From Soho sleepovers to East London hideaways, these are the best gay hotels London serves up – all tried, tested, and full of character.
We’ve stayed in a lot of hotels in London over the years, some chic, some chaotic, and a few that honestly felt like sleeping in your nan’s spare room.
But when it comes to finding the best gay hotels in London, we know exactly what we’re looking for: charm, comfort, and a warm welcome that doesn’t come with side-eyes at check-in. Whether we're in town for the latest gay London festival like London Pride or Mighty Hoopla, or one of the epic London gay parties like Roast or Adonis, we've always found a base to stay, each of which we've featured in this article.
London isn’t exactly known for being cheap, but it is known for doing things in style, and that includes its hotel scene. Whether we’re splurging on something swanky in Soho or finding a cool, cosy base for a weekend of mischief, we love that there are plenty of gay-friendly options to suit different moods (and budgets). Some are romantic, some are playful, and all have that special something that makes them worth shouting about.
So if you're heading to London and want to sleep somewhere that gets you, here's our pick of the best gay hotels this brilliant city has to offer. We've gone all out and published a bumper London gay guide that you'll also want to hit up.
Heads up: We just wanted to let you know that this post contains affiliate links. That means if you book something through one of those links, we'll get a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It helps us keep our blog going – so thank you in advance for your support! ♥
Where's the best place to base yourself in London?
To be brutally honest with you, this is going to come down to your budget. London is not cheap! We budget for at least $140 a night, which will get you a mediocre place. If you're on a tight budget, we recommend checking out a shared room listing on a site like Misterbnb or one of the places in our best gay Airbnbs in London guide.
Otherwise, Soho and Bloomsbury are your best bet. It's central, so easy to head to places you'll want to visit across the city, be it the Beyond gay club in Vauxhall, a chill in East London, one of the many excellent museums, and of course, for transportation. For this, we like The Z Hotel Soho or St Giles Hotel near the British Museum. Soho is also the heart of the traditional London gay scene with Sweatbox Sauna, Compton's gay bar, and Heaven club on your doorstep.
If you're in town for a specific event like Mighty Hoopla in Brockwell Park or the Maiden Voyage Festival in Burgess Park – both in South London, it might be worth looking for a base somewhere like Stockwell, Clapham, or Vauxhall, which are also very gay.
However, as I said, this is going to be heavily budget-dependent, and of course, subject to availability. We've picked these hotels based on our first hand experience. We looked at location to a specific gay club/event, budget (of course), and other things like whether they're certified as #TravelProud by Booking.com and if the showers have a bottom-friendly shower hose.
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1. Z Hotel London Soho
Soho
In a nutshell
- Affordable base for Soho
- #TravelProud listed hotel
- Bottom-friendly shower hose in bathrooms but bathroom is see through so not ideal for 2 people
- Excellent transport hubs nearby
Whenever we want to be right in the thick of London’s gay nightlife, we check into The Z Hotel Soho.
It’s literally steps from all the best bits: Soho’s gay bars, Heaven for a late-night bop, and even Sweatbox if you’re feeling… adventurous 🙂
The rooms are compact(!), but they’re sleek, comfy, and perfect for a quick recharge. We loved the rainfall shower and the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the buzzing streets below. Most importantly, showers have a bottom-friendly shower hose.
Note that there are several Z Hotel chains across the city. This one is for the one on Old Compton Street, but there is another close to Carnaby Street, also in Leicester Square, Picadilly, Shoreditch and many more.
Prices at the Z Hotel London Soho start from $155 per night:
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2. The Borough
Borough / London Bridge
In a nutshell
- Affordable base for Feel It in Borough and Beyond in Vauxhall
- #TravelProud listed hotel
- Bottom-friendly shower hose in bathrooms
- Close to the Tate Modern and South Bank
When we’re heading to parties around London Bridge or making the trek up to Vauxhall for nights like Feel It or Beyond, The Borough hotel is our go-to base.
