Research by hotel booking platform, hoo, has revealed the differing cost of staying next to some of London’s most famous landmarks.

While it might not be your first thought when thinking about a staycation destination, the capital attracted nearly 22m international tourists in a single year prior to pandemic travel restrictions, with a further 12.1m domestic visitors making overnight visits.

A stay in Londonwouldn’t be complete without a trip to some of the city’s most famous landmarks but the research by hoo shows that staying within arm’s reach of one will cost you.

The average hotel room rate across the capital currently sits at £130 per night, almost double that of the average across the UK (£73 per night).

However, the average room rate for hotels surrounding 12 of London’s best-known landmarks climbs as high as £220 per night – 69% higher than the London average and 201% more than the UK average.

Westminster Abbey is the most expensive tourist destination in the capital where hotel costs are concerned. The average room rate of hotels within the same area averages £301 per night, 131% more expensive than the London average.

Piccadilly Circus is also one of the most expensive tourism hotspots for hotel costs. At an average of £292, hotels in the surrounding area come in 124% more expensive.

Tower Bridge (£245), the Tower of London (£241), the London Eye (£229), the Royal Albert Hall (£224), Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament (£214), the Shard (£213) and St Paul’s Cathedral (£203) also come in at more than £200 a night for the average hotel room.

The most affordable of the lot is the British Museum at £133 per night, although this is still 3% higher than the London average.

Trafalgar Square (£171) and Buckingham Palace also rank as some of the more affordable London attractions where hotel room rates are concerned but still do come in over 30% more expensive than the London average.

hoo Co-founder, Adrian Murdock, commented:

“London has reopened for business and there’s a wealth of reasons to head to the capital regardless of what time of year you choose to visit. Of course, the high cost of London living is well documented and so you’ll need a fairly robust budget to enjoy everything the city has to offer.

The good news is that while hotels surrounding some of London’s most famous landmarks will set you back far more than the capital’s average room rate, the city is very well connected via its public transport network. So you should be able to find a far more affordable option without having to spend half of your holiday travelling about to get to various places of interest.”