Where to stay in London

 Mr C and I are planning a weekend away in London, sans children! We will be celebrating 10 years as a married couple and we are very much looking forward to some quality couple time. I have been researching where to stay in London for so long that I have written lists about my lists! However, I considered the following points when making my shortlist of hotels: 

• Budget. We will be flying in from Jersey so we need to be careful with costs. Luckily there is a fantastic choice of hotels in London, to suit a variety of budgets.
• No children. It's just us so we don't need a child friendly hotel!
• Sightseeing. We are planning on staying for two nights in London and we already have an ever-growing list of all of the places we want to visit. Ideally, our hotel would be well located for these places.
• Location. There is no 'bad' location in London so to speak but we need to decide if we would like to be central like the West End or would we prefer somewhere more urban like Shoreditch? Do we want somewhere with a thriving bar scene at night or would we like to be closer to the theatres?

 Taking the above into consideration we have come up with what we consider to be the top 3 boutique hotels in London. They all feature hip cocktails, stunning and sumptuous interiors and great locations.

Where to stay?

  The Hoxton - Shoreditch   I love East London for its laid back and very cool vibe. This well established, stylish hotel is located in the heart of the neighbourhood and therefore ideal for exploring the area. Close by you can find the thriving Spitalfields Market and the famous Brick Lane. Their rooms are cleverly designed; packing in everything that you could need. The hotel also has the Hoxton Grill. A great little spot for some people watching, dinner and some awesome tasting cocktails. I am also very excited by the breakfast bag that is delivered to your door in the morning. The breakfast bag means I get to eat breakfast in bed, what's not to love! This would be one glam base for exploring London from.  What do you get?

• free wifi
• hour of phone calls
• fresh milk
• tea, coffee and water
• breakfast bag
• en-suite bathroom with a rain shower

  What does this cost? Rooms start from £99 Citizen M - Bankside  This hotel is proudly situated on the South Bank, in what has to be one of our favourite areas of London. There is so much to see nearby, including Tate Modern. It is also within walking distance of the City. Citizen M is a modern and lively hotel with a very design-led feel. It has some very cool areas to lounge in. These large, light spaced areas are stuffed to the brim with books and modern art, designed to make you feel at home. This hotel was considered one of the hottest hotels to stay in by Condé Nast Traveler in 2013. Citizen M pride themselves on creating a hotel 

"where style and affordability get it on together". 

That sounds like a winning combination to me!  What do you get?

• free wifi
• XL King sized bed
• wall to wall window
• en-suite bathroom with rain shower
• free movies
• international plug system

  What does this cost?Rooms at time of looking start from £88.29 Malmaison - West Smithfield  Pre children this was one of our favourite chain of hotels to stay in. We have stayed in many of them but never in the London one. I love the mood lighting and I adore the cocktails that they serve in their bars. In fact I fell in love with an espresso martini in their Liverpool Malmaison. London's Malmaison is situated in West Smithfield, close to the sights and shops. Located near the bustling Smithfield market this is a stylish hotel in what was once a nurses' home. The hotel is perfect for design lovers and is bound to impress with its very understated 70s vibe. Perhaps staying here could be just what the doctor ordered. The hotel also has one of the best restaurants on the square mile. No longer hospital food it's now more like gastro heaven.  What do you get?

• free wifi
• 24 hour room service
• USB charging points
• hairdryer
• ironing board
• tea and coffee making facilities
• en-suite bathrooms

  What does this cost? At time of looking rooms start from £139. There are also some good deals to be found. For example their Sunday night deal means you can eat in the restaurant, spend £75 and stay in a room from £25.Malmaison is really working hard to seduce us with deals like the above!London might be one of the most expensive cities in the world but as these hotels prove it is still possible to find style on a budget. What do you think of our cool choices? Which one would you pick?