Design hotels 122 Boutique hotels

Discover why design hotels in London and other iconic cities offer visitors so much

When traveling to the UK, for example, many visitors are looking for well-designed hotels that offer a friendly welcome in a property that gives them a true sense of the local culture. For many American business travelers, staying in a historic British city, such as York, Bristol, or Cardiff, among others, will mean looking for a hotel that offers more than standard resort hotels. When a traveler from the United States, for instance, wants to enjoy a truly relaxing vacation, the desire to find a luxury hotel will often be even greater. When you are used to staying in luxury hotels and suites in the United States, in places like California, for example, then you won't want to compromise on the class of property you will stay in during your visit to the UK. Fortunately, there are many design hotels with top-rated reviews in the British Isles and elsewhere in Europe that will suit most American tastes. Even better, many are located in the center of London, ideal for any traveler who is new to the country and touched down in one of the city's principal trans-Atlantic airports. Read on to find out more about why design hotels are among the best places to book in iconic city resorts like London.

Why book a design hotel for your stay in London?

All of the well-designed hotels in London offer a high star rating. If you are looking for a room that has a boutique feel, then you will certainly be able to find it in the UK's capital city, even if the hotel itself is quite large. This is because designer hotels in London tend to be large. That said, you can still obtain the boutique feel of a smaller, potentially more friendly, establishment, even in some of London's larger hotels. This means that you will get the best of both worlds: the chance to book multiple adjoining rooms or suites for a large traveling party or something much more intimate, ideal for a honeymooning couple, for example. Most such hotels have business facilities, such as fast Wi-Fi and meeting rooms, but they're also geared up for people on vacation together as well as a lone traveler. The design aspect of such hotels is often the first thing visitors mention in their reviews. Check out any image on offer for the rooms since, in boutique accommodation, this can vary greatly from floor to floor or room to room with a unique, one-of-a-kind aesthetic in each, something you won't find in standard hotels.

What facilities do city design hotels offer?

Although this will differ from hotel to hotel: a property on the beach may offer direct access to the sea, where one in the center of London won't be able to, of course. That being said, most designer hotels are differentiated from standard ones by more than their design aesthetics. For example, a typical luxury hotel in the UK will provide an English (cooked) breakfast, where you might find a continental breakfast on offer in most of Europe. Either way, hotel room prices tend to include breakfast in luxury establishments but they won't always be free in hotels of a lower class. In addition, design hotels tend to have pool or spa facilities you can enjoy. In some cases, a couple of spa treatments are included within the room prices, but this will not always be the case, depending on the house rules. Typically, you can upgrade your treatments and pay on your room's key card, on account, for any extras that aren't included in your booking. The same goes for dining in the hotel restaurant or using its bar. Typically upmarket, the restaurant and bar facilities on offer at design hotels in places like London are open to both guests and non-guests. If you have booked a room to stay in, however, you'll be able to pay on account by simply handing over your room's key card for complete convenience.

Are designer hotels a class apart?

Yes, the fact is that despite the somewhat higher prices of design hotels, they are often worth it. In fact, you may find that when you book your stay in advance, the prices aren't significantly higher than standard hotel rooms. Given that you can expect greater luxury during your vacation or business trip from a design hotel, the difference in prices tends to be worth it, offering superb value for money with so much more included. Whether you want a well-equipped gym, a top-quality swimming pool, a culture of friendly service, or something else, nearly every traveler will find what they're after at affordable prices, from boutique design hotels in locations all over the world, including London.

How do you choose a design hotel?

Read the reviews for the resort or city you want to stay in. For a big city like London, it is also worth checking out which neighborhood the hotel is in since a West London hotel may have a very different image and feel than one in South London, for example. Once you know where you'll want to stay, consider what is included for free within the prices that are set out so you can judge the value afforded by each design hotel. If you are a traveler who wants a boutique feel to your vacation so it will be a more memorable trip, then make sure you view every image of the hotel you can. This way, you will be able to assess each property on its merits and decide for yourself what truly makes it a designer establishment and not a standard one.