Whether you want to spend a few nights in luxury, fancy a cosy boutique hotel or just want a basic room as cheap as chips, the trick is to pick the right hotel first, within your budget, then try to get it for the best price possible. You might already have a particular hotel in mind, but if not, it's important to do your homework.
There is no official registry of hotel rooms in London, but the estimated number of hotel rooms in Greater London in 2010 was put at 123,000.[1] As in major tourist cities across the world, the hotel market has been disrupted by AirBnB and similar online marketplaces. According to figures produced in support of London's 2012 Olympic bid, there were more than 70,000 three to five star hotel rooms within 10 kilometres of Central London in 2003.
With a bit of detective work, mega bargains are available from sites selling 'secret hotel' rooms. Here, you're just told a star level and rough location – only once you've paid do you find out the hotel's name. This means rock-bottom prices, as hotels needn't worry about losing trade from those who go to them directly