kayax0

Hey everyone,
I'm planning a trip to London in the begining of August. It would be my first time to London. I'm going with my boyfriend we are both young 20 and 21. We have no idea on where to stay and there are so many choices, I don't even know where to start looking. We would like to stay in Central London and be close to the tube lines, pubs and food. Perferbly not super expensive hotels but we don't have a price range. We don't want to stay in any hostels. We're going to do quite a bit of sight seeing and I would like to get a good feel of London. Any information would be helpful. Thanks

janisj

"<i>we don't have a price range</i>"

Are you sure? You must have <i>some</i> idea how much you want to pay. There are decent basic hotels in London for under $100/£60 to posh places over $1000/£600 (and more)

Which airport - that can make a difference re convenient places to stay. No one location is close to more than a handful of the major sites -but almost EVERY hotel is near a tube station, pubs and restaurants.

So . . Your budget? Where are you arriving? And what sort of atmosphere/decor/amenities do you like?

kayax0

We are flying into London Heathrow.

What I meant by we don't have a price range is that it is pretty open, obviously the over $1000 a night would be super expensive. Were both college students and don't have that kind of money to throw down the drain. I guess between $100 and $200 dollars a night but could be more.

I would like to have a/c and breakfast, and will pay more for it if needed. We are just looking of a decent place to stay, that others have maybe been to and would recommend the hotel.

avalon

I really prefer the South Kensington area because of the good transportation options and lots of shops and service and in walking distance to good shopping and several museums. I always manage to find good rates at Londontown.com

Got the Grosvenor Kensington for 79 GBP lastmarch and have the Millenium Gloucester for 85 GBP for Oct and November..all with breakfast

KayF

I'd also recommend looking at the Londontown website. We've used them a few times in the past and they are quite good. There is also heaps of info on there about London, things to do and see, events etc. The hotels are all on a map so you can see what's available for your dates and the prices.

The Bloomsbury area (around Russell Square tube) is central and has lots of mid-range hotels, you could look on Londontown to see what's available, then check that hotel on www.tripadvisor.com to see what other travellers say.

I assume you mean $100 in US currency, not sure what that is in pounds but I think you'd need to spend minimum £100 (maybe more) to get a room with aircon and breakfast. London is a very old city and most buildings do not have aircon. Breakfast also could either be cereal and toast or could be cooked - eggs, bacon, sausage and tomato is typical. If brekky matters, you should ask before booking.

Kay

alihutch

Check out Shoreditch..much more fun and cool for your age!

almcd

There are some small and clean hotels on Belgrave Road in Pimlico. They are about a 5 minute walk from Victoria station and very handy for everything else. Google "hotels in Pimlico" and you will see the location and the choice. At your age and price limitations, I would cwertainly choose this area.

bellini

Air-con in Britain, you must be joking! It's rarely required.

janisj

$100-$200 (approx. £60-£120) hotels will seldom have a/c (a <i>few</i> will but they'd be hard to find). The South Kensington, Victoria and Bloomsbury/Russell Square all are convenient and central. All have a good selection of budget hotels.

In Victoria/Belgrave Road area -- there is the Luna & Simone - one of the best of MANY lining every nearby street. But it will be at the high end of your $100-$200. (that's why I asked-London hotels tend to be expensive)

http://www.lunasimonehotel.com/

If you can get either of the hotels avalon mentions at those rates during your dates -- jump on it. They are both very nice.

One way to have a good chance of a/c at a reasonable price is to bid Priceline. 4 star and 5 star places often have a/c. They normally run $400+ but can often be won in the $125-$200 range on PL.

ElendilPickle

If I may ask, why not hostels? Many have private rooms, and some serve breakfast as well. Check www.yha.org.uk for examples.

Lee Ann

RainyDay09

I second Lee Ann's suggestion of hostels. You sound young, so it might be acceptable. Most people who post here are older. There is a great YHA hostel near St. Paul's Cathedral. http://www.yha.org.uk/find-accommoda...uls/index.aspx.

Otherwise, Priceline might be a good option.

nytraveler

Many less expensive hotel in London will not have AC. I wouldn;t consider staying without it - since I he been there in summer at least 3 separate times when the temps were 90 and over for a couple of days. And I would have been miserable without AC.

Also - London has a lot of not very pleasant hotels and hotel prices are higher than almost any place else in europe.

So you're going to need to decide on how much to spend versus what comforts you want.'

For a couple I would reco looking at Priceline as long as you know that all of the hotels in your category (you would probably have to do 4*) in your area all have AC. I would start with Mayfair and Knightsbridge and work your way out from there. Look at betterbidding to see what prices you need to bid to win 4* hotel - and be SURE they all have AC.