Cheap hotels in Covent Garden

The Holborn offshoot of the indie Shoreditch original might look like it'd be too swanky to be included in a round-up of cheap hotels, but there are affordable options at this central London spot. Located between the British Museum and Covent Garden, the hotel’s 174 rooms come in four different sizes and the smallest ‘Shoebox’ (around 14 sqm) can be bagged from £115 a night, depending on availability. For this you get clever design, free wifi, a morning snack and fresh milk in your fridge, plus the Hubbard & Bell restaurant and bar, and basement Chicken Shop.

If you don't need to be in the middle of the action, then the stylish Z City on Fleet Street offers plenty of bang for your buck. A 15-minute walk from the heart of Covent Garden, its cramped but clever double rooms offer guests clean design on a budget. Small but perfectly formed rooms with a cool grey palette have quality beds and smart bathrooms with toiletries included. Breakfast is extra but there’s the bonus of free cheese and wine between 5pm and 8pm.

Monmouth Street is one of the seven narrow streets that splinter off of the appropriately named Seven Dials. Lined with boutiques and bougie eats, it's also home to Seven Dials Hotel. The well-located budget hotel offers simple, but comfy doubles for around £100 a night. This includes a full English buffet breakfast. En suite rooms are basic, but wifi is free and there are tea- and coffee-making facilities. There is also a 24-hour reception.

It's rare to get change from £100 when staying in the centre of London, but the Mercure Bloomsbury does just that. A stone's throw from Russell Square and within walking distance of Covent Garden and the British Museum, the four-star boutique-style offers standard doubles, which also come with workspace and free wifi.

Although it’s more than 100 years old, the Strand Palace is a truly modern experience. Recently renovated, the hotel offers comfortable accommodation for under £100 if you get in early (or last minute). Perks include access to a gym, and an on-site Indian restaurant. It’s also two minutes’ walk from Covent Garden Piazza and within easy distance of Charing Cross.

When visiting a city like London, your hotel room is purely a base for you to dump your belongings, freshen up and sleep. St Giles' uncomplicated and unflashy rooms do just that, and start from £80. You'll also get free wifi and access to the YMCA fitness centre located below the hotel – although traipsing the capital’s streets is likely to be enough of a workout for your trip. Close to Tottenham Court Road underground station, Oxford Street and a seven-minute walk to Covent Garden.

Looking for the communal spaces of a hostel with the privacy of your own bedroom? Premier Inn's Hub (from £60/n) serves up just that, and there's not a shared shower cubicle in sight. The rooms are tiny, but every inch of space has been used smartly – the lighting and heating, for instance, can be changed from the comfort of your bed via touchscreens in the headboards. Breakfast is extra, but is only a fiver (trust us, that's a steal).

Marble en-suite bathrooms, contemporary rooms and a four-star rating might not sound like the description of a cheap hotel, but this Bloomsbury establishment is just that. A short walk from the British Museum and less than half a mile from Covent Garden, rooms start from around £100, give or take, and include continental breakfast. Guests can also use the health club and spa facilities at the nearby Grange Holborn for a nominal fee.

If you can forgo daylight, you can save some pennies. Z Hotel is a chain known for its affordability and this Piccadilly branch is no different. You can bag a windowless room amongst the bright lights of London – and just moments from Covent Garden – for something around the £150 mark. For your money you get a TV with Sky Sports and movie channels, wifi, an en suite and toiletries.

Before you turn your nose up at this being a Travelodge, it’s tough to find a cheaper room this close to all the action. Located on Drury Lane, a flower-seller’s yell from Covent Garden Market, the contemporary tower hotel houses modern cookie-cutter rooms from an incredible £50. Breakfast and wifi are not included but super comfy king-size beds are.