Upvote:7
I plan on staying in hotels or hostels and have no family members there) to just book a refundable hotel reservation?
UK != Schengen. The UK does not want to see bookings and if you include them, it amounts to an admission that you have not read the guidance. Examine this screen cap...
Source: Visitor Guidance
If you feel uncomfortable about omitting reservations and bookings, you can always include a statement in the 'remarks' section of the application along the lines of...
Following your guidance, I am not including flight and hotel reservations until specifically requested. I am happy to make a personal appearance at the British Consulate to show these once the visa has been issued.
Also, if I plan on visiting several different cities in UK (ie. London, Manchester, Edinburgh), should I just put the first place I am staying at on the application?
If you are visiting multiple locales, include a proposed itinerary. If you are staying with private hosts as in a family visitor, include their address. Otherwise include an indicative entry for each location.
Note: "hotel bookings" include hostel, AirBnB, or any similar accommodation arrangement.