Where to Stay Near Emirates Stadium: 2025 Hotel & Area Guide

If you’re lucky enough to have tickets to an Arsenal game, you might be wondering where to stay near the Emirates Stadium. There’s a lot of choice – but prices can go up a lot when the Gunners are playing.

But don’t worry, this guide has you covered. I live in (and love!) this part of North London, so I know the area very well. In this guide, I’ll help you explore:

The best places to stay near the Emirates Stadium (both walking distance and a short tube/bus away)
The best places to eat or grab a drink before the game
Things to do nearby before the game

Where is Emirates Stadium?

The Emirates Stadium is in the Highbury and Islington area of North London. It’s easily accessible by public transport, with four nearby stations:

Arsenal Station – Piccadilly Line (5 min walk)
Drayton Park – National Rail (5 min walk)
Finsbury Park – Piccadilly, Victoria & National Rail (10–15 min walk)
Highbury & Islington – Victoria Line, Overground & National Rail (15–20 min walk

Best Places to Stay Close to Emirates Stadium

Where to stay in walking distance of the Emirates

In walking distance of Emirates Stadium you’ve basically got two main areas you can stay: Finsbury Park and Highbury and Islington. Both are about a 15 minute walk to the stadium. Finsbury Park is home to more budget hotels. Highbury and Islington has classier options and Air BnBs.

Finsbury Park

Best for: Budget hotels, matchday energy, transport links

About a 15 minute walk from the stadium, Finsbury Park is your best bet for budget hotels. It’s a bustling area and busy transport hub, and gets crowded on matchdays. There are plenty of excellent pubs and restaurants nearby.

The best options to stay in Finsbury Park are:

The Maldron Hotel: A comfortable, modern 4* hotel, right next to the station. Rooms are usually £100-150 a night. Book here.
Travelodge Finsbury Park: A budget 3* hotel chain, very well located close to the station. Book here.
The Finsbury Guesthouse: A well-rated hotel on Blackstock Road, the heart of Highbury filled with cafes and restaurants. Book here.
The Queen’s Hotel – an affordable 3* hotel in a historic building. Book here.
The Best Western – another affordable 3* hotel, about 10 minutes from Finsbury Park tube. Book here

Highbury & Islington

Best for: Stylish neighbourhood feel, cafes and boutique stays

A little more upmarket than Finsbury Park, Highbury feels like a leafy village tucked into the city. It’s one of North London’s most elegant neighbourhoods, filled with excellent restaurants, cafes and shops. (That being said, it is also very lively on matchdays).

You won’t find so many hotels here, it’s better for Air BnBs and apartments. You can explore these on the map above.

For hotels, there are a few. But these are mainly located towards Angel station, which is a bit more of a walk to the stadium (about half an hour). Most of the hotels below are a 20-35 minute walk from the Emirates – or a short bus.

Prime Backpackers hostel – a good quality budget hostel in an excellent location close to Angel station,! Beds in a dorm from around £40 a night, and private rooms available. Book now.
Premier Inn Angel – a 3* hotel chain, close to Angel Station. I’m a big fan of Premier Inn for how it combines affordability with quality! Book here.
The Alma – Rooms above a lively pub in an old Victorian building, next to Chapel Market. Book here
Hilton London Angel Islington – A 4* modern hotel chain, well-located in Islington. Book here
Citadines Apart’hotel Islington – Choose here for a self-service stay – it’s an upmarket apartment hotel with stylish rooms. Book here.

Best places to stay a short bus or tube from the Emirates

If hotels near the stadium are booked or overpriced, don’t worry. There are loads of convenient options a short journey away.

Kings Cross/St Pancras

Best for: Great transport links, range of hotel options

The area around Kings Cross is definitely one of the best places to stay if you’re visiting the Emirates. It has great transport links – both to the stadium, but also to just about anywhere in London if you want to make the most of your visit. It’s just over five minutes on the Piccadilly Line to Arsenal, so it’s very convenient on matchday.

There are plenty of hotels, and some great budget options. But make sure you read the reviews carefully, as there is some very poor quality accommodation in this area.

A few options include:

The Crestfield: A basic but comfortable and clean 2 star hotel, very well located. Book here.
Kabannas: A hostel with affordable beds in a dorm (from £40) and private rooms. Book here.
Tavistock Hotel: A simple but modern and well-regarded hotel in nearby classy Bloomsbury. Book here.
Pullman: A modern 4* hotel, slightly more expensive at about £200 a night. Book here.

For those with bigger budgets, Kings Cross has some excellent luxury options. One of the best is the Standard, a 5* directly across from the station. Book here. Most iconic, though, is the St Pancras Hotel – simply one of the most beautiful buildings in London, and an iconic 5* hotel. Book here.

