As one of the world's most popular travel destinations, and of course the host of the upcoming 2012 Olympic Games, demand for hotel rooms in London is high. The city has over 100,000 hotel rooms encompassing everything from minimalist boutique chic to grandiose five star luxury.
The Royal National Hotel is the largest hotel in London
But have you ever wondered which London hotels boast the biggest number of rooms? We've done the research so you don't have to.
This information is especially useful when you want to negotiate the best possible London hotel rate. We recommend you use our meta-search tool and contact these hotels directly to bargain to get the best deal – after all, it's pretty unlikely that such huge hotels will be fully booked!
#5 Holiday Inn Kensington Forum – 906 roomsWith just a little shy of a thousand rooms, HI Kensington Forum is only the fifth largest hotel in London, but it can boast the title of the largest Holiday Inn in the world. Its 906 rooms consist of standard and executive bedrooms, 4 luxury suites and 8 accessible bedrooms (the hotel won the 2007 Visit London Award for Accessible Tourism).
Situated in a relatively quiet corner of South Kensington, the hotel is popular with tourist and business guests alike and also has a large conference and event space.
The Holiday Inn Kensington Forum is the largest Holiday Inn in the world!
#4 Cumberland Hotel -1,019 roomsA four star hotel with two restaurants run by renowned chef Gary Rhodes, the Guoman-owned Cumberland is in 4th place with 1,019 rooms. The hotel has a range of rooms:from single Cumberland Guest Rooms to Junior King Suites, Cumberland Apartments and the flamboyantly-themed Jimi Hendix Suite, inspired by the life and music of the rock legend.
The Cumberland Hotel London is impressive in its size and the variety of rooms.
#3 Park Plaza Westminster – 1,021 roomsIn an enviable South Bank location rare among central London hotels, the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge overlooks iconic London sights such as Big Ben and the London Eye making it a popular tourist hotel. Of course, you won't see them from the hotel's 422 interior-facing Superior Rooms, but the hotel does have quite a few rooms with views in the form of 545 studio rooms and 54 suites/penthouses.
Park Plaza Westminster has rooms with views towards Big Ben
#2 Hilton Metropole – 1,054 roomsNudging into 2nd place, the Hilton Metropole is on Edgware Road near Little Venice and markets itself as ‘London's premier residential conference hotel', while laying claim to being ‘the largest conference hotel in the UK.' Very much a hotel for business visitors, the Metropole also has two expansive conference suites, banqueting facilities and 40 meeting rooms in addition to the hotel's 1,054 bedrooms and one executive lounge.
Sadly though it follows Hilton's short-sighted policy of charging extra for WiFi and we'd instead suggest London conference venues with free WiFi.
Rooms at the Hilton Metropole vary in terms of size and quality - but with the hotel being so large you can always ask to change if you don't like the first one you're given!
#1 Royal National Hotel – 1,630 roomsA clear winner with 1,630 rooms, the Royal National Hotel may be the biggest hotel in London but it's certainly not the most expensive. Aimed towards budget-conscious travellers, the hotel also houses a range of restaurants and bars, shops, a health club and even a bowling alley. Its many guest rooms are available as either singles, twins or triples.
Recent guest reviews suggest you shouldn't expect luxury – but it may be worth considering this behemoth if you negotiate a bargain room rate!
Wallet-friendly bedroom in the Royal National Hotel
Photo credits: Holiday Inn Kensington Forum, Cumberland Hotel, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, Hilton Metropole, Royal National Hotel.http://londonhotelsinsight.com