Marriott County Hall Hotel

London

A word of warning for guests staying in one of Marriott Hotel County Hall’s fabulous riverside suites: bear in mind that directly outside your window, a mere stone’s throw away from your terrace, towers the Coca-Cola London Eye – complete with podfuls of tourists, many of them waving and taking photographs. This is, perhaps, not a room in which to drip dry.

Tourists notwithstanding, that view alone is worth checking in for. With the illuminated wheel to the right and the iconic Houses of Parliament to the left, souvenir-stand postcards of the capital pale in comparison.

Sympathetically converted from the old Greater London Council building, the hotel is centrally located – just moments away from Westminster Bridge and the South Bank, within walking distance of a multitude of attractions – and boasts crisp, contemporary styling punctuated by period detailing throughout. Rooms feature deluxe bedding and marble bathrooms, and there’s an indoor pool and gym, where guests have complimentary access to fitness classes. There’s also in-house destination dining, in the form of Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar and, should you wish to don a dressing gown and enjoy a night in, 24-hour room service, too. Doubles from £289.