at Christina’s café for cocktails regardless of what time it is. And the boutiques of Redchurch Street, tours of the neighbourhood’s street art and all the rest of London’s coolest corner are right on your doorstep.
The Kensington Hotel
The most romantic rooms at this townhouse hotel in Kensington are the ones with a freestanding bath tub, closely followed by those with a balcony. Unsurprisingly, it’s all very grand at The Kensington, with its elegant white exterior and afternoon teas in the drawing room – the star of which are the playful nods to the location: Big Ben-shaped biscuits and red telephone box cakes.
Watch the bartenders at work from one of the midnight-blue velvet stools at the oak-panelled cocktail bar, or curl up by one of the fireplaces in the drawing room. If you're a couple who likes to shop together, the capital’s best department stores, including Harrods and Harvey Nicks, are just a 20-minute walk away.
Rosewood London
The Rosewood in London may be in a grand old building near Holborn, but inside it’s really quite intimate, with snug spaces like the Mirror Room to get cosy in. A cocktail destination in its own right, Scarfes Bar is all dim lighting and wood-panelling, with a fireplace to sip your cocktails beside. It also has several hundred types of whiskies to choose from.
Pies may not immediately spring to mind when considering romantic food, but when they’re as good as they are in the hotel's very own Pie Room, you should be willing to make a pass. Or settle into a banquette in the Holborn Dining Room for elegant brasserie fare. It’s a short stroll from the West End, making it perfect for a stay after a night at the theatre.
Henrietta Hotel
In a tucked-away townhouse in the heart of Covent Garden, the discreet Henrietta Hotel has the added advantage of feeling like your own central-London address. Brought to you by the fashionable French friends behind the Experimental Cocktail Club, the small-scale stay is close to their original London speakeasy, over in Chinatown, which is perfect for pre-dinner drinks.
There are only 18 rooms, with millennial pink gracing the bathrooms, views out over the city’s rooftops and, unsurprisingly, kits to make cocktails in the minibar. The restaurant is a far cry from the tourist-packed offerings outside – instead, Da Henrietta brings the finest flavours of the west coast of Italy to the West End.
Bankside Hotel
Part of the high-gloss One Blackfriars complex but within the more modestly sized six-storey building, Bankside Hotel is right by the river in Southwark. The residential-style suites will have you feeling like a Londoner and one that’s the proud inhabitant of one of the capital’s buzziest boroughs.
The hotel itself is a sociable hub, with pop-up showcases at the Makers Studio and all-day dining at Art Yard. The neighbourhood is home to Tate Modern, the Globe theatre, the South Bank Centre and the National Theatre – and the City is a short stroll away over the bridge.
The Pilgrm
With a central setting in Paddington, The Pilgrm has revitalised an old Victorian building, with an impressive (and regularly rotating) art collection, a lounge with lots of cosy corners, delicious dinners by the former Grain Store chef and a terrace for cocktails with a view (and knitted blankets if it’s chilly).
You’ll be within walking distance of Marylebone, Hyde Park, Bayswater and Notting Hill. Design details include reclaimed radiators, parquet flooring and petrol-blue carpets, with lots of potted plants, elaborate wrought-iron railings on the staircase and views of the neighbouring residences, too.
The Franklin
The acclaimed interiors queen Anouska Hempel is no stranger to designing romantic retreats, having created Blakes – one of the capital’s original boutique hotels – and she’s done it again with The Franklin, a secluded stay in Knightsbridge that will feel more like your own townhouse.
The discreet red-brick residence has 35 bedrooms, a mirrored cocktail and champagne bar, and an intimate Italian restaurant. It’s on hidden-away Egerton Gardens, which means you’ll be perfectly placed for shopping trips to Harrods and Harvey Nichols, and cultural visits to the V&A and the Natural History Museum.
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