| set above a row of shops in victorian townhouses, this budget hotel is within a 5-minute walk of acton main line train station (with heathrow connect services and trains to london paddington). basic continental breakfast is included and served in an adjacent indian restaurant. no-frills rooms have compact en suite bathrooms, and some have tvs. check-in time: 12:00 pmcheck-out time: 10:30 am
Heathrow Airport 26 min
Trafalgar Square (27 min)
Nelson's Column rises above this iconic square's LED-lit fountains, artworks and lion statues. The National Gallery (28 min)
Trafalgar Square art museum whose masterworks trace the development of Western European painting. Kensington Palace (16 min)
Royal palace and gardens, with exhibits on former residents like Queen Victoria and Princess Diana. Hyde Park (19 min)
Huge green space, home to Diana Memorial Fountain, with boating and swimming in the Serpentine lake. Victoria and Albert Museum (19 min)
Blockbuster exhibitions and permanent decorative arts collection, with design shop and ornate cafe. Tower of London (37 min)
Centuries of bloody history around a medieval castle, home to Crown Jewels and iconic Beefeaters. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (12 min)
Trees and flowers from around the globe in vast gardens with huge greenhouses and Treetop Walkway. The British Museum (22 min)
Huge showcase for global antiquities, including Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek sculptures. St. Paul's Cathedral (32 min)
Churchyard and gardens outside Saint Paul's cathedral, with a floor-plan of the original building. Buckingham Palace (23 min)
Visitors can tour the palace's opulent private and state rooms or watch the changing of the guard. Big Ben (28 min)
16-storey Gothic clocktower and national symbol at the Eastern end of the Houses of Parliament. Palace of Westminster (28 min)
Neo-Gothic masterpiece and seat of the UK government. Guided tours on Saturdays and in summer. lastminute.com London Eye (32 min)
Huge observation wheel giving passengers a privileged bird's-eye view of the city's landmarks. Natural History Museum (19 min)
Landmark museum of animals and natural phenomena, with hands-on exhibits and animatronic dinosaurs. Westminster Abbey (28 min)
Protestant abbey hosting daily services and every English and British coronation since 1066. | 
