| chic rooms feature flat-screen tvs, ipod docks and free wifi, as well as 24-hour room service. there's a classic british restaurant and a refined pub with a taxidermy display. set in a former brewery dating back to the 1750s, this upscale hotel is a 4-minute walk from the barbican centre and a 15-minute walk from st. paul's cathedral. upgraded rooms offer nespresso machines, designer toiletries and complimentary minibars, as well as access to a lounge with free refreshments. suites, some with 4-poster beds, add butler service. check-in time: 2:00 pmcheck-out time: 12:00 pm. other amenities include an exercise room, a sauna and a steam room, plus 6 meeting rooms
Heathrow Airport 56 min
Hyde Park (24 min)
Huge green space, home to Diana Memorial Fountain, with boating and swimming in the Serpentine lake. St. Paul's Cathedral (13 min)
Churchyard and gardens outside Saint Paul's cathedral, with a floor-plan of the original building. Borough Market (14 min)
Huge market under the railway lines, for British-reared meat and artisanal baked and dairy goods. The Shard (12 min)
87-floor glass skyscraper with a jagged peak, with restaurants, offices, hotel and viewing platform. 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. Trafalgar Square (18 min)
Nelson's Column rises above this iconic square's LED-lit fountains, artworks and lion statues. lastminute.com London Eye (15 min)
Huge observation wheel giving passengers a privileged bird's-eye view of the city's landmarks. The British Museum (12 min)
Huge showcase for global antiquities, including Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek sculptures. Buckingham Palace (20 min)
Visitors can tour the palace's opulent private and state rooms or watch the changing of the guard. 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. Big Ben (18 min)
16-storey Gothic clocktower and national symbol at the Eastern end of the Houses of Parliament. London Bridge (14 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. | 
