The London hotels with parking, for when public transport won't do
Driving in the capital may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for ease (and when you’re bringing multiple suitcases), sometimes you need a London hotel with parking.
Space may be limited in the city, but these hotels have room for your wheels – and many hotels have valets who’ll be able to stash your car away for you.
Especially handy for avoiding rail works or Tube strikes, driving yourself to London can increasingly seem like a sensible option.
If you’re planning on raiding Harrods and Harvey Nicks to update your wardrobe, The Berkeley is the London hotel for you – you won’t even have to summon a cab to get you and your shopping bags home (since it’s mere steps from both of the capital’s iconic department stores), plus your boot will be ready and waiting to be loaded up.
Or pull up to the Shangri-La at The Shard and try to secure one of a handful of spaces on the hotel’s porte-cochère – officially a covered porch-like structure that tends to err on the side of grandness – and try to outdo the flashy wheels already on display.
Here are some of our favourite London hotels with parking…
The Londoner
The supremely central Londoner is right on Leicester Square, so you certainly won’t need your car to get around the city once you’ve checked in – valet parking in the hotel’s secure car park costs £90 for 24 hours, or you can stow your wheels at the Q-Park Leicester Square on Whitcomb Street or Chinatown on Newport Place.
As well as having all of the West End on your doorstep, the hotel has a library full of Assouline tomes to admire, a whisky room and an underground spa. You’ll also be able to enjoy some sake beside the fire-pit at the hotel’s izakaya and cocktails at Y Bar.
ME London
ME London is on the edge of the Strand, with a spectacular view of the skyline visible from its rooftop bar. The hotel may be close to the West End’s best clubs, but the aforementioned bar is an excellent place to start your evening, especially if you arrive in time for sunset.
It’s also close to lots of theatres, especially good news for anyone coming to the capital to see Frozen, the Tina Turner musical or Mamma Mia!, since all three venues are just steps away. Valet parking is available for guests arriving at ME London by car.
Nhow London Islington
A little easier on the budget than many London hotels, Nhow London Islington is also one of the capital’s more quirky offerings. On-site parking here costs £37 a night – there are 14 spaces (which can't be reserved in advance), with the entrance on Dingley Road. Don't forget that the hotel is within both the Congestion Charge and ULEZ parameters.
The hotel has lots of artworks on display, and has partnered with a London gallery to showcase the talents of a roster of local artists. There’s a restaurant that’s styled on classic British pubs, and Brompton bicycles to borrow to explore your new neighbourhood, which is located between hipster-central Hoxton, Shoreditch and Islington.
Shangri-La London
One of the most dazzling hotels in London (and not just because it’s inside the tallest building in Western Europe), the Shangri-La at The Shard has a lot of glass, ridiculous skyline views and a brilliant bar. Even the parking is elevated – if your wheels are especially flashy, they can vie for one of the coveted spots on the hotel’s porte-cochère, which is often graced by Bugattis, Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Rolls-Royces.
Overflow (and more pedestrian) models are parked in a hi-tech car stacker in the Shard’s underground car park. Parking costs from £55 for 24 hours.
The Savoy
With an iconic entrance and suitably dapper doormen, it’d be rude not to arrive at The Savoy by car – and helpfully, the hotel has valet parking available for £60 a day.
The London icon has been welcoming guests since before cars were a thing, with people coming in search of classic cocktails at its legendary art deco American Bar (which may get all of the attention, but its Beaufort bar, pictured, is really rather special, too), Thames-facing suites and roast dinners at London’s only acceptable carvery, Simpson’s on the Strand. The latter is currently closed and undergoing a refurbishment under the guidance of the star restaurateur Jeremy King, who is sure to restore it to former glory.
One Aldwych
Valet parking at One Aldwych is arranged by the concierge and is included in some of the hotel’s packages – such as Suite Life, which also features a £150 food and drink credit, and a Covent Garden Black Card, giving guests access to discounts at a range of local shops. For guests not staying on a package, valet parking is available for an additional cost.
The central setting means Seven Dials shopping, West End theatres and many of the capital’s major sights are all within walking distance. The hotel’s health club (and its 18-metre swimming pool) is the perfect place to relax in afterwards.
