A grand metropolis and one of the world’s greatest cities, London is an exciting mix of different cultures and strong music, art and design scenes. Sometimes gritty, always historically proud with many pockets of true originality and quintessentially English eccentricity, the city doesn’t tend to disappoint it’s many visitors. We have chosen ten hotels (in no particular order) that reflect London’s taste for the original, the ultra cool, slightly extraordinary and the impeccably designed.

1. Hotel 41

Aptly located on Buckingham Palace Road Hotel 41 frequently tops prestigious hotel critic lists. Often cited as having a ‘private member’s club’ feel, this luxurious five star hotel mixes traditional English opulence and elegant nostalgia with cutting edge technology, yet still manages to retain an intriguing edge. All 41 rooms are individually designed but all feature rich fabrics, marble bathrooms and the hotel’s monochrome and mahogany signature design. Services include a 24 hour honesty pantry, a personal butler and a cellar of fine wine. Average price per night £342

• Check prices for Hotel 41

2. The Soho Hotel

Part of the exclusive Firmdale chain this frequently praised luxury hotel centred in the city’s entertainment and creative district has quickly become a London institution. Immaculately designed by celebrated interior designer Kit Kemp in her signature contemporary English style, the hotel attracts A-list celebrities and the cream of London’s glitterati. Each individually designed spacious room feature strong textiles, solid granite and oak bathrooms, flat screens TVs and DVD/CD players. The hotel also has two state-of-the-art private ’screening rooms,’ a gym, beauty treatment rooms and an honesty bar. Average price per night £370

• Check prices for The Soho Hotel

3. The Hoxton Hotel

The Hoxton Hotel epitomises the trendy urban cool of Hoxton itself but with surprisingly competitive prices. Innovatively designed with open fireplaces, classic leather furniture, exposed brickwork and the occasional faux moose head, the style is often likened to a modern urban country lodge. The guest rooms, although compact, are equally as stylish with Frette linen, flatscreen TVs, rain power showers and some cool artistic details. Other extras include a free Pret a Manger Breakfast (delivered to your door), fresh milk and water in the fridge and free WiFi. Also watch out for their extremely popular £1 a room sale. Normal Average price per night £114

• Check prices for The Hoxton Hotel

4. Church Street Hotel

Church Street Hotel located in a Zone 2 South London neighbourhood, prides itself on it’s unique and welcoming atmosphere, colourful Cuban/Mexican inspired room designs, attention to detail and it’s good value prices. The new owners transformed a run down bed and breakfast into positively received boutique hotel adorned with striking Mexican tiles, painted furniture and Spanish-American religious art. Personal touches include a cigar box containing Green and Black’s chocolate, a complimentary jar of hot sauce and lovingly made organic breakfasts. A slice of Havana heaven in Camberwell. Average price per night £106

• Check prices for Church Street Hotel

5. 40 Winks

With only two bedrooms 40 winks is likely to be one of the smallest boutique hotels you can find. In fact the hotel is actually the four storey Queen Anne townhouse home of acclaimed interior designer David Carter, and it’s eclectic and meticulously designed rooms are the antithesis of a bland large hotel environment. Decadent and eccentrically English but with a fashionably shabby chic twist (and details like a lion’s head tap in the bath and a music room complete with a Beatles drumkit) it’s no surprise the hotel is also one of London’s most successful celebrity and fashion shoot locations. It also attracts a host of artists and A-listers. Quirky events such as a vintage afternoon tea party and glamorous pyjama parties are a regular occurrence. Single Room £90 Double Room £130 Events from £25

For 40 Winks Bookings

6. Andaz

Housed in a red brick Victorian building in Liverpool Street, the Andaz is a sleek modern new hotel where design and faultless personal customer service are the priority. When you arrive the receptionist greets you at the door and checks you in with a laptop and services such as wifi, local phone calls and healthy organic mini bar are all included in the room price. The rooms are spacious and stylish with minimalist bold colours, flat screen TVs, iPod docks and a fast-fill deep eco-friendly bath. Average price per night £284

• Check prices for Andaz

7. Rough Luxe

Photo by Marcus Peel

Rough Luxe is definitely not your average boutique hotel. The design is the brainchild of architect and interior designer Rabih Hage and the result is a unique combination of urban shabby chic and classic English luxury. Peeling walls, bare floorboards and unfinished surfaces are contrasted with top quality furniture and an impressive collection of modern art. In some of the nine rooms you may have to share a bathroom, but all the rooms have expensive bed linen, designer comforts and an unconventional individual design. Staying here would be an experience in itself. Double Rooms from £150 per night

