SD › London › South Bank Hotels
Updated: March 19, 2020
By Santorini Dave
Looking across the Thames River towards Big Ben from London’s South Bank neighborhood.
• Best Hotels in South Bank: Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard • Novotel London Bridge • ibis London Blackfriars • Marriott County Hall • Park Plaza Westminster Bridge • Park Plaza County Hall
• South Bank sits aside the River Thames between Westminster Bridge and Millennium Bridge. It’s a lively area, home to the London Eye, SEA LIFE Aquarium London, independent shops, galleries, theatres, restaurants and riverside bars. Neighboring Bankside to the east has the Tate Modern, Borough Market, London Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe, and the Golden Hinde.
• During summer months South Bank hosts festivals with street food, live music, and comedy. In the winter it’s home to one of the city’s finest and most atmospheric festive markets at Southbank Centre. You can visit the London Dungeon or Florence Nightingale Museum, enjoy a performance at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre or see London’s skyline from above on the London Eye.
• The Queen’s Walk is a promenade that runs along the River Thames between Lambeth Bridge and Tower Bridge. It boasts spectacular views of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and all of London to the north.
• Bars and restaurants in South Bank range from hip, trendy wine bars to traditional pubs, coffee shops and eateries serving everything from Cuban and Italian to steak, chicken, Mexican and British food. There are also several fast food outlets.
• Hotels are a mix of mid-range and luxury situated within a short walk of River Thames and the London Eye. Airbnb also offers single, double rooms, and apartments for rent, plus there are comfortable hostels nearby for budget travelers.
• South Bank is compact and easy to navigate on foot. If you wish to travel to other areas inside and outside London, convenient Waterloo Station has tube and train connections.
• You can reach King’s Cross/St. Pancras directly from Waterloo Underground Station and there’s also a direct tube service to London Paddington from where you can catch the Heathrow Express train to the airport.
• If you are flying in and out of Gatwick, take the underground from Westminster to Victoria Station for the Gatwick Express train. Many bus routes serve South Bank to points all around central London.
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