| set on a street lined with boutique shops and restaurants, this family-run, budget hotel is a minute from the theatres of shaftesbury avenue. check-in time: 2:00 pmcheck-out time: 11:00 am. basic rooms all have en suite bathrooms, and include free wifi, as well as tvs, and tea and coffeemaking equipment. the nearest tube is at covent garden, a 4-minute walk away. a full english breakfast buffet is included
Heathrow Airport 44 min
The British Museum (7 min)
Huge showcase for global antiquities, including Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek sculptures. The National Gallery (9 min)
Trafalgar Square art museum whose masterworks trace the development of Western European painting. Tower of London (14 min)
Centuries of bloody history around a medieval castle, home to Crown Jewels and iconic Beefeaters. Trafalgar Square (9 min)
Nelson's Column rises above this iconic square's LED-lit fountains, artworks and lion statues. The Shard (20 min)
87-floor glass skyscraper with a jagged peak, with restaurants, offices, hotel and viewing platform. Buckingham Palace (8 min)
Visitors can tour the palace's opulent private and state rooms or watch the changing of the guard. St. Paul's Cathedral (10 min)
Churchyard and gardens outside Saint Paul's cathedral, with a floor-plan of the original building. The Regent's Park (14 min)
Modern, glass-clad cafe and sports administrative centre, with pitches and changing rooms. Natural History Museum (14 min)
Landmark museum of animals and natural phenomena, with hands-on exhibits and animatronic dinosaurs. lastminute.com London Eye (11 min)
Huge observation wheel giving passengers a privileged bird's-eye view of the city's landmarks. Westminster Abbey (8 min)
Protestant abbey hosting daily services and every English and British coronation since 1066. Hyde Park (11 min)
Huge green space, home to Diana Memorial Fountain, with boating and swimming in the Serpentine lake. Palace of Westminster (8 min)
Neo-Gothic masterpiece and seat of the UK government. Guided tours on Saturdays and in summer. Big Ben (7 min)
16-storey Gothic clocktower and national symbol at the Eastern end of the Houses of Parliament. Tower Bridge (19 min)
Panoramic views from high level walkways and behind-the-scenes access to original lifting machinery. | 
