Hotel Café Royal

A 1865 structure with two cupolas (a stunning penthouse suite inhabits one), Hotel Café Royal makes the most of its location equidistant from Soho and Mayfair, in the middle of what could be described as London’s Time Square: The guest rooms—large and spacious with parquet floors, Frette linens, and Floris toiletries—are exquisitely sound-proofed against the neighborhood bustle; the hotel pool is calmingly candle-lit; and the over-the-top Oscar Wilde Bar is a splashy place for a cocktail. (Rooms, from $580)