London is a vast city with a huge range of accommodation options for visitors. For tourists there is everything from basic travel hostels to some of the world’s finest hotels; for those who are staying longer there are self-catering apartments, cottages, houses to rent and serviced apartments.

Here we share a few of our favourite cheap hotels in London. Here we focus on central London, which is the area within the Circle Line. Beyond this area are the London Zones, where you can find even cheaper places to stay.

Cheapest Hotels in London

The cheapest hotels in London are hostels. They are most popular among backpackers and people on a very tight budget. Amenities are basic, rooms often shared and security can be minimal, but these are the cheapest hotels in central London. There are several Youth Hostel Association establishments too, which provide an excellent service.

Independent Hostels

• Acacia Hostel, 4 Queensberry Pl, South Kensington, Greater London SW7 2EA. 020 7823 7103. Close to the Natural History Museum, this is a basic hostel with bunks and some rooms. Bedding provided, but bring your own towels etc.
• Sandeman Allen House, 40 Inverness Terrace, London W2 3JB. 020 7727 2719. Possibly the cheapest accommodation in Bayswater, with rooms and dorms. Breakfast and dinner are included.Gym, lounge and laundry on site too.
• The Phoenix Hostel, 6 Daventry St, London NW1 5NX. 020 7724 0705. In the West End, close to Madame Tussauds and The Sherlock Museum. Guests aged 18-40 are welcome in shared rooms with communal bathrooms.

YHA in London

• YHA London Central, Bolsover Street, London, W1W 5NU. 0845 371 9154. Ideal for backpackers, this hostel is 56 rooms, and rooms can be made private. There is one double, a 2-bed bunk room, 30 rooms with 4 beds an ensuite (great for families and small travelling groups), two with 4 bunk beds, 12 with 7 beds plus ensuite, plus five 6 bed bunk rooms and 5 8 bed bunk rooms. This is an excellent hostel – it is clean, provides excellent value for money and well-located. They have a Facebook page.
• YHA London Oxford Street, Noel Street, London, W1F 8GJ. 0845 371 9133. This is as central as you can get! 104 beds in 36 rooms, with doubles, twin, triple and four bed private rooms, plus dorms. This is very busy, but perfect for a short, intensive stay in London.
• YHA London Earls Court, Earl’s Court, London, SW5 0AQ. 0845 371 9114. Perfect for West London, this is near Earls Court and on the Piccadilly line for Heathrow. There are 186 beds in several room sizes, including family rooms with ensuites. Social areas, laundry, secure lockers, computers and a garden.
• YHA London St Pauls, Carter Lane, London, EC4V 5AB. 0845 371 9012. This hostel is in a quiter location towards the City of London. Perfect for sight-seeing holidays, with easy access to St. Pauls and the tourist bus routes, which can be picked up from here. Also on the Central Line that goes direct to Oxford Street, Soho and the West End. 213 beds in rooms from 1-11 beds, it caters for families, groups and individual travellers. Perfect for women travelling alone on a budget.

There are more YHA hostels in London, see the YHA UK website for full details. It is also worth checking out their special offers.

Discount and Budget London Hotels

Discount hotels are the cheapest hotels in London – they are one step up from a hostel and provide single occupancy rooms, often with ensuite, although some older hotels will have shared bathrooms. Here we list a few Travelodge hotels (official website). Travelodge is a UK chain of affordable hotels. They are usually kept clean and provide great value for money.

• Travelodge London Covent Garden. 10 Drury Lane, High Holborn, London, WC2B 5RE. 0871 984 6245. Double and family rooms near Covent Garden, perfect for Soho and Theatre Land. Nearest station is Tottenham Court Road Tube Station. It can be noisy at times, but that’s London!
• Travelodge London Central Waterloo Hotel, 195 -203 Waterloo Road, SE1 8UX. 0871 984 6291. 800m from Waterloo Station, close to London Aquarium, London Eye, Tate Modern and the Houses of Parliament / Big Ben.
• Travelodge London Central Euston Hotel, 1-11 Grafton Place, London, NW1 1DJ. 0871 984 6332. Next to Euston Underground Station. Close to Regents Park, one mile from Camden Market.
• Travelodge London Central Kings Cross Hotel, Willings House, 356-364 Grays Inn Road, Kings Cross, London, WC1X 8BH. 0871 984 6256. Next to Kings Cross Thameslink station and Kings Cross Station (main). Perfect for British Library, close to British Museum and its 13 million books.

Go2london Tip: If you are travelling to London on a budget, try to come out of season. July to August are the most expensive months, and prices shoot up over Christmas and New Year too. The best time is during school term-time, when most Brits are staying at home.

There are many independent hotels in London. Check reviews on Google and TripAdvisor for details. We shall list some of our favourites here soon.