Bett UK: Hotels & Where to Stay
20 Jan – 22 Jan 2027 ExCeL London 37,000+ attendees
- Lock today's hotel rate
- Pay over up to 16 weeks
- Business invoices
- Free cancellation rooms
Bett UK 2027 takes over ExCeL London from 20–22 January as the world's largest education-technology event, drawing 37,000-plus teachers, school and MAT leaders, university staff, ministry delegations and edtech vendors from over 100 countries. It is a working show — packed CPD sessions, arena keynotes and procurement conversations — and it lands in deep winter at a venue on the Royal Docks, a stretch of east London where hotel supply looks generous until an ExCeL mega-event fills it. Rooms attached to or beside the centre go first, then the Canary Wharf and Stratford clusters that sit minutes away on the Elizabeth line and DLR. School budgets make value hunting a defining feature of Bett accommodation planning, which is exactly why this page carries live bookable rates for hotels around ExCeL and along its transit spine — compare real January 2027 pricing before the docks-side stock disappears.
Popular areas for attendees: Royal Docks / ExCeL · Canary Wharf · Stratford.
- Hotels ranked by true door-to-hall time — docks-side properties first, then Elizabeth line and DLR connections
- Live 4–5 star and value rates across the 20–22 January 2027 show dates
- Free-cancellation options prioritised, essential when school-budget sign-off arrives late
- Instant tax invoice for schools, trusts and exhibitors alike
Event at a glance
- Dates
- 20 Jan – 22 Jan 2027
- Venue
- ExCeL London
- City
- London, United Kingdom
- Airport
- LCY
- Attendance
- 37,000+
Recommended Hotels for Business Travellers
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Reserve early and spread payments over up to 16 weeks.
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Stay close to the venue
Hotels ranked by walking distance.
Flexible bookings
Pay Weekly available on free cancellation rooms.
Rates shown for the event window, Tue, Jan 19 → Sat, Jan 23 (arrive the day before, leave the day after) — or choose your own dates above.
Hotel rates near major event venues rise as the dates approach and the closest hotels sell out first. Booking a free-cancellation rate early locks the price with no downside.
On the map
The venue, your hotel options and where to eat — all in one view. Tap the map to explore it full screen.
Free Bett UK Insider Guide
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- The best hotels within walking distance of the venue
- Where to host clients for dinner near the halls
- How to beat the sold-out fair-week rooms
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Need to expense this trip? Business invoices available at checkout.
Where to eat during Bett UK
ExCeL sits in the docks, but the Elizabeth line puts serious dining 15 minutes away — book the client dinner in town and keep the dockside gastropub for post-show pints.
Da Terra
Latin American-Italian tasting menus
Bethnal Green — ~25 min from ExCeL via Elizabeth line
Rafael Cagali's two-star room in the old Bethnal Green Town Hall — East London's most impressive client-dinner ticket and the closest two-star to the Royal Docks.
Tip: Last seatings ~8pm — leave the show floor by 7. Book before DSEI/WTM week.
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Galvin La Chapelle
French-Mediterranean
Spitalfields — Elizabeth line from Custom House (~15 min)
A soaring converted Victorian chapel holding its Michelin star since 2011 — one of the easiest genuinely impressive rooms to reach from ExCeL.
Tip: The set lunch is strong value for a starred room between sessions.
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Rules
Traditional British · since 1798
Covent Garden — ~30 min from ExCeL
London's oldest restaurant — game in season, steak and kidney pie year-round, beneath gilded art-crammed walls. The definitive old-London experience for international colleagues.
Tip: Upstairs cocktail bar for a pre-dinner martini; book evenings.
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St. JOHN
British nose-to-tail
Smithfield — Elizabeth line to Farringdon (~15 min)
Fergus Henderson's whitewashed smokehouse has defined modern British cooking since 1994 — Michelin-starred, unfussy, and beloved by every chef you'll meet.
Tip: Roast bone marrow and parsley salad; zero dress-code anxiety.
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The Fox Excel
Gastropub
Royal Victoria Dock — 2 min walk from ExCeL's west entrance
A converted tobacco warehouse beside the ExCeL entrance — the default for post-show pints, casual client catch-ups and decent pub food without leaving the docks.
Tip: Slammed within an hour of halls closing — grab a table before 5:30pm.
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WatchHouse Cabot Place
Specialty coffee
Canary Wharf — one Elizabeth-line stop from Custom House
The polished specialty roaster's Canary Wharf outpost — excellent espresso and laptop-friendly seating, the best serious coffee minutes from ExCeL.
Tip: Before 8:30am on show days to beat the Wharf commuter rush.
Open in Google MapsAfter the halls close: London
Client dinner, team night out or a free day after Bett UK — bookable experiences in London, same account, same checkout.
While you're in London
Few cities pack more world-class sport and entertainment into a business week than London, from Premier League nights to West End-scale arena shows.
Premier League football (Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, West Ham)
With several top-flight clubs inside the city, there is usually a Premier League fixture within reach on any given trip during the season.
Find ticketsWimbledon Championships
The world's most famous tennis tournament is a bucket-list experience, and the daily ticket queue makes it possible even on short notice.
Find ticketsNFL London Games
Regular-season NFL games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley give US-facing travellers a familiar spectacle with a London twist.
Find ticketsThe O2 Arena concerts
One of the world's busiest arenas, The O2 almost always has a major artist, comedian or show on during your stay.
