| compact, modern rooms come with free wi-fi, flat-screen tvs, and tea and coffeemaking facilities, plus rainfall showers. theres a communal lounge with a tv and a guest computer. check-in time: 1:30 pmcheck-out time: 10:30 am. set in a victorian townhouse in a residential area, this laid-back budget hotel is 11 minutes' walk from victoria train, tube and coach stations, and a mile from buckingham palace. continental breakfast is complimentary
Heathrow Airport 39 min
Victoria and Albert Museum (9 min)
Blockbuster exhibitions and permanent decorative arts collection, with design shop and ornate cafe. Natural History Museum (10 min)
Landmark museum of animals and natural phenomena, with hands-on exhibits and animatronic dinosaurs. lastminute.com London Eye (10 min)
Huge observation wheel giving passengers a privileged bird's-eye view of the city's landmarks. St. Paul's Cathedral (18 min)
Churchyard and gardens outside Saint Paul's cathedral, with a floor-plan of the original building. Tower of London (19 min)
Centuries of bloody history around a medieval castle, home to Crown Jewels and iconic Beefeaters. The National Gallery (12 min)
Trafalgar Square art museum whose masterworks trace the development of Western European painting. The Shard (19 min)
87-floor glass skyscraper with a jagged peak, with restaurants, offices, hotel and viewing platform. The British Museum (16 min)
Huge showcase for global antiquities, including Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek sculptures. Trafalgar Square (10 min)
Nelson's Column rises above this iconic square's LED-lit fountains, artworks and lion statues. Buckingham Palace (19 min)
Visitors can tour the palace's opulent private and state rooms or watch the changing of the guard. Hyde Park (10 min)
Huge green space, home to Diana Memorial Fountain, with boating and swimming in the Serpentine lake. Palace of Westminster (7 min)
Neo-Gothic masterpiece and seat of the UK government. Guided tours on Saturdays and in summer. Westminster Abbey (7 min)
Protestant abbey hosting daily services and every English and British coronation since 1066. Tower Bridge (20 min)
Panoramic views from high level walkways and behind-the-scenes access to original lifting machinery. Big Ben (8 min)
16-storey Gothic clocktower and national symbol at the Eastern end of the Houses of Parliament. | 
