The Telegraph, Travel News
The best hotels near the London Eye, including river views and spacious terraces
These are unusual times, and the state of affairs can change quickly. Please check the latest travel guidance before making your journey. Our writers visited these hotels pre-pandemic.
The London Eye is one of the most famous landmarks to mark the city’s skyline but a few minutes’ walk either side will take you to the South Bank’s restaurants, shops and historic pubs; performances at the Southbank Centre, National Theatre, and BFI; and family-friendly spots like the aquarium and London Dungeon. Stroll to the east and you’ll reach Borough Market and The Globe; hop across the river and you’re in Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden. If you’re looking to stay near this discoid kingpin, here’s our pick of the best hotels near the London Eye – including a couple of hotels near Big Ben, across the river, and the London Aquarium.
The hotel sits squarely on the South Bank, just to the right of Westminster Bridge, and so the restaurant (and your bedroom if you’re lucky), offers front-row seats to the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the Thames and the London Eye. In addition to the main restaurant, Gillray’s Steakhouse and Bar, there’s The Library for traditional afternoon teas and the M-Club Lounge, which serves complimentary breakfast, snacks, canapés and drinks for guests staying in premium rooms and suites. A fitness centre with sauna and large indoor swimming pool is an added bonus. The sleek, contemporary rooms come with a king-sized bed and are similar in style, but vary in space and views.
From
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228
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The hotel’s location bang opposite the old County Hall (the seat of London government until 1986), is terrifically convenient with the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben all close by and the South Bank only a short walk away. The hotel interior, with a distinctive 14-floor atrium, is eye-catching; the glass-fronted lift gives the best view of it as you rise up to your room and peer down to L’Italiano restaurant on the mezzanine level. There are 398 rooms and suites; all stylish with cream and pale wood decor. The defining feature of many is the view, which may look out toward the Shard and the City, over Waterloo station, or best of all, towards the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye – stunning in the early morning.
From
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138
On the banks of the Thames and across the road from Embankment underground station and Charing Cross, Royal Horseguards is ideally located for the London Eye. Although the hotel is located in an extremely busy part of London, the peaceful surroundings offer an escape and the green space of St James’s Park is just around the corner. The Grade I-listed building has a storied past: it was home to the original Scotland Yard and used as a base for MI5 during the First World War, but interiors do feel modern. The One Twenty One Two restaurant and Equus Bar provide a wide selection of food and drinks, while afternoon tea can be taken in the lobby lounge or secluded outside terrace.
From
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187
One of the loveliest hotels close to the London Eye, the five-star Corinthia draws a lively crowd to its grand bars, restaurants and event spaces. Its position near the River Thames, opposite the South Bank, makes it one of the most impressive hotels for London Eye views – especially when viewed from one of the expansive penthouse terraces. It is within walking distance of numerous other attractions too, including Trafalgar Square, St James’s Park, and the Houses of Parliament. This is a hotel that wants to impress – and it succeeds. Get ready for fabulous chandeliers, intriguing modern art, palatial public rooms, a Daniel Galvin hair salon, a mini-branch of Harrods – oh, and there’s also a magnificent four-floor spa with a swimming pool.
From
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523
Amid the busy streets of Holborn – a workaday area with plenty of shops and cultural attractions close by – this property offers the privacy of an apartment combined with the convenience of a hotel in an unparalleled location. Trafalgar Square is a four-minute skip away while London landmarks like the London Eye, National Portrait Gallery, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and famous Piccadilly Circus lights are within a 15-minute walk. Spacious modern accommodation with fully equipped kitchenettes, a stylish lobby lounge, parking and access to a neighbouring gym draws in both business and leisure travellers.
From
£
103
• The best hotels in Waterloo
This famous London address was the former headquarters of the Metropolitan Police. The building was also used as the HQ of the Army Recruiting Office for both World Wars, and later by the Ministry of Defense before it was bought by a billionaire. It has been entirely rebuilt and extended by two floors to create 168 bedrooms, a ground floor dedicated to food and drink and a lower ground floor for events. There is also a five-storey townhouse that acts as the hotel’s huge Presidential Suite. As for the hotel’s theme, it’s a no-brainer. Expect riffs on famous London criminals, police uniforms, the Met Police badge and so on, but expect them in the form of specially commissioned artworks in an effort to make the hotel look both arty and historic.
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235
Contributions by Fiona Duncan, Mark C. O’Flaherty, Lizzie Frainier, Jenny Hatton, Kaye Holland & Simon Horsford
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