Where to Stay in South Bank & Borough: Best Hotels for Every Budget

Most visitors to London never think to stay on the South Bank. That’s a mistake. World-class art, one of the best food markets in the world, and river views the north bank can’t match — here are the best hotels to make the most of it.

The South Bank is one of the great riverside walks in Europe.

Stretching from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge along the southern bank of the Thames, it packages an extraordinary concentration of culture, history and food into a single, walkable stretch of London. Most visitors coming here simply cross from the north bank, but relatively few stay.

They’re missing something.

We’ve lived in London for over 20 years and the South Bank and Borough are places we return to constantly — for walks along the river, for Borough Market, for the Tate Modern and the Globe, for long lunches that turn into long dinners in the streets around Bermondsey Street.

The views back across the Thames towards St Paul’s and the City are, frankly, better than the views from the north bank looking south, and the hotels on the South Bank are a bit cheaper too.

In our opinion, it makes a surprisingly great place to stay in London.

Here are the pros and cons of staying here, along with the best hotels for every budget.

Is Staying in South Bank & Borough Right for You?

The South Bank of the River Thames is probably the best-kept secret in London accommodation.

Visitors instinctively gravitate towards the north bank (Westminster, Soho, Covent Garden) and overlook a neighbourhood that combines heavyweight galleries, some of the best food in the city ,and river views that no hotel on the north bank can match.

The riverside walk between Westminster Bridge and Tower Bridge is one of those London experiences that never gets old. On a clear evening, walking east from Waterloo with the lights of St Paul’s and the City reflected in the Thames, it’s hard to think of a better place to be in London.

Borough, immediately behind the riverside, has its own distinct identity. The market is one of the finest food markets in the world and is surrounded by a neighbourhood of excellent independent restaurants, wine bars and pubs.

The practical advantages are significant too. Waterloo is one of London’s busiest and best-connected stations, with fast links to the West End, the City and beyond. London Bridge station connects directly to Gatwick Airport. And the Jubilee and Northern lines give you fast, frequent access to virtually every part of the city.

The one downside is that parts of the South Bank (particularly around Waterloo and the London Eye) can feel more transient than a neighbourhood like Notting Hill or Marylebone, and it is very touristy, especially in the afternoon.

Main Attractions in South Bank & Borough

Here are the top attractions in the area. The best way to see them all is to follow our self-guided South Bank Walking Tour.

• Borough Market: One of the oldest food markets in the world and still one of the best. Thursday to Saturday are the biggest trading days, with an extraordinary range of produce. Go hungry.
• Tate Modern: One of the great modern art museums of the world, housed in the magnificent former Bankside Power Station. The permanent collection is free; temporary exhibitions vary. The Blavatnik Building extension has a great view of the Thames from its upper floors.
• Shakespeare’s Globe: A faithful reconstruction of Shakespeare’s original open-air theatre on the banks of the Thames. Catch a performance standing in the yard as a groundling for the most authentic experience — and the cheapest ticket.
• The Southbank riverside walk: The stretch of river between Westminster Bridge and Tower Bridge is one of the great urban walks in Europe. Book-ended by two of London’s most iconic bridges, it passes the National Theatre, the BFI, Tate Modern and the Globe en route.
• London Eye: The giant observation wheel on the South Bank riverfront is one of the most recognisable landmarks in London. A 30-minute rotation in one of the glass capsules delivers sweeping views across the city in every direction.
• The National Theatre: One of the world’s great theatre institutions, with three auditoria running different productions simultaneously.
• Tower Bridge & the Tower of London: The eastern end of the South Bank walk brings you to two of London’s most visited landmarks. The Tower of London, home of the Crown Jewels and a thousand years of history, and Tower Bridge.
• Bermondsey Street: Running south from Borough Market, Bermondsey Street has evolved into one of the most interesting streets in London — independent restaurants, the Fashion and Textile Museum, the White Cube gallery, and some excellent wine bars and pubs.

Getting Around South Bank & Borough

The South Bank is a fairly large area, and it takes over an hour to walk the riverfront from one end to the other. But what a great walk it is.

Bridges over the Thames connect the South Bank to Westminster, the West End, and the City, meaning many of London’s major sights are within walking distance.

To save your legs, the area also has excellent tube connections. Waterloo and London Bridge are major train stations, and the Jubilee and Northern lines give you fast, frequent access to virtually every part of the city.

If you are arriving from Gatwick, trains run directly to London Bridge Station. If you are coming from Heathrow, it’s a short taxi ride or tube journey on the Bakerloo Line to Waterloo or the Jubilee Line to Waterloo, Southwark or London Bridge Stations.

Where to Stay in South Bank & Borough

Here are our recommendations for where to stay in South Bank & Borough. We have chosen a mix of hotels at different price points. We have marked the locations of each hotel, the major attractions, and the main transport hubs.

