An Introduction to London... There are about 95,000 hotel rooms in the capital, incorporating the traditional luxury of well-known establishments, the chic of modern designer hotels, reliable chain hotels, intimate guesthouses, grotty bed and breakfasts, and crowded hostels. Standards vary enormously but even the least salubrious establishments can become fully booked in the summer. Developments in the luxury market include St Martin’s Hotel – a new designer venture in Covent Garden by Ian Schrager and Philippe Starck, and the refurbishment of the venerable late-Victorian Great Eastern Hotel (tel: (020) 7618 5000; fax: (020) 7716 0309) in the City. Other upmarket hotels can be found in Mayfair, St James’s, Piccadilly and Kensington. Budget travellers should try the areas around Paddington and Victoria stations. There is also a concentration of moderately priced hotels around Earl’s Court.

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