London's Largest Hotel Is A Very Affordable Place To Stay Right In The Heart Of The City

Visiting London can be overwhelming at first, especially when it comes to deciding on where to stay. With seemingly never-ending options, deciding on a home base can seem impossible. Finding affordable accommodation can be even more challenging in such a metropolitan location. However, in the middle of central London lies the city's largest hotel, with rooms at some of the lowest prices: the Royal National Hotel.

The Royal National Hotel is a three-star hotel in the heart of the city. Located only a six-minute walk from the British Museum and a 20-minute drive from Buckingham Palace, the hotel is an excellent location for tourists to see everything without spending all day on public transportation. Hotels in the same area can run guests around $500 per night, but the Royal National Hotel's rates start as low as $150 or less per night. While the hotel doesn't have as high-quality amenities as some of London's most glamorous five-star hotels such as Threadneedles Hotel, there's more than enough to satisfy you throughout your trip to London without breaking the bank.

The hotel, owned by the Imperial Collection, offers several room types ranging in price. If you're looking for a single room to sleep a family of five or more, you may want to look elsewhere, as the largest room at the hotel can sleep four people. However, those planning a solo trip or only heading out with a couple of other people have a wide array of options before them. Every room on the property has Wi-Fi, a radio, an ensuite bathroom, a television, and tea- and coffee-making facilities.

On-site at the hotel, guests can grab a meal or drink at the London Pub or Blooms Cafe. The London Pub offers a meal that will remind you of London's vibrant pub scene, with casual sit-down dining and a familiar menu of pub staples like fish and chips, loaded fries, and steak and ale pies, with an interior designed to put a modern twist on the traditional English pub. Guests can treat themselves to a craft beer or glass of wine while snacking on halloumi fries or filling up on some burgers or steak. Tripadvisor users put the restaurant in the 83rd percentile of all the places in London to get a quick bite, a glowing endorsement of the pub's quality.

Blooms Cafe, the other on-site dining option, offers to-go pizza and pastries. Those wanting to start their day early without having to sit down to eat can grab a cup of coffee or pastry in the morning or a slice of pizza for lunch. There's a great Italian restaurant across the street, Nonna Selena's, but since Blooms is on the bottom floor of the hotel, it can't be beat for convenience.

One major perk of the hotel is how well-connected it is to everything in the city. History buffs can easily walk down the road to marvel at the British Museum, while theater fanatics can walk 20 minutes or take the tube 11 minutes to see a West End show. The hotel has several tube stations nearby, with Russell Square being the closest. Covent Garden, a plaza known for its elegant design and wide range of stores, is only a 15-minute tube ride away.

Outside the Royal National Hotel is some of the best world-class dining in the city. Experience Indian-Iranian fusion food at Dishoom, a restaurant with nearby locations at Carnaby and Covent Garden. The restaurant is known for its Bombay-like atmosphere and amazing food (one of our favorite dishes is the chicken ruby curry). Those searching for after-dinner drinks can be in the Soho area in less than 20 minutes for late-night bars and clubs. The Irish pubs Waxy O'Connors and O'Neill's Wardour Street are some of the top bars in Chinatown. Tourists looking for LGBTQ+ bars should visit G-A-Y, named one of the best gay bars in London by TimeOut for its cheap weekday beverages and good reputation.