One of the best things about staying in London is the traditional London hotels. Not only do you get to admire grand buildings from the outside, and sip English breakfast tea and eat scones while admiring the manicured lawns and English rose gardens, you also get to stay and sleep inside the glorious buildings. There is nothing better than seeing and touching the interior of one of London's best hotels, furnished in rich heavy fabric with great four poster beds and detailed woodwork.
Rubens at the Palace is directly opposite Buckingham Palace, and this London hotel makes you feel like royalty. Rooms in the Royal Wing are each themed on a past member of the royal family, with rich English fabrics on the bed and curtains, and beautiful regal decorative touches, such as royal emblems. The four-poster and canopied beds are fit for a king or queen. From the Palace Lounge of this four star London hotel, you can see pageantry from The Royal Mews, the stables that transport the Royal Family. The horses are harnessed in black and gold, and the carriages could be straight from an English fairy tale.
Hazlitt's 1718 has traditionally furnished Georgian style rooms with charming and at times quirky décor that was picked up from estate auctions around England. There are 2000 original prints hanging on the walls around the hotel and every room has its own individual name and décor. It's possible that William Hazlitt would still recognize much of the interior of this boutique hotel, though it now possesses many modern luxuries to match rival London hotels.
The Goring, where the Middleton family stayed before the recent Royal Wedding, is tucked between Victoria and Buckingham Palace, and you could not find a more splendid spot. The rooms are very English with just a hint of eccentricity and the hotel has beautiful gardens and a beach area. Burgundy décor, shields on the wall … what else could one tourist want from as five star London hotel? The English breakfast in the dining room is delicious and will give you enough fuel for an hour day's sightseeing. You could find cheap hotels in London to stay in, but you would not get this great English experience if you did. If your budget does not stretch far enough to afford a room, have the High Tea in the afternoon and wander around this beautiful hotel and its surrounding gardens.