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The most luxurious places to stay in London during the Olympics

For those who have been lucky enough to get tickets the London 2012 Olympics the next challenge for most is going to be finding a place to stay. With many of London’s top hotels already be claiming to be fully booked I have decided to look into a number of different options which still have availability for the Olympic period. Those who want to be near the action should stay in East London – or, more specifically, Clerkenwell, Hoxton or Shoreditch, all of which are close to the games but lively areas in their own right. Shoreditch House is already booked up, but other trendy hotels have rooms. Try Terence Conran venture the Boundary, Bethnal Green’s Town Hall Hotel, with its celebrated restaurant Viajante, or The Zetter in Clerkenwell, which is well placed for both the Olympic village and the West End. Staying outside London lets you explore the English countryside, but still venture into the capital for daytrips. Chewton Glen, a five-star country-house hotel set in 130 acres in Hampshire, is accessible to London by train or car in under two hours, while also being convenient for the rowing at Eton and sailing at Weymouth. And when you’re bored of sport, you can visit the spa, voted the UK’s favourite by Condé Nast Traveller readers. The Landmark Trust, a conservation charity that restores historic buildings before renting them as holiday lets, has a devoted following. But some may be surprised to learn that the Trust not only owns rural properties – it also has several in London, including a Huguenot weaver’s house in Spitalfields, Sir John Betjeman’s old home in the City, and two properties in Hampton Court Palace (which happens to be the start and finish point for the cycling event). Sometimes hotels, with their cramped rooms, overpriced breakfasts and disappointing décor, simply don’t hit the spot. Enter the unhotel, which gives visitors the chance to stay in upscale London homes while their owners are elsewhere. Luxury amenities, such as five-star linens and White Company toiletries, come as standard, while prices are more reasonable than you’d think, starting at £119 per night for a pretty studio in Notting Hill. An ideal solution for families, or anyone who’d prefer to live like a local. onefinestay has just signed up its 200th property so they still have some great homes available for the those with tickets to the games. Tom Beverley is Head of Marketing at onefinestay. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

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