Covent Garden Hotel, Firmdale Hotels

Tucked just off Seven Dials, you’re seconds from the Royal Opera House, world-class theatres, and Covent Garden’s cobbled piazza, where street performers, luxury boutiques, and buzzing cafés set the scene. Soho and Leicester Square are within a short walk, while Covent Garden Underground Station provides excellent connections across the capital

Kit Kemp fills the hotel with colour, contemporary art, patterned fabrics and some really surprising combinations, making the spaces seem as if they have been collected rather than merely decorated. The drawing room and library areas are reserved for guests, giving the hotel a more home-like character.

Rooms start at about 25 square metres, and each one is different, with features such as large headboards, bold textiles, original art, and specially made furniture that give the rooms their individual character, while the bathrooms are beautifully finished. The suites offer impressive views and are well suited for longer stays.

Brasserie Max has a laid-back atmosphere that is especially suitable in Theatreland; you can go for breakfast, stay for lunch, or return after a performance for dinner and drinks at the long pewter bar. The menu, featuring seasonal British and European cuisine, remains accessible, and afternoon tea gives you another reason to stay.

The hotel’s plush screening room hosts regular film nights, perfect after a day exploring the surrounding galleries, shops, and theatres.