We are planning to be in London for the first time for a week in mid July 2015. Wondering how fast hotels and B&B's book up for prime summer time. When should I book our hotel? I am researching it now and assume I should book as far in advance as possible. Thoughts from experienced London visitors would be appreciated.
There's no rule, but once you have your flight secured, a London hotel reservation is a next logical step. Smaller hotels can book up, but them some people cancel or change their reservations, opening up space again. When making a reservation, I would prefer not to pay any non-refundable deposit in advance. Be sure that you are comfortable with any cancellation rules or fees. If there's no fee, then you can change your mind, too, but do alert the hotel as early as possible.
You didn't ask this, but I am going to throw it out anyway. In July I would make sure I had air conditioning as it can be hot.
Some places I have looked at are already booked for dates next July. Since you want a whole weeknI would book soon to avoid having random dates in the middle unavailable. So get your plane tickets first to fix the dates, then research hotels, and when you find one you like, book it. Make sure the cancellation policy is reasonable.