Tourists on holiday flock to London for the famous sights and sounds. There are the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Covent Garden and of course the East End that was made famous by Oscar Wilde, George Orwell and Jack London. Yet no matter whether a short weekend break has visitors staying for one or two nights — or an extended holiday that may have them enjoying the area for four to five nights — of special interest are the hotels.

There are 10 secrets of London’s best hotels that not even the locals necessarily know about; savvy tourists, however, may enjoy this leg up on the average Londoner.

1. Four and five star hotels anonymously post cut rate deals. Selected websites hold the key to decoding these hotels’ identities, but tourists ideally bid on the cut rate rooms sight unseen, with only the approximate location and number of stars being listed.

2. At least one of the five star hotels in London has an anonymous Intranet posting function for staff members. It is designed to cut down on errors by correcting one another without the need for rank and file identification. This is said to increase customer satisfaction.

3. Hotel chains are discovering that a stable workforce makes for a better customer experience. Some chains are getting quite innovative about retaining staff through incentive schemes, while others highlight the family feel of the operation.

4. London’s greenest hotel — The Cavendish — may not hold the title for much longer. The Savoy aims to usurp it upon reopening in spring of 2010.

5. The London hotel that is considered the stuffiest has a strict dress code. On the upside, it has a wine cellar to die (or kill) for. Check out the Stafford and see for yourself.

6. Hotels in London rely heavily on the luxury stay tourist. This is the weekend break traveler, who for just one or two nights wants to stay in the lap of sumptuousness. The Dorchester leads the pack when it comes to making this happen, but another London hotel, the Lanesborough, is nipping at its heels! There the guest receives a personal butler.

7. Weekend holiday travelers with a penchant for shopping at Harrods might stay at the Knightsbridge. This luxury London hotel is an insider favorite of shoppers in the know.

8. Visit online holiday sites often, as hotels are always trying to beat their competition; sometimes this happens with the most ridiculous offers that nonetheless translate into huge savings. There are £1 room promotions and more. Expect this to increase in fervor, as the Savoy reopens.

9. There is a movement afoot among the four and five star venues to quit nickel and diming the guests. While this might not be readily apparent during a weekend break at an upscale London hotel, it is glaringly obvious during a weeklong holiday stay. Take advantage of this move and don’t be shy when requesting little extras that make the stay more comfortable.

10. At the Hempel, the tourist is treated to in-room oxygen treatments.

Hotels in London are fighting hard to outdo the competition and the lengths to which any one London hotel will go are surefire money savers for the holiday traveler and — in many cases — also the weekend break tourist.