Another budget London thread, with an emphasis on lodging.

I recommend looking here:
http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/

Note that with many of these accommodations you get the use of a kitchen, which will help cut your costs significantly.

I stayed at High Holburn House, and other posters here have stayed at Northumberland House.

I would go to the library and check out a copy of Let's Go Britain which is by far the best guide for low-cost accommodations.

I stay in a B&B in Eltham for 22 pounds with breakfast but with two people you may find some TravelLodge type hotels a bit out of the centre nearly as cheap.

Or consider University housing - again Let's Go a great source

I stayed in a B&B in Tufnell Park area that i booked thru B&B UK and it turned out to be a Bed Sit more than a B&B

Bedsit is where they lodge indigents and can be a half-way house

one night right outside my open window on the lower floor some nut case lost it and was banging on the door, yelling and going beserk - the padded wagon finally came and took him away.

Make sure it's a legit B&B IMO

I won't be the first one to suggest this, but I'd really encourage you to look into both Priceline (for bidding) and Hotwire (you book a room "blind", but it's fairly easy to figure out what you are booking)

"better bidding" and "bidding for travel" are two websites that will help you figure it all out.

I've had great success with booking hotels with Hotwire. I've used it threee times now and every time I was able to correctly guess what I was reserving.

Most recently, I stayed 3 nights at the Holiday Inn Camden Lock for the equivalent of 33 GBP per night for double room, breakfast not included.

I also just received an email notice from the Hoxton Hotel, over on Great Eastern Street in Hoxditch- you might want to check out their website. They're having another 1GBP sale on Janaury 29th (pretty much impossible to get though). They also have some room deals this spring, and pretty good prices over all. Breakfast included with all rooms, no matter what rate you book at:

http://www.hoxtonhotels.com/

Your 19 yr old might like staying in a neighbourhood like Camden or Hoxditch.

Thanks so much for the very prompt responses! I'll check out all of your suggestions.

One quick question about the bidding sites. I've read in the past that they're not as useful when you need more than one bed in the room. Is that still the case?

It depends how much risk you are willing to take, in respect to bidding on Priceline. I have always been able to get twin beds (on at least 7 bids, I think), and I think that's the most common bed configuration in London. But in theory, you could be denied that request.

Similarly, with Hotwire, if you enter a request for two people only, it's also possible you could be denied twin beds.

Thanks, WillTravel!

I was just looking at the YHA hostel site (after reading good things about them on the beating the Pound thread). I noticed that they require that children under 16 staying in a room with a parent be of the same sex as the parent. So I'm wondering whether my son and I would be allowed to share a room with twin beds? Obviously, it would be a lot more expensive if we had to book two rooms.

I tried to e-mail them with my question. But their e-mail form requires a post code and phone number and won't take my American ones.

I stayed at a couple of YHA's on my first trip to London in the early 90's...as I recall the rooms (dorm style) were segregated by sex. Do they have two person rooms now?

every single time I've used PriceLine in London, I've been asked at check-in if I wanted a double bed or twins.

If you were at all nervous about waiting til arrival - then as soon as you win a bid on PL, contact the hotel directly and request twin beds.

In my experience, many more travelers want a double/queen than twins so it is seldom a problem to get two beds.

Lenny, many of them have private rooms. The one I was looking at in York has rooms with two single beds.

Thanks again, Janis. I'd still prefer to go with a B&B than a hotel. But I'm open to exploring all my options.

I understand - lots of pluses to a B&B -- but just make sure you aren't very far out of the center. The added expense of travel in from outer tfl zones and the extra time for commuting can often eat up any savings.

Outside of London I almost always stay in B&Bs (unless renting a cottage for a week). But in London I rent flats except when I'm only there 2 or 3 days. Then I always use Priceline for a central hotel.

I stayed at Carr-Saunders Hall (LSE) in winter 2006 with my family. We paid about $60 USD for a large room that had two full-size beds (there were three of us). Booked online with a credit card. Prices may have changed since then. Check http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/residences/carrsaunders.htm
for details.

Check-in was smooth with no problems. Bathroom is down the hall, and breakfast included. It's a dormitory environment (clean but no frills, not a hotel). It was quiet when we stayed there, since it was the Christmas holidays.

http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/

I plan to book my reservation here again when I visit London in June.

Thank you, Nancicita. I see they have twin rooms. And very good rates! Was it a full breakfast?

Hi CAPH52

I visited London 7 times in the last 4 years. Of the 7 times, I did:
Priceline 5 times
Hotwire once
LSE dorm once

The most I have paid was about $120/n including tax & fees.

Overall, I find I can get a slightly better deal on PL over HW, but HW is slightly "easier" to deal with than bidding on PL.

The LSE dorm I stayed at was Northumberland House. It was fantastic because of its location. There's no way I can find a hotel in such good location via PL/HW for the same price. Of course, the downside is that it's very, very basic. The bathroom is super tiny, and I've stayed at many hotels with small bathrooms before. It has no amenities like phone, or electric kettle, or hairdryer which you would get at a 4* hotel via PL/HW. The dorm doesn't even provide soap, let alone shampoo.

But, as I've said, the location is unbeatable. It's great for me because I can easily go back to the room for a nap in late afternoon, before I head out for an opera. Other hotels I've stayed at via PL/HW always involve a ride on the bus or tube to return there for a rest.

Like Janis said, I'd avoid B&B in London. The cheap ones are really cheap, whereas the nicer ones are much more expensive.

Caph52, you can check out a copy of "Great Sleeps in London" by Sandra Gustafson from your library. She focuses on small hotels/B&B's/dorm rooms, with a preference to lodging that is O&O by locals. Then, look up reviews of these places on Trip Advisor. Many of these places have e-mail addresses, and you can find out more about their specific policies.

