London hotel prices can be brutal, but a cluster of no-frills chains — some local, some from the Netherlands, France, Germany — reliably dip to around £100 a night if you book early. The catch: those lead-in rates vanish fast, and last-minute prices can double or triple. Here's what each brand actually delivers.
CitizenM, a Dutch-born brand now in Marriott's Bonvoy family, offers podlike 14 sq. m rooms with king beds, mood-lighting tablets and self-service kiosk check-in, plus busy communal lobbies. Rates have been spotted as low as £101 five months out; the Tower of London branch is a standout thanks to its cloudM rooftop bar. Hub by Premier Inn goes even tighter — 11.4 sq. m rooms crammed with clever storage, app-controlled lighting and free movies — for £70–£100 if you're quick. Breakfast is around £6, a genuine bargain. Just make sure you're booking a Hub, not a standard Premier Inn.
For true rock-bottom prices, easyHotel is hard to beat: doubles from roughly £39, or about £70 booked six months ahead. But the smallest rooms are 6 sq. m, some are windowless, and extras like room service (£15 a pop) add up — think camping inside a vending machine. The Victoria branch is best for sightseeing. Travelodge, with 80+ London locations, starts around £77 for flexible-free bookings made 11 months ahead, and its family rooms sleep four at double-room prices. Its "Best Price Finder" tool is handy, though beware of cheap rooms far out in the suburbs.
The French giant Ibis (24+ locations) offers the most conventional experience: proper desks, 24-hour kitchens and breakfast from 4am, ideal for early flights. Blackfriars is usually the cheapest central option. Z Hotels puts the money into plump bedding, 40-inch TVs and free evening wine in the lobby, with superb Soho, Covent Garden and Trafalgar locations — around £100 if booked four months out. Motel One's lone Tower Hill property brings sleek German design, real air conditioning and soundproofing from £147, often with a two-night minimum. Point A and the massive Premier Inn round out the list, both fine but increasingly kiosk-driven.
A few rules apply across the board. Book months ahead — same-week rates frequently blow past £200 and stop being any kind of deal. Check that your room has a window (windowless rooms are legal in London) and, if sharing with a friend, note that some brands use frosted-glass bathrooms. And always cross-check the location on a map: several chains run cheap rooms in suburbs that will eat your time and Tube fare. For anyone happy to trade space and service for location, a proper bed and Wi-Fi, these chains make central London genuinely affordable.