• Check prices for Rough Luxe

8. The Zetter

Located in the heart of London’s trendy creative neighbourhood Clerkenwell, this small contemporary boutique hotel caters to a design loving crowd. Once a Victorian warehouse, now The Zetter houses 59 guest rooms individually designed in a bold retro-modern style with quirky and delicate artistic touches. Other unique details include a vending machine on every floor (deposing everything from champagne to disposable cameras) and complimentary spring water from the hotel’s very own 1,500ft bore hole. The Zetter has also been commended on its eco friendly ethos and dedication to providing state of the art technology in every room. Average price per night £198

• Check prices for The Zetter

9. The Boundary

The Boundary is a new joint project between famous interior designer Sir Terence Conran and his wife Vicki and is already winning critical acclaim. Opened in trendy Shoreditch in 2009 the converted Victorian warehouse is now home to 12 individually designed guest rooms. Each room pays homage to a different legendary designer or design movement from Bauhaus to Josef Hoffmann. Conran’s signature style of simple clean lines with a quirky twist follow throughout the hotel and the designers have thought of every detail. These details include heated floors, large flat screen TVs, handmade super King sized Savoir beds and extensive acoustic sound-proofing. The Boundary experience also includes a popular rooftop terrace and several impressive bars and restaurants. Rooms start from £200 but special rates are offered at the weekend.

• For The Boundary Reservations

10. The Pavilion Rock and Roll Hotel

The Pavilion Fashion Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel, located in Sussex Gardens is a small quirky hotel with an unconventional design. The brother and sister owners have strong links with the fashion community and their offbeat and photogenic hotel is popular with the fashion, media and musical set. Each room is themed and bursting with flamboyant kitsch and retro antiques, from a 70s style ‘Honky Tonk Afro Room’ to the Hollywood star inspired “Monochrome Marilyn.” Other room names include “Metallica” “Enter the Dragon” and “Better Red Than Dead”. Average price per night £85

• Check prices for The Pavilion Hotel

For Top Ten Cool and Unusual Hotels in Berlin

For Top Ten Cool and Unusual Hotels in New York

Related posts:

1. Top 10 cool and unusual hotels in Berlin
2. Top 10 cool and unusual hotels in New York
3. Barcelona: The Mediterranean capital of cool

Related posts

• Top 10 cool and unusual hotels in New York (9)

If you are fed up with bland and soulless accommodation we have done the leg work and picked out ten very cool and unusual hotels in NYC. All the hotels on our list put an extra effort into making your hotel experience far more interesting, whatever your budget. New York is a popular and incredible city where if you look hard enough you can find some very unique places to stay.

Themed Hotels

The Library Hotel: A hotel that would suit both bookworms and style aficionados alike

The Library Hotel is a frequently praised and perfectly located 60 room boutique hotel. Each of the ten floors have themes dedicated to the major categories of the Dewey Decimal System; Literature, Languages, History, Math & Science etc. The 1900 brick building hotel wasn’t previously a library itself (although it now could probably pass as one!) but it’s location is a clue to it’s theme-it’s only a block away from New York Public Library in Madison Ave also known as ‘Library Way’. Other personal touches include free wine and cheese reception evenings and a collection of art and books in every room. Average nightly price $361.

Night Hotel: For those who like their hotels dark, glamorous and with an edge

If you’ve had your fill of minimalism and prefer your hotels to be dramatic and glamorous then try Night – a gothic themed boutique hotel located in Times Square. The unusual and stylish noir-inspired monochrome decor sets this hotel apart from the rest and is a great choice for those wishing to visit the Theatre District’s fashionable restaurants and attractions. Each of the 72 sleek, sexy and intimate rooms has a plasma TV, iPod stereo system and top-end bathroom products. Average nightly price $376.

Marrakech Hotel: Brings an North African style to Upper West Side Village

This is a reasonably priced themed hotel in a very good location. The newly renovated Marrakech Hotel based in the trendy upper west side neighbourhood promises to bring a touch of Morocco to Manhattan. The colourful decor includes authentic Moroccan lamps, ceramic tiles and rich fabrics and the location is perfect for access to great jazz bars, restaurants and shops. Average nightly price $232.