Manor House

Best for: Budget stays and beating the post-match crowds

Two stops further north on the Piccadilly Line from Arsenal, this is a convenient place to stay with a couple of large hotels. It can be a good budget option.

One benefit of Manor House is that when you get the tube after the match, you’ll be going the other way to most other fans (most will go south into London, rather than north to Manor House). It’ll still be busy, but you won’t be quite so crammed in.

If you don’t mind a bit of a walk, it’s about 30-40 minutes from the stadium.

The best places to stay are:

United Lodge Hotel: A great little 4* hotel (though many reviews note that it’s rooms are quite small) at a pretty affordable price, from around £100 upwards. Book here.
Travelodge: A comfortable and large budget hotel, right next to the station. Book here.

If you’re staying in the area, it’s worth visiting the beautiful Salisbury Hotel Pub.

Camden

Best for: Nightlife, markets, vibey London feel

One of London’s liveliest neighbourboods, home to the famous Camden Market, a gorgeous section of canal, and excellent nightlife. It’s in easy reach of the Arsenal Stadium – just take the overground from Camden Road, about 10 minutes to Highbury and Islington, from which you can walk to the stadium. It’s a great option because of the range of things to do in Camden. It also has a number of affordable hostels.

That said, it’s not for someone after a quiet place to stay – it’s very touristy, and can get very busy.

Places to stay include:

St Cristopher’s Inn: An affordable hostel chain, with beds in a dorm from £30. Book here.
Smart Camden Inn: Another affordable youth hostel, with beds in a dorm from £30.
The Wesley: A 4*, comfortable modern hotel right in the heart of Camden Town.
Holiday Inn: A basic but good quality hotel chain.

A couple other options would be Stoke Newington – a lovely villagey and upmarket area, a short bus ride away (explore its best hotels here) or Hackney, which is a short train away from Highbury and Islington. Explore Hackney’s best hotels here.

Where to eat and drink near the Emirates

Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on a sunny day.

Restaurants near the Emirates

If you want a classic pre-football burger while you walk, you’ll find stalls all over the area on matchdays. But if you fancy a sit down meal, the area around the Emirates has several excellent restaurants, for various cuisines and budgets. A few of my favourites are:

Little Sardegna: A wonderful, homey Sardinian restaurant.
Yard Sale – mouthwatering pizza. Honestly, one of my favourite things about North London. They’re mainly takeaway, but they have a small restaurant.
Farang – A very popular Thai restaurant, often coming up on lists of the best restaurants in all of London!
Tbilisi – for something a bit different, try this Georgian restaurant, just a short walk from the stadium
Xi’an Impression London – An affordable, casual restaurant for homemade noodles. Literally opposite the stadium

A little further away, but worth mentioning because it’s one of my favourite restaurants in all of London, is Afghan Kitchen. A small restaurant close to Angel tube station, it serves a small menu of affordable Afghan cuisine. It’s excellent.

Best pubs near the Emirates

As you’d expect, any pub within a couple of miles of the Emirates is rammed on match day. Some of the best options are:

Drayton Park Tavern is about the closest pub to the stadium.
The Gunners is an iconic Arsenal themed pub. Understandably gets very busy on matchdays. Has a lovely large beer garden.
Bank of Friendship is a personal favourite, a cosy traditional pub with good drinks selection and a large outdoor area.
Brewhouse and Kitchen – a spacious and bright brewery and bar close to Highbury and Islington station.
Someday – a large American style bar close to Finsbury Park station.
The Twelve Pins – not the nicest pub in the area, but a proper football pub, always lively on matchdays
The Faltering Fullback – A popular pub for nights out.
The Woodbine – another local favourite close to the stadium, an Irish bar which serves Thai food

Things to do near the Emirates stadium

If you’re looking for something to do and don’t want to head into central London, there are various things to do in the areas around the Emirates:

If it’s not a match day, book a tour of the Emirates Stadium. If it is a matchday, they offer special ‘matchday tours’.
Explore the nearby green spaces including Highbury Fields and Finsbury Park.
Go for a walk along the canal in nearby Islington.
Go shopping or for some lunch on Camden Passage, Angel – one of London’s prettiest streets.
Play ten-pin bowling or go to the arcade at Rowan’s, an iconic retro bowling alley close to Finsbury Park station.
Take a look at the historic Highbury Stadium, now turned into a block of flats but with the Grade II listed East Stand exterior still intact. (Note: people live inside these flats, so be considerate and don’t try to sneak into the estate).

Final tips

Book your accommodation early – hotels often raise prices, and can fill up fast
If you want to visit a particular pub or restaurant, arrive early or book in advance. It can get very crowded
Plan your journey home in advance.

Where to Stay Near Emirates Stadium (Local’s 2025 Hotel & Area Guide)

Where is Emirates Stadium?

Best Places to Stay Close to Emirates Stadium