World's Best Archive 2018 Our Readers' Favorite 10 London City Hotels in 2018 By Flora Stubbs Flora Stubbs Flora Stubbs is the executive editor of Travel + Leisure. She has been a journalist for over 20 years, and a travel editor for over a decade. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on July 10, 2018 Close Photo: Courtesy of The Goring Those in the know will tell you it takes time for a major hotel renovation to hit its stride. Ever since 2015, when the Lanesborough reopened its doors following an extensive 18-month upgrade, the iconic property has slowly been climbing up the World’s Best list of the Top 10 Hotels in London. This year, it claimed the top spot. Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities. Service is one thing that hasn’t changed at the Lanesborough, now a part of the Oetker Collection. It remains the only hotel in London to offer dedicated, round-the-clock butler service to guests in every room category. As one respondent put it: “This is our favorite hotel in London, with great rooms and great staff. We’ve stayed many times, and it always feels like going home. “ Service was one of the qualities T+L respondents raved about at the Goring, which placed second on this year’s list and holds a Royal Warrant. This evergreen Knightsbridge property — a regular fixture of T+L’s World’s Best Awards — was repeatedly praised for its outstanding team. Said one reader: “The service is the most attentive, yet discreet, of any hotel anywhere in the world. They care about my experience both inside and outside of the hotel. I don't stay at the Goring so that I can be in London; I go to London so that I can stay at the Goring.” Classic London properties fared well in general on this year’s list, with the Stafford placing third, Corinthia Hotel London coming in at No. 6, Hotel 41 ranking No. 5, and Chesterfield Mayfair at No. 10. Of the Terrace Bar at the Chesterfield, which hosts live jazz evenings and has a special gin and tonic tasting menu, one reader said: “The bar is cozy and warm and very British, just as you would expect. Very lovely!” More recent arrivals were represented too, with Ian Schrager’s London Edition — prized among locals for its Instagram-friendly restaurant, Berner’s Tavern — placing fourth. “The common areas of this hotel are gorgeous and fun and lively,” said one fan. Ready to pick out your new home in London? Scroll down for the full list. 01 of 10 10. Chesterfield Mayfair Courtesy of The Chesterfield Mayfair Score: 90.74 02 of 10 9. Rosewood Courtesy of Rosewood London Score: 90.92 03 of 10 8. Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Courtesy of Taj Hotels, Resorts, and Palaces Score: 90.95 04 of 10 7. Soho Hotel Courtesy of Design Hotels Score: 91.20 05 of 10 6. Corinthia Hotel Courtesy of Corinthia Hotel London Score: 91.24 06 of 10 5. Hotel 41 Courtesy of Hotel 41 Score: 91.26 07 of 10 4. London Edition Courtesy of The London Edition Score: 92.00 08 of 10 3. The Stafford Courtesy of The Stafford London Score: 93.43 09 of 10 2. The Goring Courtesy of The Goring Score: 94.06 10 of 10 1. The Lanesborough Courtesy of The Lanesborough Score: 94.40 Anyone who’s ever driven past the Lanesborough can’t fail to have noticed the hotel’s handsome, Neoclassical façade overlooking Hyde Park Corner. And ever since a 2015 face-lift, that exterior grandeur is now matched by equally impressive guest rooms and public spaces, including a state-of-the-art spa and a Michelin-starred restaurant, Celeste. Each of the hotel’s 93 rooms and suites has been painstakingly returned to its Regency-era glory, in a project that employed 300 craftsmen and used more than 42,000 sheets of hand-painted gold leaf. Given that T+L’s readers voted it their favorite London hotel for 2018, the effort clearly paid off. See all of our readers' favorite hotels, airlines, cruise lines, and more in the World's Best Awards.