Trendy yet affordable

The Pod: Join the Pod culture revolution

Many hotels try and fail to fit the stylish and trendy but budget niche. The Pod located in the heart of Midtown East neighbourhood is the exception. Clean and modern with funky murals, but with shared bathrooms and an option of staying in a bunk bed room, this hotel would be a good choice for someone who doesn’t fancy re-mortgaging their house for a trip to NYC (or didn’t fancy chancing a down-town Manhattan hostel). The friendly staff will even help you with finding tickets to your favourite concerts/gigs and city tourist information. Average nightly price $211.

MAve: Kitsch Retro Chic

The newly opened MAve is a 1970’s retro inspired hotel and would probably remind you more than a little of the film Boogie Nights. There is an emphasis on fun, colour, perspex, funky art, leather sofas and zebra prints. Taking a dip in the colourfully illuminated pool is an experience in itself. Here you can order drinks in a swim-up bar and be on full view by everyone in reception (courtesy of a large glass window). Whether you want to stay in a private room or in a dorm style room with bunk beds here you will get comfy mattresses, ipod docks and cool interiors all for a price that won’t break the bank. Average nightly price $260.

The Ace Hotel: Urban Basement style

This quirky boutique hotel aims to cater to a young, creative and bohemian crowd. Ace has been built around collaborations with local designers, artists, and independent businesses and the style has often been likened to a cool friend’s town house basement. Many of the rooms have turntables, guitars, scrawl-able chalkboard walls and Smeg mini-bars. Some rooms are smaller and more basic and there is also a budget bunk bed room option. If it’s stylish but reasonably priced accommodation you’re after the Ace shouldn’t disappoint. Average nightly price $249.

The Gershwin Hotel: Arty Shabby Chic

You don’t have to love pop art to stay at the trendy Gershwin Hotel but it might help! Each floor is decorated with prints from a different artist and there is even two original Liechtensteins and a Warhol soup can in the eccentrically styled and colourful lobby. Dormitories where beds go for $49 a night are located on the lower floor and on some evenings you can head down to the Gershwin’s “Living Room” and catch random music, comedy, and theatre performances. Average nightly price $177.

Luxurious but still a bit different

The Bowery: Authentic Classic elegance
Photo credit
The Bowery is gorgeous boutique hotel with a difference, the homely wood-panelled elegant hotel has a classic old-school feel. The bright spacious rooms are decorated with rich velvet drapes and fringed lampshades and the hardwood floors are covered with Oushak rugs. Head down to the art-deco bar and relax by the carved sandstone fireplace on worn leather club chairs and salvaged church pews. Attracts a hip and wealthy crowd. Average nightly price $400.

The Mercer: Classy laid-back style and perfect for celeb-watching
Photo credit
If you prefer a more contemporary accommodation The Mercer, a favourite haunt of celebrities, would make an excellent choice. This light and modern boutique hotel pays homage to loft living. The modern interior comes with oversized marble bath tubs, (which could easily fit two or more people), high ceilings, neutral decor with brick walls. The lobby has huge white sofas and a wall of colourfully bound art and fashion books. Average nightly price $485.

And for a very unusual experience try…

The Jane: Bellhops and stuffed monkeys

Staying at the Jane Hotel is an experience in itself, it has a time-warpish, quirky feel with rooms inspired by vintage train cabins. In 1912 the hotel sheltered survivors of the Titanic, in the 1920s it became a haven for sailors and then it was lovingly restored on it’s centennial in 2008. The rooms/cabins are very compact and there’s an emphasis on conserving energy although in every room there is a flat-screen tvs and ipod dock/clock. The decor is also pretty unusual with authentic old-school bellhops, maids in black and white uniforms and stuffed monkeys with fez hats! All of this probably makes it one of the most intriguing budget hotels in New York. Average nightly price $109.

Other popular trendy/unusual/cool hotels in New York

• Gramercy Park: A luxury glamourous and arty design hotel
• 6 Columbus: trendy design hotel 1960s modernist-feel
• Hotel 99: A good value trendy boutique hotel aimed at the budget traveller
• Thompson LES: a sleek design hotel with a definite wow factor
• Kitano: A luxury Japanese hotel with a distinctive Asian feel
• Rivington Hotel: 21-story glass tower trendy boutique hotel
• The Mansfield: a classically beautiful and romantic hotel

For Top 10 Cool and Unusual Hotels in Berlin

For Top 10 Cool and Unusual Hotels in London

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Christmas shopping destinations in the UK

Related posts

• Top 10 cool and unusual hotels in London (8)
• 5 bars with great happy hours in New York (1)