Cricklewood vs Central London Hotels: My Two-Base Test

Cricklewood is cheaper, but does it actually save you anything once the taxis start? I tested it against central London hotels, stay by stay.

United Kingdom. Oct 7, 2026

Hotels featured in this article
There's nothing worse than booking a hotel forty minutes from everything you came to London for, then spending half your trip budget clawing your way back to it by taxi. I made that mistake chasing a cheap rate out past zone 3 years ago, and I've tested the opposite approach on every London trip since: pay a bit more, sleep inside the action, and let the savings show up in time instead of cash. Cricklewood will always be cheaper on paper. Central London - Bloomsbury, Piccadilly, Soho, Trafalgar Square, Mayfair - wins the actual trip plan. Here's the side-by-side.

The Two Bases and the Rule I Judged Them By

I spent fifteen years judging job sites by how far the nearest signal and fuel stop sat from where the actual work happened, and a hotel works the same way: distance from the thing you came for is the real cost, not the nightly rate. Cricklewood sits in north-west London, a genuine residential base with cheaper beds and a longer commute into town. Central London - the hotels below, spread across Bloomsbury, Piccadilly, Soho, Trafalgar Square and Mayfair - charges more and hands that time straight back. The tiebreaker I used: could you walk to the theatre after dinner without checking a tube map?

Bloomsbury: The Quiet Edge of Central

Bloomsbury is the calmer version of this duel: still inside zone 1, but a notch down in noise from Piccadilly. If a museum-heavy trip is the plan, this cluster wins on walkability alone: Thistle London Bloomsbury Park, Doubletree by Hilton London - West End, Voco London - Bloomsbury by IHG, and Bedford Hotel.
Thistle London Bloomsbury Park Thistle London Bloomsbury Park Thistle London Bloomsbury Park Thistle London Bloomsbury Park Thistle London Bloomsbury Park Thistle London Bloomsbury Park Thistle London Bloomsbury Park Thistle London Bloomsbury Park Thistle London Bloomsbury Park Thistle London Bloomsbury Park Thistle London Bloomsbury Park Thistle London Bloomsbury Park Thistle London Bloomsbury Park Thistle London Bloomsbury Park Thistle London Bloomsbury Park 15 Photos
1

7.0
  • 3 stars

95 rooms inside an Edwardian building, a short walk to Euston and Holborn tube, with Russell Square on the doorstep - solid if the British Museum is on your list. Browse hotels in Bloomsbury before you commit.

£103 per night
Doubletree By Hilton London - West End Doubletree By Hilton London - West End Doubletree By Hilton London - West End Doubletree By Hilton London - West End Doubletree By Hilton London - West End Doubletree By Hilton London - West End Doubletree By Hilton London - West End Doubletree By Hilton London - West End Doubletree By Hilton London - West End Doubletree By Hilton London - West End Doubletree By Hilton London - West End Doubletree By Hilton London - West End Doubletree By Hilton London - West End Doubletree By Hilton London - West End Doubletree By Hilton London - West End 15 Photos
2

7.9
  • 4 stars

The British Museum is 200 metres away and Holborn station under 500 - about as central as Bloomsbury gets, with a free fitness room. Try the Hilton property.

£533 per night
Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg Voco London - Bloomsbury By Ihg 15 Photos
3

8.7
  • 4 stars

Euston and King's Cross are a five-minute walk, useful if you're arriving by train - recently refurbished rooms, breakfast buffet included. See rates.

£82 per night
Bedford Hotel Bedford Hotel Bedford Hotel Bedford Hotel Bedford Hotel Bedford Hotel Bedford Hotel Bedford Hotel Bedford Hotel Bedford Hotel Bedford Hotel Bedford Hotel Bedford Hotel Bedford Hotel Bedford Hotel 15 Photos
4

8.3
  • 3 stars

1.8 kilometres from Trafalgar Square and 1.7 from Piccadilly Circus - further out than the rest here, but the garden and dietary-option breakfast are rare extras. ->.

£81 per night

Piccadilly and Soho: Where the Trip Plan Actually Happens

This is the cluster Cricklewood can't compete with on a theatre-and-dinner plan - everything sits inside a short radius. Six properties worth comparing on price and room size rather than location, since location here is basically identical: Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus, The Cavendish London, Thistle London Piccadilly, The Z Hotel Piccadilly, Broadwick Soho, and Stg Hotel Oxford Street.
Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus 15 Photos
5

7.7
  • 3 stars

Walking distance to Soho, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square at once, with gym access most of this cluster skips. Read reviews.

£97 per night
The Cavendish London The Cavendish London The Cavendish London The Cavendish London The Cavendish London The Cavendish London The Cavendish London The Cavendish London The Cavendish London The Cavendish London The Cavendish London The Cavendish London The Cavendish London The Cavendish London The Cavendish London 15 Photos
6

8.4
  • 4 stars

Piccadilly Tube sits 200 metres out the door, Buckingham Palace a ten-minute walk, and the in-house restaurant has actual awards attached. Have a look at this Piccadilly address.

£187 per night
Thistle London Piccadilly Thistle London Piccadilly Thistle London Piccadilly Thistle London Piccadilly Thistle London Piccadilly Thistle London Piccadilly Thistle London Piccadilly Thistle London Piccadilly Thistle London Piccadilly Thistle London Piccadilly Thistle London Piccadilly Thistle London Piccadilly Thistle London Piccadilly Thistle London Piccadilly Thistle London Piccadilly 15 Photos
7

7.9
  • 4 stars

Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square tube stations sit 100 metres away, Chinatown is a stumble, and Charing Cross station is eight minutes on foot. View on Booking.com.

