The best hotels near Covent Garden, London

The five-star St Martins Lane has a unique interior created by French designer par excellence Philippe Starck. It incorporates the largest hotel gym in Europe, with a full-sized boxing ring, state-of-the-art cardio equipment, and even a DJ booth for when piped beats simply aren’t good enough. Benefiting from floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the capital’s natural light, each room’s warm tones manage to appear both contemporary and classic at the same time. Meanwhile, the eclectic lounge area appears to be straight out of a dystopian indie film set in the 1920s; it must be seen to be believed. In addition to a gym, the Covent Garden Hotel boasts massages and beauty therapies in its dedicated treatment room. Many of the vintage-inspired bedrooms feature views across the rooftops, while the wood-panelled drawing room is the perfect place to enjoy an early evening drink in tranquil surrounds. But if that’s not enough of an attraction, here you can also indulge in a traditional English afternoon tea.

Named in honour of the eighteenth-century author of Tom Jones, Henry Fielding, the four-star Fielding Hotel might not look much from the plain, painted brick exterior. However, it is actually one of Covent Garden’s most notable boutique hotels. Consummately matching their historic surroundings, the rooms’ interiors are as classically styled as the piazza itself; they ooze tradition and elegance without becoming frumpy or old-fashioned. With sublime kerb appeal, Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street is within a ten-minute walking radius of gay-friendly Soho and Trafalgar Square, and less than five minutes from Covent Garden and Leicester Square Underground Stations. At one of the area’s most indulgent of stays, both the spacious rooms and suites at Mercer Street guarantee a good night’s sleep with 350 thread count Egyptian cotton bedding and fluffy, down-filled pillows. For your pleasure and convenience, they also offer smart televisions, top-of-the-line refrigerators, and toiletries from premium skincare brand REN. With only 18 rooms, the much smaller Henrietta Hotel echoes the Italianate style of Covent Garden piazza in its interiors. The rooms have been individually designed with contrasting whites and rich, brooding dark blues by well-respected designer Dorothée Meilichzon. Her designs allow you to make the most of each space, whichever of the rooms you end up plumping for.

Opposite the simple structure of St Paul’s Church, which faces on to Covent Garden piazza, Z Hotel Covent Garden thrums right at the heart of this thriving area of London. It’s bijou rooms manage to squeeze in a wide range of high-end features, including hand-crafted bed frames, high-quality bedding, high-definition televisions, and complimentary toiletries in the crisp en suite bathrooms. All of the rooms at The Nadler Covent Garden are as impressive inside as the hotel is outside, and incorporate small, fitted kitchenettes, each of which features a microwave, fridge, sink, and a Nespresso coffee machine complete with capsules. Rooms also feature USB-charging points as part of their subtle decorative touches, as well as a muted colour palette. The shared guest spaces are both comfortable and functional, although you will have to visit one of the many independent cafes or coffee shops of Covent Garden to get your breakfast fix beyond tea or coffee. It takes a certain confidence to name your aparthotel Exceptional Covent Garden Suites as Sonder has done, with good – or should we say exceptional – reason, as it turns out. Each of the units, located just a block away from the piazza, has a fully-equipped kitchen that comes with a dishwasher, an oven, a washing machine, and all you would need to rustle up a light lunch or main meal from scratch. Perfect for longer stays in the Covent Garden area, these suites also boast a good-sized seating area with a dizzyingly comfortable sofa, a large and high-spec bathroom, and between one and three elegant bedrooms.