The best hotels near Oxford Street

If you want to save some pennies to spend in the nearby shops, one of the best cheap options near Oxford Street is Sohostel, consisting of dormitory rooms, twins and doubles (starting at £55), as well as a guest-only bar and roof garden, free wifi and breakfast for a fiver. Best of all, if you’re on a budget, you could spend a week exploring central London from your base here on Dean Street and never have to set foot on public transport.

Europe’s first Grand Hotel wowed European royalty with electric lights, hydraulic lifts and air conditioning when it opened in 1865, and it still pulls fans in from around the world – including more than its fair share of celebrities. This may be something to do with its location opposite BBC TV Centre, but it’s just as likely to be down to the sheer comfort, class and relaxed atmosphere the hotel exudes, from the gorgeous spa and Palm Court dining room to the super-luxe classic rooms and suites.

Here is another Firmdale Hotel that does contemporary class well. The central courtyard is well-populated with diners and drinkers on warm days and is the perfect spot for a fortifying bite to eat before heading out onto nearby Oxford Street… or exploring the cluster of boutiques that for part of this appealing complex. It’s a big undertaking that could have felt a little corporate, were it not for touches like an on-site library, a cinema/theatre and even a bowling alley to lighten the mood.

This simple but stylish 78-room, four-star hotel near Soho Square is a great budget option. Rooms are clean and well equipped and come with Nespresso machines, mini kitchens, air conditioning and free wifi, and while there’s no bar or restaurant, the front desk team are a great source of recommendations in terms of food and drink options – of which there are many. There is the possibility of having breakfast delivered to your room, but with the whole of Soho right on your doorstep, you might as well eat out.

Still feeling fabulously futuristic 16 years on, The Sanderson – lovechild of Ian Schrager and Philippe Starck – has lots to recommend it, starting with the starship-themed lifts, the bold-as-you like lobby furniture and the arty wall lights behind full-length silk curtains. Rooms are a little more sedate, with pared-down palette of silver, dove grey and lemon, but are still pretty ethereal, especially when cool green lighting spills out of the huge glass-box bathrooms. Overall: it’s heaps of fun.

The Beaumont is, quiet literally, a work of art, with Anthony Gormley’s part suite/part sculpture, ROOM sitting imposingly out front. You’d never guess that central London’s most striking looking hotel was in fact a car rental garage until a few years ago. Inside, the decor’s a sort of blokey, traditional Art Deco, but it works, and what’s more, service manages to pull off that rare thing of being efficient without being obsequious. It’s a convenient spot for Selfridges.

Dean Street Townhouse can feel a bit glitzy: it’s run by the Soho House group and is surrounded here in Soho by some of the capital’s biggest names in media. The lovely, small terrace out front is great for a post-shopping spree drink or two, while inside, the ground floor restaurant is a good for lunch or a meeting. Rooms upstairs – albeit small ones – can be bagged for as little as £115.

It’s not surprising that a hotel from Ian Schrager, one of the men behind Studio 54, now a go-to celeb hotelier, should be a looker. There’s a camp, theatrical vibe throughout, with lots of marble and ornate ceilings and a colossal silver egg-shaped thing in place of a chandelier in the lobby bar. Rooms are a mix of modern day hunting lodge with dark wood and warm lighting, and sensible, sleek practicality – some even have furnished terraces. Downstairs you’ll find Berners Tavern, helmed by Michelin-starred Jason Atherton. Unsurprisingly, there’s a club in the basement.

When André Balazs, of LA’s Chateau Marmont fame, opened his restaurant here a couple of years ago, it created quite the buzz. The 26 rooms attached are testament to the fact that, whether it's food or lodging, Balazs knows how to give the people what they want. The pleasingly retro suites in this 1887 fire station are a treat benefitting from 24-hour room service and classy, laidback touches; we particularly like the lack of dreaded guest tome in favour of a note on the dresser simply saying: ‘Dial 0 for anything’.

Another great budget option just a short hop from Oxford Street is this hostel, one of six YHA branches in London. The 104 beds here at start at £23, with dormitory and private rooms arranged over five floors above a large pizza café and bar (open to non-guests). It’s tidy, clean and cleverly thought out – though not particularly stylish – with all the dorms and private en suites only accessible by keycard. The odd DJ from nearby BBC radio has even been known to crash here.