Sky-high suites, riverside glamour and the city's most famous afternoon tea. Here are the London hotels we'd book for a special occasion, and who each one suits best.
Updated September 2026
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If the point of a penthouse is the view, start here. Shangri-La occupies levels 34 to 52 of The Shard, so every one of its 202 rooms and suites looks out across the city. Below you: the Thames, St Paul's Cathedral, Tate Modern and Borough Market.
The standout is the pool. It's London's highest hotel infinity pool, and swimming a length at dusk with the skyline lighting up is the kind of moment people book a special trip for.
The Savoy opened on the Strand in 1889 and has been London's byword for glamour ever since. A £220 million restoration, finished in 2010, brought back its art deco interiors and butler service.
Ask for a river-facing room or suite for views over the Thames. The two bars are destinations in their own right: the American Bar is one of the most famous cocktail bars in the world, and the Beaufort Bar is all black and gold theatre.
Claridge's is Mayfair distilled: a red-brick landmark on the corner of Brook Street and Davies Street, with art deco style and a guest book that reads like a history of the 20th century.
A major renovation that ended in 2021 dug five levels below the hotel to add a spa and swimming pool. Plan a December stay if you can: the lobby Christmas tree, designed each year by a famous designer or fashion house, has become an event of its own.
For a true penthouse stay, Corinthia is hard to beat. It has seven individually designed penthouses, each with its own theme and outdoor terrace, just steps from Trafalgar Square and the river.
Downstairs, the hotel's Biome spa has a swimming pool and sauna, and Kerridge's, the Michelin-starred restaurant from chef Tom Kerridge, is excellent for dinner.
The Ritz opened on Piccadilly in 1906, and its Louis XVI interiors are still among the most lavish in London. There's a reason "ritzy" became a word.
The main draw is tea in the Palm Court: gilded mirrors, a marble fountain and a formal dress code, where a jacket and tie are expected. It's the classic London treat for an anniversary or a proposal weekend.
Opened in 1906
Tea in the Palm Court
Louis XVI interiors
Overlooks Green Park
Good to know: the hotel is partway through a long renovation programme, so check the room details and reviews when you book.
Rosewood occupies a grand Edwardian building on High Holborn that became a luxury hotel in 2013. It feels like a private club: calm, handsome and very London.
Its most famous feature is Scarfes Bar, known for live music and its caricature-covered walls. Covent Garden, the theatres and the British Museum are all within walking distance.
We pick hotels for location, character and the kind of stay they're known for, not for who pays the most commission. We don't show prices here because luxury rates change constantly. Tap through to see live prices for your dates.
