Southwark sits on the south bank of the Thames directly opposite the City of London, stretching from Bankside — home to Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe — through the Borough Market quarter around London Bridge to Elephant and Castle further south. The Thames Path runs along the northern edge, with Millennium Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, and Tower Bridge all within walking distance. It is one of London's oldest districts, layered with converted warehouses, modern glass towers (including The Shard, western Europe's tallest building), and the kind of street-level energy that comes from having one of the world's great food markets at its heart.
Hotels in Southwark range from a luxury property on the upper floors of The Shard to budget rooms near London Bridge station that put Borough Market on the doorstep. This guide covers the best options with details on each hotel, room types, breakfast, and what guests rate most highly in their reviews.
Luxury
Shangri-La The Shard
Shangri-La occupies floors 34 to 52 of The Shard at London Bridge. The 202 units have floor-to-ceiling windows with views across London that no other hotel in the borough can match. An infinity pool on the 52nd floor and TING restaurant (Asian-European, with panoramic views) complete the experience. This is Southwark's standout luxury property and one of the most distinctive hotels in the United Kingdom. Staff receive excellent reviews for attentive, personal service. Rates range from approximately £350 to £700 per night. Check availability well in advance — the best view rooms book months ahead.
Upper Mid-Range
Hilton London Bankside
The Hilton on Great Suffolk Street is the largest full-service hotel in the area, with 292 units, a restaurant, bar, gym, and meeting facilities. Some rooms offer Thames views. The location puts Tate Modern within a ten-minute walk and Borough Market roughly the same. Good for business travellers who want reliable facilities and for leisure guests who prefer a hotel with on-site dining. Guest reviews rate the bed quality and the staff highly. Rates range from approximately £180 to £300 per night. Free wifi throughout.
CitizenM London Bankside
citizenM on Lavington Street sits steps from Tate Modern. The 192 rooms are compact but thoughtfully designed: large bed, wall-to-wall windows, mood lighting controlled by tablet, and rain shower. No room categories — every room is identical, which keeps pricing straightforward. The communal living room downstairs, filled with books, art, and iMacs, doubles as a workspace. canteenM serves food and drinks around the clock, and the cloudM rooftop bar offers views across the river. A good choice for guests who value design and a social atmosphere over traditional hotel service. Reviews give it an excellent rating for the bed comfort and the Bankside location. Rates range from approximately £130 to £200 per night.
Mid-Range
Mercure London Bridge
The Mercure on Southwark Street sits between Southwark and London Bridge tube stations, roughly equidistant from Tate Modern and Borough Market. The 144 rooms deliver a reliable mid-range standard with an on-site bar and restaurant. A practical middle ground for guests who want more comfort than a budget chain but don't need the facilities of the Hilton. Rates range from approximately £120 to £180 per night.
Budget Hotels in Southwark
Ibis Styles London Southwark
The ibis Styles on Great Suffolk Street occupies a converted pub building (the Rose and Crown) with colourful, design-led interiors that give it more personality than a standard budget hotel. Around 130 units. Breakfast is included in every rate — a detail that saves roughly £10 to £15 per person per day compared to properties that charge separately. Tate Modern is a ten-minute walk, Southwark tube station five minutes. Guest reviews rate it as a good budget option with friendly staff and a comfortable bed. Rates range from approximately £90 to £140 per night. Check availability early for summer weekends when demand in this part of London is highest.
Holiday Inn Express London Southwark
The Holiday Inn Express on Harper Road sits between Elephant and Castle and Borough, roughly fifteen minutes on foot from Borough Market and the South Bank. Around 170 clean, functional units with the IHG Express formula: comfortable bed, free wifi, and continental breakfast included. Family rooms are available. No dinner restaurant or pool. A practical, no-surprises option for guests who plan to spend their days exploring rather than lingering in the hotel. IHG Rewards members earn points on every booking. Rates typically range from £100 to £150 per night.
Premier Inn London Southwark (Borough High Street)
The Premier Inn on Borough High Street has what may be the best budget location in Southwark: directly next to Borough Market and a minute from London Bridge station. The rooms deliver the standard Premier Inn formula — Hypnos king-size bed, en-suite bathroom, free wifi. Thyme restaurant serves breakfast and dinner. Guest reviews consistently give this Premier Inn an excellent rating for the location and the bed. Rates range from approximately £90 to £130 per night. For guests arriving at London Bridge by train or Jubilee line, no onward travel is needed — the hotel is practically at the station exit.
