The Queens Gate Hotel

Set in a row of 4 Victorian townhouses, this sleek hotel lies a 4-minute walk from the Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gardens and the Natural History museum. It's less than 10 minutes from Gloucester Road or South Kensington tube stations. The modern rooms have wooden floors and feature air-conditioning, desks, flat-screen TVs and limited free Wi-Fi. Room service is available. There's an exercise room, and a bar with a patio serving all-day tapas. The hotel also has meeting rooms.