Catherine Turnbull

Nowhere does Christmas quite like London. Come December, this city comes alive with dazzling festive lights, Christmas markets, theatre and endless shopping. Whether you’re venturing in from a nearby city or travelling from across the pond, there are endless reasons why a stay in the UK’s capital should be at the top of your list this festive season. Ready for some serious Christmas spirit? Look no further – we’ve handpicked the best hotels to stay in at Christmas in the Capital. And we’ve covered all the bases: hotels with Christmas markets on your doorstep, hotels that look out over ice skating rinks, and hotels that go all out for their very own festive offerings, with everything from bespoke Christmas packages to mega trees and blowout festive menus. And yes, you can stay on Christmas Day too. Ready to get festive? Us too. Read on for the best Christmas hotels in London this year.  📍 RECOMMENDED: Ultimate guide to the best hotels and Airbnbs in London  Who makes the cut? Headed up by editor Joe Mackertich, our team at Time Out London spend their time reviewing hotels all over the Capital – new openings, old classics and everything in between – to bring you fresh, honest recommendations, all year round. Along with our pool of trusted hotel experts, every hotel on this list has been individually reviewed and selected for a reason: we’ve been there, we think it’s great and we’d genuinely recommend it. By the way, this article includes affiliate links. These links

You’ll spot this monumental Gothic revival edifice on Marylebone Road from blocks away. Traffic roars past, but once the doorman welcomes you inside the arched red stone lobby, the hum of engines fades into glory. Built to impress and rival The Savoy by Great Central Railway in 1899 and the visionary entrepreneur Sir Edward Watkin, his Victorian masterpiece has been reincarnated many, many times and now feels decisively 21st century. Imposing it may be, but stuffy it ain’t. Why stay at The Landmark London?  Affable concierge Jacob clearly loves this place after 17 years’ service. The hotel is designed around this courtyard with eight storeys of rooms rising above and encircling this dramatic entrance where guests once arrived in carriages. Now with a glazed roof, it has the light-filled feel of a tropical greenhouse or palm court. Further on is the elaborately decorative Marble Room leading to the blingy Italian marble staircase, garlanded with carved figures, plasterwork flowers, with stained glass windows, big lanterns and neoclassical arches and pillars. The Grand Ballroom is all chandeliers and plasterwork, as big as a football pitch – the Empire Room might comfortably host a couple of badminton courts. The hotel’s back entrance has a glass-covered walkway to Marylebone Station. The doorman was busy filming an influencer posing in a diamante-encrusted dress – as common a routine as opening the door, he told me. A stay here is like stepping back in time and fast-forwarding