The Z Hotel Covent Garden
by the TopOfHotel team
The Z Hotel Covent Garden is the highest-scoring pod hotel on this list — dead center in the West End at a budget price.
The Z Hotel Covent Garden is the highest-scoring pod hotel on this list — dead center in the West End at a budget price.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
The Z Hotel Covent Garden is the flagship of the Z Hotels chain, a pod hotel that squeezes every bit of value out of a small footprint in the heart of Covent Garden. Rooms come with a double or twin bed depending on the type, and everything is laid out with real intelligence: a wardrobe under the bed, a wall-mounted flat-screen TV, and a walk-in shower set apart from the sleeping area. The Wi-Fi is free and fast. Reviewers describe the rooms as small but spotless, with everything working as it should. The cheapest Inside type has no window, so choose your room type with care when you book.
Food and amenities
There is no restaurant in the hotel, but there is a complimentary cheese and wine spread in the lobby each evening, plus a grab-and-go breakfast. That evening wine and cheese is the signature touch you will not find at this price elsewhere. For everything else you step outside, and Covent Garden delivers: hundreds of restaurants, cafes and pubs sit within walking distance, so you are never short of options for dinner or a late drink.
Location and getting there
This is where the hotel earns its 8.9. Covent Garden Tube on the Piccadilly line is a 3-minute walk, Leicester Square is 5 minutes on the Piccadilly and Northern lines, and Charing Cross is 7 minutes with the Bakerloo, Northern lines and National Rail. The Royal Opera House is right nearby, Soho is 7 minutes on foot, Trafalgar Square 5 minutes, and the British Museum 12 minutes. There are more than 20 West End theatres clustered around Covent Garden, putting you in the middle of Theatre Land.
Things to know before booking
The rooms are very small, which is the whole pod-hotel bargain but worth knowing if you travel with large luggage. The cheapest Inside rooms have no window, so pay up a tier if daylight matters to you. And with no in-house restaurant beyond the evening wine and cheese and a grab-and-go breakfast, plan to eat out, which around here is no hardship at all.
Our take
The Z Hotel Covent Garden is the best fit for solo travelers and couples here to catch a West End show, see an opera at the Royal Opera House, and wander Covent Garden, Soho and Trafalgar Square using the room only to sleep. At around $97 a night in this location, it is a deal you will not find elsewhere, and the best budget hotel in central London.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Scores 8.9/10 on Booking.com, the highest of any budget hotel in this London group and surprisingly high for a cheap room in the center of town.
- The location is the real win. You are in the heart of Covent Garden and can walk to every West End theatre, with the Royal Opera House practically next door.
- Free evening cheese and wine in the lobby is a genuine perk you will not find anywhere else in this price bracket.
- Several Tube lines sit within a short walk. Covent Garden is 3 minutes, Leicester Square 5 minutes, and Charing Cross 7 minutes with National Rail on top.
- Rooms are small but the design is clever, with a wardrobe tucked under the bed, a wall-mounted flat-screen TV and a walk-in shower set apart from the sleeping area, plus fast free Wi-Fi.
- Rooms are very small, as the pod format demands. If you are traveling with large luggage you will feel the squeeze.
- The cheapest Inside room type has no window at all, so specify the room type carefully when you book if natural light matters to you.
- There is no restaurant in the hotel. Beyond the evening wine and cheese and a grab-and-go breakfast, you are eating out, though there are hundreds of restaurants, cafes and pubs within walking distance to make up for it.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
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Insider Tips
- Pick the room type carefully at booking. The cheapest Inside rooms have no window, so pay up a tier if you want daylight.
- Use the free lobby cheese and wine in the evening as a pre-theatre warm-up before heading to a West End show.
- Skip a cab and walk. Covent Garden station is 3 minutes, Leicester Square 5 and Charing Cross 7, so almost everything central is on foot from the door.