The best hotels in Bayswater

Set in one of the area’s classic Victorian white stucco terraces (it’s a listed building), the Garden Court – run by the same family since the 1950s – is one of those affordable stays that people return to. That’s partly due to location (good for Hyde Park and Notting Hill), partly affordability and partly service. Decor is simple, but bright. There’s wifi throughout, a characterful lounge and family rooms are available.

Again with the white Victorian terrace, but inside – what a difference! While this hotel doesn’t bear much resemblance to her pioneering establishment Blakes, Anouska Hempel has done a wonderful job on the interior design here: all geometric black-and-white minimalism, a kind of modernised Japanese aesthetic that conjures a calm, almost meditative atmosphere. Good vibes continue with the terrace (perfect for summer drinks), the vegetarian restaurant – and the very appealing room rates.

The Mayflower Group has three hotels across west London – all of them quietly stylish and competitively priced. The look is broadly minimalist, but with talking-point additions that have been sourced on the owner’s travels: here, the lovely teak arch in the lounge. Eastern influences elevate the bedroom decor, which have marble bathrooms for a touch of extra luxury, and you can take coffee in the morning on an elevated patio at the back.

On a square of Grade II-listed Victorians, this hotel has decor in the public areas that is at once surprising and endearing: stuffed gamebirds look down, astonished, on bamboo-print wallpaper and carefully clashing Latin American style armchairs. The studio rooms are extremely simple in look, to their benefit, and there’s a three-bed apartment that’s ideal for families and longer stays, with a fully equipped kitchen and French doors that open onto the hotel’s garden and its fountain.

There are two key attractions to this hotel: location and views. It's right at Lancaster Gate tube, very close to Hyde Park, and – at 18 storeys – offers great vistas. Beyond the strikingly dated circular structure out front (things looked different in 1967), the hotel hasn't much character, though £75m of refurbishment (currently underway) will change that. Nipa Thai restaurant, on the first floor, has a deservedly good reputation, and the hotel gym is open 24/7.