Travelodge London Southwark
The Travelodge on Union Street is the cheapest option in the area, with around 150 units starting from approximately £60 per night. No breakfast included, but the surrounding streets have independent cafés and Borough Market is a fifteen-minute walk for a more memorable morning meal. Clean, basic, no extras. A good option for guests who treat the hotel as a place to sleep and spend their budget on what London has to offer outside.
What to See
Tate Modern and Borough Market
Tate Modern, housed in the former Bankside Power Station, is one of the world's great modern art museums — and entry is free. The Turbine Hall hosts large-scale installations, and the permanent collection covers everything from Picasso to contemporary video art. Borough Market, operating since the thirteenth century, is London's most celebrated food market: artisan producers, street food from around the world, and a Saturday morning atmosphere that draws locals and visitors alike. Shakespeare's Globe, a faithful reconstruction of the Elizabethan theatre, stages performances from spring to autumn and offers tours year-round.
Tower Bridge and The Shard
Tower Bridge is a ten-minute walk east from London Bridge. The glass-floor walkway at the top offers a vertigo-inducing view straight down to the Thames. The Shard's observation deck on floors 68 to 72 provides the highest public viewpoint in the United Kingdom. Both are popular attractions that benefit from advance booking.
Guest Ratings, Reviews, and Booking
Rating and Review Scores
Southwark hotels earn strong guest rating scores across booking platforms. The Shangri-La at The Shard holds the highest overall rating in the borough — review after review praises the view, the staff, and the attention to detail. Among mid-range options, citizenM Bankside earns an excellent guest rating for the bed quality and the design, while the Hilton Bankside receives a good rating for its facilities and the friendliness of the staff. The ibis Styles London Southwark earns a particularly high rating relative to its price bracket, with previous guests highlighting the included breakfast and the colourful interiors as highlights.
At the budget level, the Premier Inn on Borough High Street earns the kind of guest rating that makes it one of the most popular properties in this part of London — a combination of excellent location, the Hypnos bed, and friendly service. The IHG Express property receives a good rating for reliability, and the Travelodge earns fair review scores for guests who expect nothing more than a clean room at a low price. Across all properties, staff friendliness is mentioned frequently in reviews — Southwark hotels benefit from being in one of London's most vibrant areas, and the staff tend to reflect that energy.
Amenities
The ibis Styles provides double accommodation with en-suite shower, tea and coffee making facilities, and free wifi. citizenM keeps things simple — one configuration, a large double bed, rain shower, and tablet-controlled lighting. The Hilton offers the widest range, from standard doubles to accessible suites.
Accessible rooms are available at all properties listed in this guide. The Hilton and Premier Inn have the most comprehensive accessible facilities. The ibis Styles and Holiday Inn Express also provide adapted rooms — check availability when booking and specify any requirements. London Bridge station is step-free accessible on the Jubilee line.
Booking Tips and Price Guide
The price range across Southwark hotels runs from approximately £60 per night at the Travelodge to £700 at the Shangri-La. For the best rates, book directly through each hotel's website or loyalty app — the ibis Styles is located on the Accor platform, the Express property on IHG, and the Premier Inn on its own site. Previous guests report that booking direct often secures better cancellation terms than third-party platforms. Midweek stays are typically 20 to 30 percent cheaper than weekends. Check availability early for summer months and December, when Southwark's proximity to the food market, Tate Modern, and the South Bank Christmas markets makes it one of the most popular areas in London.
Pet friendly policies are limited in Southwark — most properties do not accept pets. Guests travelling with dogs should check individual hotel policies before booking. For families, the Holiday Inn Express and Premier Inn offer the best combination of family rooms, included or affordable breakfast, and a friendly atmosphere. The Hilton and citizenM also work for families, though the room sizes at citizenM are compact. Explore the area on foot before deciding — Southwark is walkable, and a short stroll from any hotel will reveal whether the neighbourhood suits your plans.
Getting Around
London Bridge station — Northern line, Jubilee line, plus Thameslink and Southeastern trains — is the transport hub for eastern Southwark. Direct trains to Gatwick Airport take thirty minutes. Southwark tube (Jubilee line) connects to Westminster and Canary Wharf. Walking across the Millennium Bridge from Bankside puts you at St Paul's Cathedral in five minutes. The entire Thames Path from Westminster to Tower Bridge is walkable in under an hour — one of the best free experiences in London, passing the Southbank Centre, Tate Modern, the Globe, and Borough Market along the way.