It’s good value, stylishly compact, and perfectly placed for transport. It's also close to the Tate Modern, which makes for a pretty unique hangover/comedown hangout as we found out one Sunday afternoon post check out…
We’ve crashed here after a long night at Feel It club on a Friday evening, used the smart-lock for a quick entry/freshen up, and been out again to Beyond afters before breakfast could guilt-trip us.
Prices at The Borough hotel start from $128 per night:
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3. St Giles London
Bloomsbury
In a nutshell
- Affordable base in the middle of town
- #TravelProud cerftified
- Bottom-friendly shower hose in bathrooms
- Close to the British Museum and Oxford Street
When we want to be in the heart of the action, we crash at St Giles Hotel.
It’s just a short stroll from Soho’s gay bars and literally next door to the British Museum. Oxford Street is also round the corner, handy for shopping, but my advice, avoid at all costs on weekends as it gets HECTIC there.
Rooms are generous for London given the price tag, with comfy beds and proper showers (ie all important shower hose included)!
Perfect base for culture by day and Soho fun by night.
Prices at the St Giles London start from $160 per night:
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4. Moxy London Stratford (Marriott)
Stratford
In a nutshell
- Useful base for Adonis gay club and other East London queer parties
- #TravelProud listed hotel
- Bottom-friendly shower hose in bathrooms
- Minutes walk to Stratford station
We’re a big fan of the Moxy brand. We've stayed in several on our travels, especially in London and gay Berlin.
When our weekend plans include a night at the Adonis gay club in down in the Docklands, we grab a room at the Moxy London Stratford, which is not a bad shout for the price tag.
The vibe is young and lively, with a fun, social energy that makes it a great spot to regroup and fuel up between nights out.
A few things make it shine: the Lizzie Line is right there, so getting to Central London or Heathrow Airport is easy and quick.
Prices at the Moxy London Stratford start from $160 per night:
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5. The Hoxton Holborn
Bloomsbury
In a nutshell
- Perfect base for Soho gay bars and nightlife
- #TravelProud certified hotel
- Bottom-friendly shower hose in bathrooms
- Minutes’ walk to Holborn Tube
When we want to splurge on something a little more luxe in the heart of the city, The Hoxton Holborn is our go-to.
The Hoxton is sleek, stylish, and steps away from Soho’s gay bars, Covent Garden, and even the British Museum.
The rooms are chic yet cozy with soft lighting, comfy beds.
Holborn Tube is just around the corner, making it easy to zip anywhere in London on the Central and Picadilly Line. Tottenham Court Road Lizzie Line is also a short walk away which is super handy.
Prices at the The Hoxton Holborn start from $325 per night:
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6. Hart Shoreditch Hotel London (Hilton)
Shoreditch / Old Street
In a nutshell
- Boutique stylish rooms in Old Street & Shoreditch
- #TravelProud listed hotel
- Bottom-friendly shower hose in bathrooms
- Minutes walk from Old Street station & hip East End haunts
When we’re chasing East London vibes and late-night laughs in Shoreditch, we crash at Hart Shoreditch. It’s a boutique, stylish spot that nails the mix of hip and cozy.
Think exposed brick, design-forward rooms, and the kind of lobby where we sat people‑watching, pretending to be classy with coffee while secretly rating everyone’s outfits and planning our next bad decision.
Staying here feels like having the best of both worlds. By day, you’re steps from galleries, street art, and cool coffee spots, and by night you’re right in the middle of Shoreditch’s wild party scene.
It’s stylish without being stuffy, and most importantly very gay friendly.
Prices at the Hart Shoreditch Hotel London start from $270 per night:
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7. Z Hotel London Tottenham Court Road
Soho
In a nutshell
- Close to Sweatbox gay sauna and Soho gay bars
- #TravelProud listed hotel
- Bottom-friendly shower hose in bathrooms but bathroom is see through so not ideal for 2 people
- Minutes walk to Oxford Circus tube and Tottenham Court Road for Lizzie Line
When we want to be right in the middle of it all – Soho gay bars, Sweatbox sauna, Oxford Street + Carnaby Street shopping sprees, you can’t beat The Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road.
It’s a clean, compact, and super-convenient base. The rooms aren’t huge, but they’re smartly designed with comfy beds and just enough space to crash, recharge, and head straight back out.
