Rich in history and heritage, London has long been an arbiter of style. For those who enjoy the finer things in life, this showstopper city offers a staggering variety of luxury vacation rentals, from sumptuous suites to boutique boltholes
A luxury home in Hampstead on One Fine Stay (Photo: One Fine Stay)
The United Kingdom’s sprawling capital city is a playground for high-end travellers. While it might offer something for every taste and budget, those wiling to spend are at an advantage. From box seats at the Royal Opera House and fine dining at The Dorchester to retail therapy at Harvey Nichols and pampering sessions at The Bulgari Spa, London is teeming with elite experiences. Such unfettered luxury deserves only the best night’s sleep too. We’ve scoured the internet for the best places to find luxury vacation rentals in London, based on variety of properties, facilities, location, ease of use and customer service.
Plum Guide
Plum Guide bills itself as a “benchmark for quality”, rather than a booking platform. To feature on the website’s highly curated platform, properties need to be nominated and undergo a multi-vetting process, so you won’t find any vacation rentals that slip on standards. While rates sit at the upper end of the budget spectrum, prices are matched daily too. It’s also one of the few online platforms that offers a concierge service, available seven days a week to help solve any issues. There are currently 1,850 luxury homes listed on the site, which can be filtered by number of bedrooms and bathrooms, types of property and ultra-specific amenities, such as courtyards, rainshowers and swimming pools.
Find out more at PlumGuide.com
Booking.com
One of the world’s largest accommodation providers, Booking.com is best-known for its budget-friendly accommodation but the platform offers a surprising number of luxury vacation rentals in London too. Sifting through the thousands of listings requires a little more effort than specialist luxury rental platforms, but once you’ve got the hang of the filters, whittling down the options to the finest properties becomes much easier. You can search by property type, star rating, reviews, price and location. There’s also a new filter that allows you to select properties with a “Travel Sustainability Badge”, which is an industry first.
Find out more at Booking.com
One Fine Stay
One Fine Stay offers a curated selection of luxury properties in select cities across the world, but it was founded and headquartered in London. While the selection of properties is smaller than the other entires on our list (according to the website, only one in ten properties makes the cut), the platform offers a whole string of luxury services that are unavailable elsewhere, from airport transfers and grocery deliveries to childcare and private chefs. It’s best known for its short-stay rentals, but the business also offers a wide selection of monthly rentals too, making it an excellent option for those looking to stay in London for longer.
Find out more at OneFineStay.com