Our List of the Top 8 Affordable Places to Stay in London England

We are often asked how we can afford to travel full time. Well, a lot of it boils down to research. Finding a decent, affordable place to stay, without burning through our budget takes Time with a capital “T”. Of course, the term “affordable” is relative—but rather than a list of the cheapest stays, this is our curated list of affordable place to stay in London England that we found while looking for places to stay for our upcoming trip.

Our Criteria For Accommodations to Make This List

For London we aimed for nightly rates under $150 – a win in London! Our search prioritized functionality and value. Normally we wouldn’t pay anywhere close to $150 a night but we also usually stay in a location for a lot longer and for this leg of our journey we needed a place to stay in London for just a few days before we left England. (Short stays often cost more than longer stays and We talk more about the power of longer stays in our article “Stretch Your Travel Dollar: Finding Affordable Places To Stay“. We also talk about how search engines can be misleading!)

What we looked for

We comb through hundreds of listings and look for private bathrooms (shared facilities are a hard pass!), ground floor rooms or working lifts (old knees are no fun!), and guest ratings consistently above 8+ (gotta ensure a good night’s sleep!). Wi-Fi access (preferably included) and in-room coffee/tea were also key for staying connected and that early morning cuppa. We also prefer the privacy of our own space. Oh and let us not forget location, location, location; we prefer to be able to get places (food, museums, etc.,) either by walking or via public transport (preferred).

What’s Not on this List of Affordable Accommodations

We scour various websites looking for the best deals on accommodations and save those that fit our criteria to a “Short List”. What you won’t see on this list is places we ruled out because something in a picture or google map seemed off or because while reading the reviews on one of many sites we look at, something gave us the “yeah there are better options” feeling. Are there other options? Sure. These are just the ones than made it to our Short list of Affordable Place to Stay in London, England.

Top Budget-Friendly Accommodations

Leonardo London Heathrow Airport
Location: Great Location – right next to the airport
Guest Rating: 8.8
Note: This is where we ended up booking our stay. We’ll share a review later after we get settled in to our next destination in Canada.

Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport
Location: High Score for London
Guest Rating: 9.4

Luxury Capella Court
Location: Top location: Highly rated by recent guests (8.8)
Guest Rating: 9.4

Cosy 1Bedroom Apartment
Location: Top location: Highly rated by recent guests (10.0)
Guest Rating: 9.8

Victoria Studios
Location: This one got dinged on the reviews for location but I’ve included it because after reading more, I think it deserves to be here.
Guest Rating: 8.0

Luxurious London Studios
Location: Top location: Highly rated by recent guests
Guest Rating: 9.7
Note: I’m not 100% sure about this one because reviews mention “top floor” but gave no indication about how many floors or if there was a lift. Also note the kitchen appears to be a shared kitchen

Eurotraveller Hotel – Premier – Harrow
Location: Great location
Guest Rating: 8.1

Hampton by Hilton London Stansted Airport
Location: This one is by the other airport!
Guest Rating: 8.9

Bonus Accommodation Tip: An Easy commute to central London

I’m also including two hotels we stayed at in Walton-on-Thames because we found out while we were there just how easy it is to commute into London. One train, that runs every 20 -30 minutes every day, takes you from Walton-on-Thames to London Waterloo station, and back, in just thirty minutes; easy peasy lemon squeezy.

We stayed at both the Travelodge Walton-on-Thames Central located in downtown Walton-on-Thames, nearer the shops and stores, and the Travelodge Walton-On-Thames near the train stations. Of the two I would recommend the one in town Travelodge Walton-on-Thames Central, it was cheaper (£143.98 for two nights), more comfortable and in much better condition than the one closest to the train station Travelodge Walton-On-Thames which was £181.98 for two nights.

So there you have it, our current shortlist of affordable place to stay in London. Ultimately, the best place to stay depends on your priorities and travel style. But hey, with our shortlist as a guide, you’re well on your way to conquering London without burning a hole in your budget. Now, get out there and explore!

Having trouble finding affordable accommodations for your travels?

We also wrote an article about how to Stretch Your Travel Dollar: Finding Affordable Places To Stay

About the Authors

Sandra and Jeff, passionate travelers and co-founders of “The Mobile Retiree,” have dedicated years to exploring the world and sharing their experiences. Their expertise in finding budget-friendly accommodations makes them a trusted source for travel advice. Follow their adventures for more insightful tips and recommendations.

PS: Information was correct at time of publication, if you discover that something is no longer true or if you would like us to continuing adding to this list, just reach out and let us know you can found our email address on our Contact Us page.