The location is everything: minutes to Oxford Circus Tube, Carnaby Street, and the Lizzie Line at Tottenham Court Road.
When we want to be based in Soho and Z Hotel Soho is booked out, we stay here instead (and vice versa).
Prices at the Z Hotel London Tottenham Court Road start from $190 per night:
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8. The Bloomsbury Hotel
Bloomsbury
In a nutshell
- Luxe base within walking distance of Soho gay nightlife
- #TravelProud listed hotel
- Bathrooms have bathtub and shower head but no shower hose!
- Minutes from Tottenham Court Road (Lizzie Line), Oxford Street & British Museum
When feeling fancy and want a proper treat-yourself stay, we recommend The Bloomsbury Hotel.
It’s a gorgeous, five-star escape right in the heart of London.
This is pure luxury with elegant rooms, marble bathrooms, and service that makes you feel like a Bond Girl on a city break.
We love that it’s right in the middle of everything: nightlife, shopping, and some of our favourite London people-watching spots (Covent Garden, Soho, of course, and Chinatown). It feels like you’re in the heart of the action but still have a quiet, luxurious base to retreat to.
Prices at The Bloomsbury Hotel start from $420 per night:
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9. Central Station Hotel in Kings Cross
Kings Cross (good for Eurostar)
In a nutshell
- Located above the Central Station gay bar and a short walk to Roast gay club in Islington
- Gay owned and managed
- Bathrooms have shower head only and no shower hose!
- Minutes walking distance to King Cross St Pancras Station
Yes, it’s basic, but for the price and location you can’t beat it. It’s just steps from Kings Cross St Pancras Station and 20 minutes’ walk to Roast gay club at Electrowerkz in Angel Islington.
Central Station is one of the oldest gay bars in London. It used to host parties like ScallyLadz and City Boys to name a few. Today it hosts gay karaoke and Gaymers nights – check the Central Station website for the latest info.
We love it for what it is: cheap, cheerful, and unapologetically old-school. If you’re after five-star luxury, look elsewhere. But if you want a no-frills room above a slice of London gay history, this is the kind of stay that makes for great stories.
Prices at Central Station Hotel start from $170 per night:
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10. Moxy London Excel
Docklands / London City Airport
In a nutshell
- Great location for London City Airport and Adonis gay club
- Moxy Brand famous for being chic and cool
- Bottom-friendly shower hose in bathrooms
- Convenient base for O2 Arena concerts
When we’re heading to the O2 for a concert or need an easy overnight before flying from London City Airport, Moxy London Excel is our go-to.
It’s tucked away in the Docklands, so you’re out of the city chaos but still well connected.
The rooms are compact yet cleverly designed, with everything you need to freshen up and crash in comfort. We love the fun, laid-back vibe of the Moxy brand. It’s chic without trying too hard.
For us, it’s the ideal spot when we’re heading to a gig at the O2 or sneaking in a gay night out at Adonis.
Prices at The Borough hotel start from $120 per night:
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11. Moxy London Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
In a nutshell
- Affordable base for Heathrow Airport layover
- #TravelProud listed hotel
- Bathrooms have bathtub and shower head but no shower hose!
- Huge rooms, excellent value – for London
When we’re flying in or out of London and want a convenient inexpensive base, Moxy London Heathrow is one of our picks.
There are several inexpensive hotels around Heathrow Airport, but we always veer towards the Moxy brand because it’s cooler than the rest of them.
For the price you pay, the rooms are huge (a welcome surprise to the teeny box rooms you get in a lot of the central London hotels).
The Moxy London Heathrow Airport is served by the Heathrow Hoppa shuttle, which provides direct transfers to all terminals for around $10 one way.
Prices at the Moxy London Heathrow Airport Hotel start from $100 per night:
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For more inspiration:
- Use our Manchester gay guide to plan your trip
- Read about the best gay drag bars in London
- The best gay theaters in London is an inspiring read
- The story of how I met Seby at GAY bar in London will make you smile
- Our Scotland gay travel guide will help you plan a fun and safe trip