If you haven’t got tickets, visit the city anyway, soak up the carnival atmosphere and explore all England’s glorious capital has to offer. And, although many hotels have been booked up for months, you can still sample the stylish restaurants, cool bars and sumptuous spas they offer. Here’s a few of OK!’s five-star favourites…

The Metropolitan

If you like your hotel minimal and sleek, with a soothing colour palette of cream, oatmeal and taupe, the super-swish Metropolitan is the hotel for you.

With wonderful views over Hyde Park and just a few minutes walk from Mayfair and Oxford Street, the 406-room hotel has long been a celeb magnet. David and Victoria Beckham, Rihanna and Cameron Diaz have all visited this prestigious Park Lane address.

What room should I book?

We couldn’t take our eyes off the model-like staff in their Armani uniforms in the all-cream marble lobby, before being whisked to our spacious Metropolitan Room, with its calming soft whites, pear-wood panelling, bathroom full of Como Shambhala potions and stunning views of Hyde Park.

For the gold card brigade there’s the 1,184sqft Como Suite, a penthouse with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Hyde Park.

Where can I eat and drink?

 The hotel is home to an outpost of Nobu, serving up Japanese-Peruvian cuisine such as its famous black cod with miso. Co-owned by Robert De Niro, it’s a hit with Gwyneth Paltrow, Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

Afterwards enjoy a cocktail at the Met Bar, a nocturnal institution. Over the summer the Met Bar is the venue for the Brit Rocks & Tea Pots afternoon tea. Sipping a glass of bubbly, OK! feasted on Coronation chicken sandwiches, a mini prawn cocktail, scones with cream and jam and a sherry trifle.

Where can I relax?

 The Como Shambhala Urban Escape spa is a peaceful sanctuary offering Asian-inspired and holistic therapies.

After our welcome ginger tea, OK! had an Indian head massage before our therapist worked her magic as we lay on a heated bed, first gently rocking our body before applying a purifying body oil containing grapefruit, fennel, cypress and lime, allowing us to completely unwind.

What else can I do?

Head to nearby Hyde Park. During the Olympics, the 10k marathon swim will take place in the Serpentine and, as part of BT London Live, visitors will have the chance to see Tom Jones, The Feeling and McFly perform for free, as well as watch all the sporting action live on big screens.

A city room at The MEtropolitan Hotel (www.metropolitan.london.como.bz/ 020 7447 1047) starts at £229 per night. The Met is offering a complimentary champagne upgrade with its Brit Rocks & Tea Pots Afternoon Tea (£29) exclusively for OK! readers until August 31.

The May Fair

If you want to hang out with the hottest stars and coolest fashionistas, check into the May Fair.

Located opposite celeb-favourite Nobu, just a stone’s throw from Mahiki (beloved by the younger royals) and a short walk from the designer boutiques of Bond Street, the 290-room hotel is right in the heart of the action. No wonder Peaches Geldof, Kylie Minogue, Matt Damon, Cheryl Cole and JLS are fans.

The room?

Most of the celebrity action takes place in one of the 12 achingly hip, individually decorated suites.

While Paris Hilton likes to stay in the all-pink Schiaparelli Suite, OK! stayed in the Ermine Suite and was impressed by its hi-tech gadgetry as well as the striking Tibetan artwork.

It’s one of the hotel’s three two-storey suites, with a double-height living area and bathroom with inset television, while the chic bedroom is on the upper floor. We also had a sneaky peek around the two-bedroom penthouse suite that boasts a gold Buddha statue, cowhide seating and a 100ft balcony overlooking London.

Where can I eat and drink?

Make a beeline for Quince, where Saturday Kitchen regular Silvena Rowe is responsible for the mouth-watering Mediterranean menu.

If you need a pick-me-up after shopping, enjoy the Cocktails & Cupcakes afternoon tea.

The best place for star spotting is the ground floor bar, with its subdued lighting and purple velvet sofas. Get the mixologist to knock you up a Raspberry Ripple Flute or splash out on a Swarovski crystal-encrusted magnum of champagne. 

Where can I relax?

OK! opted for the Milk & Honey Wrap at the hotel’s spa. First our therapist applied a sea salt scrub, infused with peppermint and lavender, before we returned to the heated treatment bed to be slathered in the milk and honey lotion and wrapped in a giant heated duvet to allow the goodness to penetrate our skin.

We eventually prised ourselves off the bed and made it to the relaxation room – and, judging by the occasional snores we heard, we weren’t the only ones feeling chilled out!

A superior bedroom at the five-star May Fair Hotel (www.themayfairhotel.co.uk/ 020 7629 7777) starts at £225 per night, excluding tax.

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

Acres of marble, heavy draped curtains and twinkling chandeliers await at the Mandarin Oriental, which showcases traditional Englishdecor at its finest.

From the moment you arrive at the steps of this former gentleman’s club and are greeted by doormen clad in top hats and red uniforms, you can expect attentive service at every turn.

The Royal Family have long been fans of this landmark hotel in the heart of Knightsbridge, with HM the Queen hosting dinner here on the eve of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding last year.

The room?

If you have cash to splash, book into the hotel’s palatial Royal Suite, complete with three bedrooms as well as a sweeping 70m balcony with stunning views of Hyde Park.

It’s like staying in your own deluxe apartment, albeit with a bespoke double-tier chandelier, original fireplace and a vanity area framed by Lalique crystal lights! It comes with a hefty £9,500-a-night price tag but, luckily, the hotel’s other 198 rooms are more affordable!

Where can I eat and drink?

Those with adventurous tastebuds should dine at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, where the chef gives his own innovative interpretation to centuries-old English recipes.

Or try the traditional French bistro fare at Bar Boulud, with its sleek open kitchen, vaulted ceilings and red leather banquettes.

Here OK! tucked into Mediterranean fish soup and coq au vin from the menu created by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud. Check out the cocktail list too – OK! loved the white cosmopolitan, with fresh flowers frozen into a golf ball-shaped ice cube.

Where can I relax?

Indulge in some me time at the hotel’s cool grey-slate spa, dotted with Buddha statues and candles.

Guests are encouraged to book time rather than a treatment and, after discussing our niggles with the therapist, she prescribed the relaxing Oriental Essence Massage, an Instant Eye Repair treatment and the dreamy Intensely Nourishing Hair Treatment, all designed to reduce tension.

Remember to pack your bikini for a dip in the vitality pool, with its hydrotherapy jets.

What else can I do?

Shopaholics will be in heaven as the Mandarin Oriental faces Harvey Nichols and is a short walk from Harrods and the designer boutiques (Jimmy Choo, Prada, Gucci) of Sloane Street. Unsure where to go? Ask the concierge to book you a personal shopper or even a luxury rickshaw that’s in operation during the Olympic Games. 

A Courtyard King Room at the five-star Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park (www.mandarinoriental.com/london; 00800 28 28 38 38) starts at £325 per night.

The ‘Luxe Guide to London’ (www.luxecityguides.com) has great sections on shopping and nightlife.