Where to stay in London for a week

Choose the right bases for 5 to 7 nights, including simple two-area pair ideas that help your trip feel smooth rather than rushed.

Editorial Summary

URL: https://hotel-splitter.com/guides/london/where-to-stay
Category/Topic: Where to stay in London for a week (two-area planning)
Who this is for: Travellers who want to explore different sides of London without over-committing to one base
Why we wrote this: One area rarely fits every night of a 5–7-night trip
What’s inside: A simple area-pairing method, plus real examples you can copy
Maintained by: Hotel Splitter Editorial

The idea: two areas, one week

For a 5–7-night London trip, you can get a better rhythm by choosing two nearby bases: start with the energy, finish with the calm (or flip it). The goal is not to “see everything”. It’s to make the week feel natural.

Start with the core guide

Where to Stay a Week in London: Split It

Real two-area week examples

These are planning examples to copy. They show how to think about a week, not a promise that every search will return the exact same pairing.

Soho + South Kensington (West End nights, museum-and-café mornings)
Covent Garden + Southwark (theatre and food, then riverside walks)
Shoreditch + Marylebone (creative nights, then boutique calm)

How to choose your two areas

Pick one “high-energy” base for late nights, theatre, busy streets, and easy walkability.
Pick one “calmer” base for slower mornings, parks, galleries, and better sleep.
Keep the connection simple so the switch feels like a short hop, not a trek.
Balance your week: if you’re arriving tired, start calm; if you want to end with a flourish, finish central.

If you only want one base

That can be the right choice. If you’d rather stay put, the decision guide helps you judge when a single hotel is genuinely best for your dates.

One Hotel or Two in London? The One Change Decision Guide

Find your smarter week

Last updated: Jan 2026.