| chic rooms offer marble bathrooms, 37-inch flat-screens and nespresso machines, plus minibars and ipod docks with music libraries. there's also a business centre and a posh spa with an indoor pool. a 3-minute walk from old street tube station, this high-end modern hotel is steps from vibrant shoreditch and less than a mile from the barbican arts venue and concert hall. perks include complimentary fruit, wifi and bottled water, as well as 24-hour room service. check-in time: 3:00 pmcheck-out time: 12:00 pm. the 1-bedroom suites add lounges, while some have sofabeds. amenities include a hip cocktail bar/bistro serving a modern british menu, and an acclaimed 17th-floor restaurant with city views
Heathrow Airport 56 min
Buckingham Palace (21 min)
Visitors can tour the palace's opulent private and state rooms or watch the changing of the guard. London Bridge (15 min)
Concrete pedestrian and traffic bridge that gave a major railway station its name. The National Gallery (18 min)
Trafalgar Square art museum whose masterworks trace the development of Western European painting. Borough Market (15 min)
Huge market under the railway lines, for British-reared meat and artisanal baked and dairy goods. lastminute.com London Eye (16 min)
Huge observation wheel giving passengers a privileged bird's-eye view of the city's landmarks. Big Ben (18 min)
16-storey Gothic clocktower and national symbol at the Eastern end of the Houses of Parliament. St. Paul's Cathedral (9 min)
Churchyard and gardens outside Saint Paul's cathedral, with a floor-plan of the original building. The Shard (13 min)
87-floor glass skyscraper with a jagged peak, with restaurants, offices, hotel and viewing platform. Hyde Park (23 min)
Huge green space, home to Diana Memorial Fountain, with boating and swimming in the Serpentine lake. Tower Bridge (15 min)
Panoramic views from high level walkways and behind-the-scenes access to original lifting machinery. Palace of Westminster (20 min)
Neo-Gothic masterpiece and seat of the UK government. Guided tours on Saturdays and in summer. The British Museum (12 min)
Huge showcase for global antiquities, including Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek sculptures. Westminster Abbey (21 min)
Protestant abbey hosting daily services and every English and British coronation since 1066. Tower of London (14 min)
Centuries of bloody history around a medieval castle, home to Crown Jewels and iconic Beefeaters. Trafalgar Square (18 min)
Nelson's Column rises above this iconic square's LED-lit fountains, artworks and lion statues. | 
