Just because London is jam-packed with heritage hotels of note already, it doesn't mean there isn't a little room in the city for some top new contenders. After a frenetic 2017 that saw cool openings like The Ned, The Curtain and Nobu's first foray into London, it could be tough to top it.
Luckily though, 2018 already looks like a belter of a year, and one in which we'll be see the rise of everything from beautiful reimagined gems in West London, to new design-led tower blocks on the South Bank. Here goes...
The Pilgrm
Old world glamour and new-school style meet at this new café-with-rooms in Paddington (or should that be Paddingtn?). We'd say it's worth the ticket price for the parquetry, communal corridor pantries and vintage-style enamel washbasins alone. Trust us… if you don't like it, we'll buy you a drink. You'll find us downstairs, working our way through the entire menu of cocktails and nibbling on all-day bites. Maybe. Open now. Double rooms from £129.thepilgrm.com
The Principal London
Take a splendid old Grade II-listed building in one of London's most stately, literary neighbourhoods and stuff it full of cool contemporary rooms and what do you get? The Principal London, it would seem – a whopping great 334-room hotel that brings a new lease of life to the old Hotel Russell, which you'll find on Russell Square (duh), just a five-minute walk from the British Museum. Open now. From £225. phcompany.com
Trafalgar St James
You can't stay much more centrally than this newly relaunched, deliciously art deco hotel that looks out onto Trafalgar Square. Our tip? Make sure you spend some time at The Rooftop, an indoor/outdoor bar and restaurant where you can admire the London skyline as you eat. Just about beats an Airbnb in Lisson Grove, we reckon. Open now. From £305.curiocollection.com
Kettner's Townhouse
Soho House's rework of Kettner's brings glamour back to one of Soho's most famous addresses
Soho House
Adding 33 period feature-packed rooms to one of Soho's oldest restaurants, this hotel is set to bring champagne, finery and roaring '20s vibes to Romilly Street. And who better to do it than the team behind Soho House, which is just a couple of minutes away on Dean Street. Opens Jan 2018.kettnerstownhouse.com
Vintry & Mercer
Bringing fancy yet homely rooms to one of the City's most narrow, historic streets, Vintry & Mercer – sister hotel to The Ampersand on the other side of central London – is a thing of beauty. Go for a cocktail at its basement speakeasy, head to the rooftop bar or just delight in your room's plush velvet curtains. We know what we'd do. Opens early 2018.vintryandmercer.com
Bankside Hotel
Spanning six floors, 161 rooms and tons of communal spaces with modern quirks, this new hotel – part of the One Blackfriars development – looks set to bring a little more contemporary luxury to London's South Bank. Great if you like the Tate, the National Theatre and Borough Market. Great if you don't, too, to be honest. Opens summer 2018.banksidehotel.com
L'oscar London
Guestroom at the new L'oscar London hotel
When you collaborate with famed French interior designer Jacques Garcia to deck out your new hotel, you can expect one thing: rich, heady, fin de siecle opulence. And L'Oscar's first foray into the English capital – housed in a grand old baptist church near Holborn station – is exactly this. Marvel in the burnished gold and marble, then chow down at its restaurant, found in the old octagonal chapel downstairs. Opens 2018. loscar.com
Belmond Cadogan
Chelsea's Belmond Cadogan will reopen in 2018 after a multi-million pound renovation
A seriously well-revered bolthole on Sloane Street, this west London haven has undergone a multi-million pound makeover that looks set to roll back the years, bringing back the hotel's antique glamour, but adding some very pleasant contemporary pimps. We'll see you at the restaurant, which opens out directly onto Cadogan Place Gardens. Vair nice indeed. Opens 2018.belmond.com