Hotels here are generally cheaper than in Westminster, Marylebone, or Soho. But it’s still London, so you won’t find many bargains.

• Budget (£) – Under £200
• Mid-Market (££) – £200 to £325
• Top-End (£££) – Over £325

Below is a map of the area. The South Bank & Borough area is shaded grey. The western section is dominated by Waterloo Station and the London Eye. Here is where you will find the cheaper hotels and the busier tourist areas.

The central area is where you’ll find the Tate Modern and Borough Market. It’s an excellent area to stay with plenty of cultural sights, cool local restaurants and traditional pubs.

The far eastern end is home to Bermondsey, a genuinely local neighbourhood with a great high street. Although it is a little out of the way of the main sights.

We recommend choosing one of the hotels in the central area if your budget allows.

Click on the top right corner to open our map in your Google Maps app. Click the star next to the title to save it to your Google account.  

Best Hotels in South Bank & Borough

Budget Hotels in South Bank & Borough (£)

NOX Waterloo – Does the essentials well. Clean, comfortable rooms on cool Lower Marsh Road that put Waterloo station, the South Bank riverside walk, and the West End all within easy reach. It won’t win awards for design, but it’s a sensible, well-priced base for visitors who want to spend their budget on London rather than on their room.

ibis London Blackfriars – The ibis Blackfriars sits in a genuinely excellent position. Set a few streets back from the River Thames, the City, the Tate Modern, the Globe and Borough Market are all within comfortable walking distance. Rooms are compact and functional; this is ibis, not a boutique hotel, but the location punches significantly above the price point.

Point A Hotel London Westminster – Tucked behind Waterloo Station, Point A Westminster sits in one of the most convenient positions of any budget hotel in London. Westminster is a short walk over Westminster Bridge, and the South Bank stretches away to the north and east. Rooms are small and stripped back, but the location does the work, so the rooms don’t need to.

Mid-Market Hotels in South Bank & Borough (££)

London Bridge Hotel – An independently owned hotel in a neighbourhood increasingly dominated by chains, the London Bridge Hotel has a warmth and character that its corporate neighbours can’t replicate. The rooms are well-appointed and comfortable, and the staff are genuinely attentive. The in-house restaurant is worth using rather than ignoring, which isn’t always the case with hotel dining in London.

The Mad Hatter – Occupying a converted Victorian hat factory on Stamford Street, close enough to the South Bank to walk everywhere that matters, the Mad Hatter is characterful enough to stand out from the mid-market crowd. The pub on the ground floor is a proper London local, busy, unpretentious and serving decent food. The rooms above have a solid, well-maintained feel.

Hilton London Tower Bridge – Delivers exactly what you’d expect from the brand at this price point. Sitting between Borough Market and Tower Bridge, it has easy access to both the riverside walk and the streets of Bermondsey. River-view rooms are worth the small premium. A solid, dependable choice for those who want the reassurance of a familiar brand in an excellent position.

Top End Hotels in South Bank & Borough (£££)

Sea Containers London – A personal favourite, Sea Containers is one of the great London hotel experiences. The nautically inspired Art Deco former headquarters sits on the riverside and has exceptional river views from both the bedrooms and the rooftop bar. The Lyaness cocktail bar on the ground floor is a destination in its own right. If you want to stay somewhere that captures the drama of the Thames in a way no north bank hotel can match, Sea Containers is the one.

Bankside Hotel, Autograph Collection – This hotel is designed to reflect its surroundings: the interiors draw on the area’s industrial heritage and artistic identity, with original commissions throughout the building and a warmth that the larger South Bank hotels don’t always achieve. It’s in the best possible position on the South Bank — right on the riverside between Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe, with the City skyline across the water and the Millennium Bridge on your doorstep.

Shangri-La The Shard – There is nowhere quite like Shangri-La The Shard in London, and arguably nowhere quite like it in Europe. Occupying floors 34 to 52 of Renzo Piano’s extraordinary glass tower, the views from the bedrooms, the pool and the sky-high bar are simply unmatched. The rooms are among the most beautifully finished in the city, and the service is impeccable. Unsurprisingly, the premium address on the South Bank does not come cheap.

More Where to Stay in London Guides

• Choosing where to stay? Read our guide about the best neighbourhoods to stay in London.
• Looking to sleep near the main sights of London? Check out our guide to staying in Westminster.
• Many visitors don’t think to stay here, but it’s a great base. Our guide to staying in South Bank.
• Want to stay in a fun and colourful neighbourhood. Check out the best hotels in Notting Hill.
• Looking for buzzy and exciting nightlife? Find the best places to stay in Soho & the West End.
• For a cool neighbourhood at decent budget prices, stay in Shoreditch.
• For a refined neighbourhood in a central location, pick a boutique stay in Marylebone.
• All our favourite things are covered in our guide, the best things to do in London.
• Find out how to put them together in our 4-day London itinerary.
• London is a great base to explore the southeast. Read our best day trips from London.