St. Martins Lane

Room 605, St Martins Lane, 45 St. Martin's Lane, London; 44-20-7300-5500; stmartinslane.com. There are 204 rooms; doubles range from $427 to $595. Room 605, the penthouse, is $4,370.

Perched high atop the column to your right in trafalgar Square, Nelson has lorded it over the skyline since 1843. Now it's your turn. You're in Covent Garden, facing the London Coliseum Theatre, which houses the English National Opera. Beyond the curtains of your floor-to-ceiling windows, the lights of the West End sparkle. When your eyes tire of the view, turn your attention to your room, where a lighting system, controlled via a dial next to the headboard, lets you adjust the light color to match your mood—are you fiery red or green with envy? Should you lose your battle with jet lag, rest easy. Lord Nelson will watch over the city while you sleep.