The Best Hotels to Book near Harrods, London

Anticipate a look that’s slightly New York-meets-Scandi in this bright hotel, designed for no-frills home-from-home stays in the city (book the Deluxe Suite with kitchenette if you really want to settle in). It’s perfect for leisure and business – the downstairs lounge/workspace has a bar-cum-cafe for croissants and coffee under a glass atrium. The setting – in a quiet side street in the heart of Chelsea – puts you right by the upmarket shops, restaurants and cafes of Brompton Cross and the King’s Road. Loftier pursuits? Stroll to the much-loved Natural History Museum, a 10-minute walk away.

Hole up in an elegant Knightsbridge townhouse, steps from Harrods, that’s tailor-made for art-lovers thanks to the largest private collection of English watercolours in the world, dotted around public spaces and rooms. The styling is plush – zebra-print rugs, shiny fabrics, black, white and brown stripe – while fresh flowers and chocolates lend a welcome. Have breakfast in the suave, Italian-designed drawing room – think aromatic coffee and croissants – as you plan your budget-busting day of shopping.

Who could fail to fall for this pile, with its Edwardian architecture, ornate facade and plum location opposite the V&A Museum. Traditionally styled rooms are comfortable and colourful with bold splashes of turquoise and red to liven up the marble and oak panelling – some even offer bubbly spa baths. Don’t rush too much to get out into the city: breakfast is a super-leisurely affair, featuring cheeses and breads, plus eggs and bacon cooked to order, among the ivory columns, bas-relief ceiling details and glamorous chandeliers of the restaurant.

International glamour is the name of the game at this designer hotel around the corner from Harrods – so you can even carry your shopping bags back if you have to. Rooms and suites don’t differ much, aside from in size, bathed in a uniform palette of beige and silvery grey with polished floors. Don’t head for bed before you’ve slumped for afternoon tea in The Lounge, along with willowy guests; slurped spaghetti in chic Scarpetta restaurant and had nightcaps in the low light at Nolita bar.

Once bitten, forever smitten: admirers return again and again for the period detail and modern design of this charming townhouse collection in leafy Chelsea square. Splurge on the glitzy, antiques-lined Sloane Suite and get marbled, four-poster opulence by the bucketload. Newly added apartments are modern wonders for longer stays, as you get to know the ladies who lunch set, sipping Champagne to see and be seen. The bar stays open late into the night. Soak up the excess next morning over a full English or traditional kippers.

Stay here and you’re an easy 10 minutes – even in Manolo Blahnik heels – from Harrods and the equally immortal Harvey Nichols, with Sloane Square right around the corner. Rooms mix plush with chic: think rich sofa fabrics in emerald-green and chocolate-leather chairs; big-name art courtesy of Tracey Emin and Mario Testino; even the odd bay window with romantic love seats. Start the day full of pastries, bread and jams from the buffet or a freshly cooked omelette. Naturally, there are gluten and dairy-free options, too.

The main reason to check into this photogenic, stucco-fronted hotel is to feel cocooned in Georgian-country-house comfort, while deep in the heart of South Kensington. With all the high-end stores and restaurants of Knightsbridge and King’s Road no distance away, you can afford to take things nice and slow in this cosy three-star. Lounge among the sumptuous drapes, regal reds and chintzy florals that keep the rooms smart and traditional throughout.

The Firmdale Hotels group, to which this fine place belongs, gets its super-stylish looks from interior designer Kit Kemp, the force behind the brand. The look is hip and trendy yet paradoxically classical, all fruity fabrics and traditional forms, seamless service and international-grade pizzazz. So join the well-heeled guests and design-hotel aficionados in this townhouse on tree-lined Beaufort Gardens. All rooms are lavishly designed and none the same. Perhaps book the Knightsbridge Suite for its wrought-iron chandelier and fireplace. What’s more, Harrods is but a five-minute walk away.