Complete guide to staying in Paddington while visiting London

Choosing the best location within the city is essential for enjoying your time in London and staying in a great mood throughout your stay.

The city is quite large, and getting stuck in lodging too far from the main targets of your interest can take you out of rhythm and force you to spend more time solving logistical problems than sightseeing and partying. That’s why hospitality industry professionals who know London the best recommend the Paddington area in the West End as the perfect spot that gives you direct access to many places of historical significance, as well as to all premium shopping and dining areas.

Multiple hotels can be found in this part of central London, including Grand Paddington Court.

In this guide, we’ll provide a general overview of this neighbourhood and list some of the reasons why it’s so popular with domestic and international visitors to London. Since this area hosts numerous London hotels special offers for staying in Paddington should be available throughout the year, providing strong economic incentives on top of all other considerations, including:

A tradition that spans centuries

Paddington is now a part of the City of Westminster, but in the past, it has been its own metropolitan borough within the Greater London, when parts of it were known as Tyburnia.

Its history actually goes much further back, and its name can be traced back to the 12th century – it was originally used for the medieval parish in the same location. Gradually, the area assumed a more urban character, driven in a large part by the opening of the Paddington Railway Station, which started serving the public in 1838.

The area is characteristic of a large number of channels, some of which were gentrified as part of the impressive Paddington Waterside project. In short, Paddington is a place where history meets modern development, and this provides visitors with a unique combination of convenience and opportunity. The neighbourhood is visually enchanting and very representative of old London but features all amenities you’d expect to find in the heart of a global metropolis.

Central location with great transportation links

If you want to visit major attractions around London, very few areas offer better connections than Paddington.

Its beautiful railway station serves as a terminus for Heathrow Express, facilitating direct arrivals from the airport, but also receives trains on the Main Western line as well as London Underground coaches. However, in some cases, you won’t even have to use public transportation, since Paddington is located in the historical core of the city and you can simply choose to walk to many nearby destinations.

Because of this, Paddington can be an excellent temporary home base for anybody interested in exploring the countless marvels of history sprinkled around the downtown London area. From here, it’s very easy to organise a visit to the Palace of Westminster, go for a picnic in one of the beautiful garden squares in the vicinity or simply enjoy local cuisine in a highly regarded restaurant.

Plenty of accommodation options to choose from

We already indicated there is an abundance of high-quality accommodation in Paddington London.

Many modern hotels are competing for guests, so it’s not rare to stumble into reasonably priced offers that allow you to stay a few days longer than your budget would otherwise allow. Your choice of hotel should reflect the primary purpose of your visit (i.e. business, sightseeing, music event…), since the time you save on transportation can be truly precious.

If you are not familiar with London hotels, choosing a well-known brand with a presence all over the city could be the safest decision that eliminates any risk of ending up in the wrong place. It’s even possible to see the interiors of the rooms before you arrive, so you can pick your hotel based on the level of comfort it can provide – with so many great hotels on offer, you don’t have to settle for an average room.

A huge number of attractions within walking distance

Due to its location and history, Paddington is packed with tourist hotspots, and many more can be found within a few miles outside of its boundaries. When you stay at Park Grand Paddington Court, parking is provided with the room, so you can simply leave your car there and go on an adventure.

Some of the sites you definitely don’t want to miss include Regent’s Canal and Browning’s Pool, as the area around those features is sometimes poetically called Little Venice. St. Mary’s Hospital is another historical building located nearby, while Westminster Abbey and The Rolling Bridge are among the most frequently visited tourist attractions in the area. From Paddington, it’s just a short walk to Kensington Gardens or the famous Hyde Park, where you can spend a wonderful afternoon and recharge your batteries in serene surroundings without leaving downtown London. No matter what type of activities you’d like to engage in while in London, you won’t have too much trouble arriving there if you are staying in Paddington.

The magical charm of historical London

London has many neighbourhoods worth spending time in, but Paddington is certainly among those where foreign visitors can experience the history of the city in the most direct way. In this part of the town, every street and almost every building have an interesting story to tell, and historical heritage is fully integrated into everyday life at every step.

While Paddington has certainly changed through the centuries, vestiges of its medieval past and rapid transformation during the industrialisation period are still hiding in plain sight. Spending a few days in Paddington can be the best course in London’s history you can find anywhere, particularly if you are an active spirit and don’t mind wandering off the beaten path now and then. Some of the discoveries you make here might not be prominently featured in tourist guides, which only makes them more authentic and more rewarding for the visitor.