Find ticketsSix Nations rugby at Twickenham (Allianz Stadium)
England's home Six Nations matches are huge occasions, and hospitality packages suit client entertaining perfectly.
Find ticketsFixtures recur each season; exact dates for your fair week are confirmed at ticket search.
Getting there
From LCY (London City Airport)
- City Airport is astonishingly close: a DLR ride with one change at Canning Town reaches Custom House or Prince Regent, the two stations serving ExCeL, in about 15 minutes
- A taxi covers the same few kilometres in 5–10 minutes outside peak traffic
- LCY's network is short-haul European and UK domestic — ideal for delegates from Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and Scotland
- Use contactless or Oyster on the DLR; no separate ticket purchase is needed
From LHR (Heathrow) and other airports
- The Elizabeth line runs from Heathrow across central London to Custom House, directly outside ExCeL, in roughly 50–60 minutes with at most a simple cross-platform change
- From Gatwick, take a train to London Bridge or Farringdon and join the Elizabeth line or Jubilee/DLR eastwards — allow 75–90 minutes
- Stansted and Luton work via Liverpool Street or St Pancras with an Elizabeth line onward leg
- Taxis from Heathrow to the Royal Docks take an hour or more and cost far above the rail fare — rail wins on this route
Getting around during Bett UK
Getting to ExCeL London daily
- Custom House (west halls) and Prince Regent (east halls) stations bracket the venue — check which end your priority halls are in and alight accordingly
- The Elizabeth line at Custom House is the fastest link from central London, Paddington and Canary Wharf
- DLR trains from Bank and Canning Town supplement it and run frequently, though they are busy before the 10:00 opening
- There is no meaningful parking play — ExCeL event days are a public-transport occasion
Around London
- Pay as you go with contactless or Oyster caps your daily spend across Tube, DLR, Elizabeth line and buses
- January brings short daylight and frequent rain — the covered walk from Custom House into ExCeL is mercifully brief
- Black cabs and ride-hail serve the docks but evening surge pricing after show close is common; the DLR is steadier
- Canary Wharf is a few minutes away by Elizabeth line and makes a convenient dinner-and-hotel base
Visa & entry
Visa-free / visa on arrival
- Visitors from the EU, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan and most other visa-exempt countries can attend Bett without a visa but now need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
- The ETA costs £20 (raised in April 2026), is applied for via the official app, and is valid for multiple visits over two years
- Irish citizens are exempt from the ETA entirely under the Common Travel Area
eVisa / visa required
- Nationals of India, China, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Turkey and other visa-national countries need a Standard Visitor visa before travelling
- Apply up to three months ahead; ministry and school delegations should allow extra time for group applications and biometrics appointments
- The Standard Visitor visa covers conference attendance and business meetings for up to six months
Documents to carry
- Bett registration confirmation and, for delegations, an invitation or supporting letter from the organiser or a UK partner
- Evidence of accommodation and return travel
- A passport valid for your whole stay, plus printed copies of your ETA or visa decision
UK entry schemes and fees are updated regularly — confirm current requirements on GOV.UK or with the British embassy before booking.
First time at Bett UK?
- Register early and have your badge QR ready on arrival — the Wednesday-morning surge at Custom House and the west entrance is the busiest moment of the show
- ExCeL is nearly a kilometre end to end; note the hall numbers for your must-see stands and use the central boulevard to navigate
- Popular arena sessions and CPD workshops fill to capacity — turn up early for anything with a big-name speaker
- January in London is cold and wet; use the cloakrooms rather than hauling coats around the halls all day
- Docks-side hotels within walking distance of ExCeL sell out earliest — if they are gone, Canary Wharf on the Elizabeth line is the next-fastest commute
Insider tips from repeat attendees
- Friday is the gentlest day on the floor, with shorter queues at the big edtech stands — good for demos you actually want to sit through
- Vendors book their serious meetings off the floor; if you are procuring for a school or trust, request meeting-room slots before the show
- Food inside ExCeL is functional but queues peak sharply at 12:30 — eat early or walk out to the dockside restaurants along Royal Victoria
- From central London, the Elizabeth line to Custom House beats the DLR from Bank by a wide margin at rush hour
Bett UK travel FAQs
Where should I stay for Bett UK?
The Royal Docks cluster around ExCeL means a walk to the halls and is the most convenient choice. Canary Wharf is minutes away on the Elizabeth line with stronger dining options, and Stratford offers good-value rooms with a straightforward DLR or Elizabeth line commute.
How much do hotels cost during Bett?
January is otherwise low season in London, but Bett fills the docks-side hotels and pushes their rates well above the winter norm. Prices drop noticeably one or two Elizabeth line stops away, which is why many school groups base themselves in Stratford or further west.
How early should I book hotels for Bett?
Two to four months ahead is usually enough for London given its vast hotel stock, but the walkable ExCeL properties are an exception and go much earlier. Book refundable docks-side rooms as soon as your attendance is likely.
Which airport do I fly into for Bett?
London City (LCY) is closest — about 15 minutes from ExCeL by DLR. Heathrow (LHR) works well too, with the Elizabeth line running to Custom House at the venue's door; Gatwick, Stansted and Luton all connect with one or two changes.
Is Bett UK free to attend?
Bett has historically offered free visitor registration for educators and school staff, while some categories and conference elements are paid — check the current ticket structure on the official Bett site when registration for 2027 opens.
EventEscapes is an independent travel platform and is not affiliated with Bett UK or its organizers. Dates and venues can change — verify with the official event site before booking travel.