5* The Soho Hotel

The Resident Soho is almost absurdly well placed for an LGBTQ+ weekend in London. It’s tucked down Carlisle Street by Soho Square, so Old Compton Street and the surrounding gay bars are only a few minutes away, yet the hotel itself feels surprisingly calm once you’re back inside. There’s no restaurant or scene-y hotel bar competing for your attention here; instead, the focus is on comfortable rooms, friendly service and little mini-kitchens with a fridge, microwave and Nespresso machine. That’s particularly handy if you’re staying for several nights or simply don’t fancy paying Soho prices every time you want a drink or snack. Tottenham Court Road is around five minutes away, giving you the Elizabeth, Central and Northern lines, while theatres, Chinatown, Oxford Street and Covent Garden are all comfortably walkable. GayMapper tip: probably the sweet spot if you want proper four-star comfort right in gay Soho without jumping all the way to five-star Soho Hotel prices.

Staybridge Suites London - Vauxhall is particularly useful if you’re staying for more than a weekend and would rather have something approaching a small apartment than another London hotel room. Every suite has a proper kitchen, breakfast is included and there’s even a free guest laundry, which makes longer stays considerably easier. The hotel sits on a quiet street beside Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, around five minutes from Vauxhall station, so Victoria, Oxford Circus and the rest of central London are only a few Tube stops away. For LGBTQ+ travellers, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern is practically a neighbour, while other Vauxhall venues and the Thames are easily walkable. Westminster is close enough to reach on foot when the weather behaves. GayMapper tip: a very practical choice if you want Vauxhall nightlife nearby, more space than a standard hotel room and the freedom to make breakfast at 2pm without anyone judging you.

You could spend a London weekend at The Z Hotel Trafalgar and barely trouble the Tube. Charing Cross is moments away, Covent Garden and Leicester Square are around the corner, Soho is an easy walk and Heaven is practically in the neighbourhood. As with all Z Hotels, the bargain comes with a compromise: rooms are very compact and some have no windows. They’re cleverly designed, though, with good beds, proper showers and everything you actually need for a short city break. The location is especially good if your London plans mix theatre, sightseeing and nights out rather than revolving entirely around Soho. GayMapper tip: excellent for a short stay when you intend to spend very little waking time in the room — London does rather more interesting things outside it anyway.

The Soho Hotel is about as close as you can get to staying right in London’s gay heartland without actually sleeping above a bar. It hides down a quiet mews between Dean Street and Wardour Street, with Old Compton Street only moments away. That makes nights out wonderfully uncomplicated, but it’s the hotel itself that keeps this as our favourite splurge. Kit Kemp’s colourful interiors give every room real personality, Refuel is a genuinely good restaurant and cocktail bar, and the two private screening rooms are a very Soho touch. You’ve also got theatres, restaurants, Chinatown, Oxford Street and several Tube stations within an easy walk, so very little about a weekend here requires planning. GayMapper tip: expensive, absolutely — but if you want a special London stay and gay Soho right outside, it’s difficult to think of a better combination.

If you like a hotel with a story, Great Scotland Yard Hotel has rather more material to work with than most. It occupies the former headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, tucked down a quiet Westminster street between Trafalgar Square and Whitehall. That location is superb for central London: Covent Garden, the South Bank, Westminster and Soho are all walkable, while Heaven is particularly close around Charing Cross. The historic theme continues inside without turning the place into a police museum. Dining includes the fire-led Ekstedt at The Yard, while the hidden Síbín speakeasy and 40 Elephants bar give you unusually interesting options for a drink without leaving the hotel. GayMapper tip: a strong luxury choice if you want London history, excellent food and a central location that works equally well for sightseeing and nights out.

Few hotels put you closer to gay Soho than Zedwell Piccadilly Circus. Step out of the Trocadero and you’re already in the West End, with Old Compton Street, Chinatown, Leicester Square and the theatres all within a few minutes. The unusual bit comes when you step back inside: the rooms are deliberately windowless, with filtered air, soft lighting and no televisions, all designed around getting a good night’s sleep despite Piccadilly Circus doing its best outside. That concept won’t suit everyone — if waking up and checking the weather through an actual window matters to you, look elsewhere — but it can work brilliantly for a busy London weekend. There’s also a large gym, available for an additional fee. GayMapper tip: almost absurdly convenient for Soho, and particularly good if you want a quiet cocoon after a very unquiet night.