£135 per night
The Z Hotel Piccadilly The Z Hotel Piccadilly The Z Hotel Piccadilly The Z Hotel Piccadilly The Z Hotel Piccadilly The Z Hotel Piccadilly The Z Hotel Piccadilly The Z Hotel Piccadilly The Z Hotel Piccadilly The Z Hotel Piccadilly The Z Hotel Piccadilly The Z Hotel Piccadilly The Z Hotel Piccadilly The Z Hotel Piccadilly The Z Hotel Piccadilly 15 Photos
8

7.9
  • 3 stars

Rooms are compact by design, but Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square are all five minutes on foot, breakfast included. Compare on Google.

£158 per night
Broadwick Soho Broadwick Soho Broadwick Soho Broadwick Soho Broadwick Soho Broadwick Soho Broadwick Soho Broadwick Soho Broadwick Soho Broadwick Soho Broadwick Soho Broadwick Soho Broadwick Soho Broadwick Soho Broadwick Soho 15 Photos
9

9.4
  • 5 stars

Six minutes to Piccadilly Circus and a step up in class from the budget end of this list - five-star, with a terrace and in-room breakfast. Look at where to stay in Soho.

£2805 per night
Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel Stg Hotel Oxford Street - Formerly St Giles London Hotel 15 Photos
10

  • 3 stars

Under five minutes to Tottenham Court Road station and Oxford Street, three to the Dominion Theatre - built for people who want to walk everywhere. Check the property page.

£103 per night

Mayfair and Trafalgar Square: The Premium Lane

Push the budget up and the duel changes shape entirely - Mayfair and the Trafalgar Square edge trade a little walkability for polish. Worth it only if the spa, the kitchen, or the restaurant is part of the actual trip plan: Sanderson London, Citadines Trafalgar Square London, The Lincoln Suites, The Beaumont Mayfair, and London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square.
Sanderson London Sanderson London Sanderson London Sanderson London Sanderson London Sanderson London Sanderson London Sanderson London Sanderson London Sanderson London Sanderson London Sanderson London Sanderson London Sanderson London Sanderson London 15 Photos
11

8.1
  • 5 stars

Two minutes from Oxford Street and designed by Philippe Starck - the furthest thing from a budget base here, with Oxford Circus five minutes out. See the official listing.

£295 per night
Citadines Trafalgar Square London Citadines Trafalgar Square London Citadines Trafalgar Square London Citadines Trafalgar Square London Citadines Trafalgar Square London Citadines Trafalgar Square London Citadines Trafalgar Square London Citadines Trafalgar Square London Citadines Trafalgar Square London Citadines Trafalgar Square London Citadines Trafalgar Square London Citadines Trafalgar Square London Citadines Trafalgar Square London Citadines Trafalgar Square London Citadines Trafalgar Square London 15 Photos
12

8.2
  • 4 stars

Trafalgar Square is 150 metres away and Embankment station a two-minute walk - self-catering apartments if you're done paying for every meal out. Check rates.

£170 per night
The Lincoln Suites The Lincoln Suites The Lincoln Suites The Lincoln Suites The Lincoln Suites The Lincoln Suites The Lincoln Suites The Lincoln Suites The Lincoln Suites The Lincoln Suites The Lincoln Suites The Lincoln Suites The Lincoln Suites The Lincoln Suites The Lincoln Suites 15 Photos
13

8.9
  • 4 stars

A 4-star aparthotel with a full kitchen, 13 minutes on foot from Trafalgar Square - worth it if you're staying long enough to cook. Compare on Google.

£180 per night
The Beaumont Mayfair The Beaumont Mayfair The Beaumont Mayfair The Beaumont Mayfair The Beaumont Mayfair The Beaumont Mayfair The Beaumont Mayfair The Beaumont Mayfair The Beaumont Mayfair The Beaumont Mayfair The Beaumont Mayfair The Beaumont Mayfair The Beaumont Mayfair The Beaumont Mayfair The Beaumont Mayfair 15 Photos
14

9.3
  • 5 stars

Selfridges is a short walk, Hyde Park ten minutes, and the spa has a plunge pool - the pick once the budget stops mattering. Visit the official site.

£868 per night
London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square 15 Photos
15

8.2
  • 5 stars

Park Lane, Hyde Park and Oxford Street are five minutes away, and there's a Gordon Ramsay restaurant downstairs if you want to spend the savings. Official Marriott page.

£286 per night

Where Central Loses the Argument

Central doesn't win clean. Every address above costs more per night than an equivalent room in Cricklewood, and the Piccadilly Circus cluster runs loud once West End theatres empty out. Free private parking is rare across this list too - most properties assume you arrived by tube, so a car adds a cost that Cricklewood's quieter streets don't.

The Verdict: Who Actually Needs Cricklewood

Cricklewood still wins if you're visiting family nearby, working a long stay on a tight budget, or don't mind an extra twenty minutes each way - that's a real trip plan too, and I've booked worse trades for less reason. But if the plan is theatre, museums and dinner without a tube transfer between any of them, central wins this duel outright, every time I've run the comparison. You're not just closer to the stage door - you're inside the same evening as everyone else who planned it right. Book one of the clusters above for your next trip.
Updated Oct 7, 2026

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