Best hotels in West End in December?

"The most popular things to do"???? The West End covers quite a large area. However, anything that generally falls on or inside the Circle Line Underground line should be central enough for your purposes. It's most convenient if your hotel is near an underground station and bus stops. Without knowing your budget and amenity requirements I won't recommend a specific hotel, but Booking.com is a good place to look, since it allows for multiple filters to narrow your search. The exception to that is the Premier Inn chain, which is often recommended on this site but usually won't be on booking.com.

As for things to do- Ricks London guidebook is chock full of suggestions.

The 2 big things I want to see on a Winter trip to London are:

Christmas at Kew (Gardens) - https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/christmas

The tickets have been on sale for some time so check to see if there is any availability for your visit if this is of interest to you. Kew is easy to get to from Central London - just take the Underground District Line toward Richmond for a 30 minute ride.

https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/getting-here

Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park - https://hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/

Plus Christmas decorations everywhere!

Here is another link for things to do at Christmas:

https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/whats-on/christmas

There may also be some specialty walks thru London Walks as well. www.walks.com

I went to Christmas at Kew last year and can't recommend it enough! Look for tickets right away! I usually stay at Premier Inns when using hotels in London. There are a variety of locations. Any location near a tube station will work for you. I personally like Premier Inn-Waterloo or Premier Inn County Hall.

The thread references the best hotels in London. I bow to no one in my admiration for the offering Premier Inns provide but even their most ardent supporters wouldn’t claim that they were among the best in London.
OP - it’s difficult to give a definitive answer without a budget, preferably in pounds. What I can say is that there is no need to restrict yourselves to the West End. There is no one location near to most tourist sights - London is too big. But there is an excellent public transport system that can get you round quickly and cheaply.

West End would not be my choice for an neighborhood to stay in. Too noisy and touristy.

The London Underground is brilliant and easy to use. Investigate the Premier Inn in Aldgate or the Hub in Victoria. The latter is a few blocks from the Palace. Believe The King will be in Balmoral over the Holidays.

Winter Things To Do:
Christmas @ Kew Gardens ( book now )
See a Panto
Tower of London
Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park
Xmas Lights: Bond, Oxford and Regents street. Carnaby Street Lights
Leicester Square Christmas Market
Research dining in a snow globe along the Thames River path
South Bank xmas lights
Covent Garden lights and buskers
Check churches and cathedrals for choral programs
Wander about Harrods, Spitalfields and Selfridges
London Eye Xmas Lights

Lots to enjoy in London in December.

What great ideas!

I booked us in at The Conrad St. James. Anyone have experiences with it? This is our first trip to Europe so this is all new to me!

It’s a nice hotel. Very close to the St James Park tube station. Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Victoria station are all short walks away. Service was always quick and efficient. I had access to the executive lounge through my credit card. Nice place to grab a light breakfast, drinks or snacks. Late afternoon they have wine and liquor with hors d’ouevres.

Enjoy your stay and your first overseas trip! Exciting!

I love staying in the West End when I go to London. I can’t usually afford it though. You can walk to theatres, restaurants and galleries. Yes it’s busy, but that’s because there’s so much going on. I think you’ll have a great time.