The best hotels in Victoria

Despite all justified dubiousness surrounding TripAdvisor, the travel site’s number one hotel in London isn’t far from bona fide status. There’s definitely a no-holds-barred approach to service here, from the pre-stay details (exercise bike in your room? Humidifier? Yoga mat?) to the open pantry and four-champagne reception. Fantastic if you think you’re in line for a gratuitous pampering, but if you’re of the perpetual ‘do not disturb’ persuasion, perhaps this isn’t the place for you.

With its baroque architecture, abundant oil paintings, and decadent furnishings (bar some gaudy-looking carpets), The Grosvenor is every bit as luxurious as its neighbouring hotels. And yet, rooms can somehow be half the price. A private entrance to the station means you can be on the tube and about your day in no time, and, coupled with 24-hour concierge and day-and-night room service, travellers are certainly well catered for.

Nice wallpaper, ample furnishings and the odd painting aren’t to be found at Victoria’s branch of The Z Hotel. But then, with rooms starting at £70, that’s not the aim of the game. Large ‘hand crafted’ double beds, Sky TV, and en suite shower rooms set Z apart from a lot of even the marginally cheaper hotels. And still while in the same postcode as The Goring.

There is the preconception, among some tourists, that 'Downton Abbey' embodies everything about the UK. The Goring – in all its Edwardian composure – doesn’t do much to dispel that myth. Croquet is played on the lawn in the summer, there’s a ‘fleet of footmen’ at your bidding, and the only thing missing from the lounge are mounted stag heads and a Broadwood grand piano. As close as the city’s main attractions are, make sure you stay in for dinner – the restaurant’s Michelin star is well earned.