Park Plaza Westminster Bridge
If you’re planning to visit attractions such as the London Eye, Westminster Abbey and the House of Parliament, or go pelican-spotting in St James’s Park, book a stay at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, which is right on the banks of the Thames. It’s so close to some of these landmarks that you’ll be able to admire them from the terrace, as well as some of the rooms.
To help soothe sore limbs after days out exploring, there’s a spa and a swimming pool. Parking at this super-central stay (which is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis) costs £65 a day.
Moxy London Excel
A little away from the action in London’s Docklands (which means no Congestion Charge), the Moxy near the London Excel exhibition centre has the brand’s trademark playful design. In this instance, that includes freestanding goats and swans, magenta lighting and wingback chairs. The hotel has BREEAM certification, which means it scores highly on the sustainability front.
On-site parking costs £15 a day; there are also off-site options within a kilometre away. Once your car is safely stashed, you can get around London by driverless DLR – the nearest stations are Royal Albert and Prince Regent.
St Martins Lane
Right by Covent Garden, the Philippe Starck-designed St Martins Lane hotel has the designer’s signature surrealism and a dose of British eccentricity accounting for the garden gnomes in residence. There’s also a speakeasy tucked away behind a tea counter, naturally.
Valet parking is available at the main entrance on St Martins Lane for £44 a night. Cars can be taken in and out for £5 a transfer, with a 15-minute retrieval time – but you can wait in style at the hotel’s Los Angeles-inspired, pastel pink coffee shop Ella Mia.
The Berkeley
If you’re coming to the capital to shop, The Berkeley in Knightsbridge is exactly where you need to stay – the hotel, part of the Maybourne group, whose other properties include Claridge’s and The Connaught, along with the just-opened Emory next-door, is within easy bag-dropping distance of the iconic department stores Harrods and Harvey Nichols.
Keep up the fashion theme with the hotel’s famous Prêt-à-Portea afternoon tea, head up to the roof for a swim with a skyline view, or book treatments by Bamford and Oskia at the spa. While it doesn't have its own parking, the hotel has access to nearby car parks – just enlist the help of the concierge.
Sofitel St James
Sofitel St James has an unbeatable central-London locale, steps from Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus and Green Park, but that doesn’t mean you can’t come by car – valet parking is available and also close by is the Q-Park Trafalgar car park.
The hotel, set in a listed neoclassical building, is home to Wild Honey, where you can dine on French-inspired fare in its elegant dining room. And at the spa, you’ll be able to book in for a sought-after facial by Hollywood favourite Su-Man.
Mama Shelter Shoreditch
Mama Shelter in Shoreditch doesn’t have parking on-site, but you’ll be able to stow your wheels away at the neighbourhood’s Euro Car Park (drop your bags off at the hotel first, as it’s a mile away).
The hotel is as hip as its ’hood, with a garden terrace for craft cocktails, paintings that nod to the East End’s famous street art and mismatched lampshades in homage to Shoreditch’s unabashed love of vintage.
Vintry & Mercer
Vintry & Mercer is in the heart of the City of London, which makes it an especially great choice for mini-breaks, since this part of town is much quieter at the weekends. You’ll be able to have the ancient streets, hidden churches and stately architecture all to yourself. The hotel is close to the banks of the river, also perfect for Saturday strolls. You’ll be able to spy St Paul’s Cathedral (and much more of the capital’s skyline) from the rooftop.
Convenient parking is available a four-minute walk away at the London Vintry Thames Exchange NCP.
InterContinental London – The O2
If you’re coming to London to see a concert at the O2 and hoping to drive to it, the North Greenwich edition of the InterContinental brand is the hotel for you. The iconic yellow cranes of the structure formerly known as the Millennium Dome are so close, you’ll be able to spy them from some of the guestrooms.
There’s parking available on-site (allocated on a first-come, first-served basis) – for overnight guests, the fee is £45 a day. If it’s at capacity, you’ll be able to park a two-minute walk away at the 24-hour Saba car park next to North Greenwich station.
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- The best weekend trips from London
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