The dollar has slid considerably since my last visit to England last summer, and that exchange rate should help you have a low-budget trip. I'm so glad you are going.

Northumberland House (LSE) also seems like a good place for economic lodging. It looks newer than Carr-Saunders.

Source: http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/residences/northumberland.htm

The accommodation is perfectly placed for all of the tourist attractions in central London- theatres, museums, galleries, Covent Garden and Regent Street are all within easy walking distance.

2009
Single Room £59
Twin or Double Room £79
Late Summer Deals - up to 30% off these rates

> Thank you, Nancicita. I see they have twin rooms. And very good rates! Was it a full breakfast?


It was a full breakfast buffet -- basic dorm cafeteria food. It's not fancy, but I'm grateful for any breakfast that's free. We had scrambled eggs, ham/sausages, toast, tea, coffee, milk, cereal, croquettes (I think that's what it's called), fried potatoes, yogurt, fruit.

I stayed there for two nighs between Christmas and New Years 2006 so it was very quiet at that time. There was nobody else on the same floor. There were only a few other people in the cafeteria during breakfast time.

Bathroom was clean. Yes, it is true that they do not provide soap. It's not a hotel, so it may not suit everyone. For the budget traveler, it's a great option!

nighs = nights

I have also stayed at Sundial Court (Guildhall School of Music & Drama) which is near the Barbican Arts Centre (Underground: Barbican stop) in August 2006. It's also a good economical option, and very similar to LSE dorms. I didn't have breakfast there, though. Rooms are clean and quiet. Bathrooms & showers down the hall. There's a sink in every room.

I like the fact that there's 24 hours security at the building.

http://www.gsmd.ac.uk/school/student_facilities/accommodation.html

Pictures and Rates:
http://www.gsmd.ac.uk/school/student_facilities/accommodation/sundial_court.html

Thank you so much, yk, merseyheart and nancicita! So much great info! I'm feeling more and more confident that we can do this without breaking the bank.

I've booked a few rooms with late rooms

http://www.laterooms.com/en/p1023/pvC68MGV/Landing.aspx

I also book them via a cash back site so I get 7% returned 2 months later.

Try chains such as www.travelodge.co.uk & www.premierinn.com

yk - How long ago did you stay at Northumberland? The LSE website says all rooms have phones (you must buy a phone card), towels, soap, etc. It also says there are kitchens for use on each floor of Northumberland with kettles and other amenities. All, but one of the LSE dorms also have TV rooms. I do know some of the dorms have been remodeled recently so perhaps Northumberland has been.

kybourbon- I stayed at the Northumberland House in Sept 2007. I had a single room. Here's a link to my review on Tripadvisor (with pics):
http://tinyurl.com/6py2te

CAPH, here's the email for YHA's London Central hostel:
londoncentral@yha.org.uk Oxford Street is oxfordst@yha.org.uk
It looks like their email addresses are on the "general information" page for each hostel.

Lennyba, every hostel we stayed in in 2007 had private rooms - it was our 25th anniversary, and we didn't want to spend any nights in a dorm!

Lee Ann

BTW, LSE used to only offer dorm rooms during school breaks, ie, summer and Christmas vacations. But late 2008 they started offering year-round rooms at a few selected dorms, including the Northumberland House, called Top Floor. Based on the description, it seems like the Top Floor rooms are a bit nicer than the regular dorm rooms. (But the room rates seem to be the same.)

http://www.lsetopfloor.co.uk/northumberland.htm
http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/residences/northumberland.htm

Thanks again, everyone! I've got a lot of work to do checking out all of this. And that's not a complaint. I'm so grateful to have a trip to plan in the dead of winter!

I'll try e-mailing them directly, Lee Ann, rather than using their form.

I'm sure I'll be back with more questions!

We've stayed at the Baden Powell House next to the Victoria and Albert Museum in Kensington. Originally focused only on scouting personnel, it now allows all travellers to stay.

CAP - you certainly have lots to choose from. Good luck.

tC

Thanks, yk, for the information on the LSE rooms. Oooh, those look nice.

Thanks, tC!

yk - Did you book Northumberland very far in advance? Could you tell if it was crowded/full? I'm wondering how far in advance would be necessary.

kybourbon - okay, I found my booking email... I booked the Northumberland House about 3 weeks in advance. I believe it was full when I showed up in early Sept, as I recalled some guest asking the front desk if he could extend his stay and the answer was no.

I have a feeling that the word is out on the LSE dorms, so it may be more popular now than 2007.

OTOH, with the weak £, perhaps more people can afford to stay at a real hotel now isntead of a dorm room.

For 2 people, I think the rates for a dorm room vs a hotel room are pretty much a wash. I chose to stay at LSE that time because I was traveling solo, and they offer single rooms at a cheaper rate.

We're now looking at the possibility that we may be in London for four nights. If so, would we be able to get a flat for that length of time? Or do most require a week's stay?

It does take a bit more searching, but there are flats rented by the night (like citidines) or w/ a 3 or 4 night minimum. Even places that only rent by the week will sometimes have short breaks available between other, longer rental periods.

Thanks, Janis! What are the best companies to use? We just went through the process of renting one for three nights in Barcelona. And one thing I learned is that I'd much rather use a company that people here on Fodor's have actually used and liked.

Okay, I'm back to looking at Northumberland House. And it really does look good. I know I asked about breakfast upthread and was told they serve a breakfast buffet. But I don't see any mention of it on the web site. They call it self-catering accommodation. So I e-mailed them to ask about that.

My question is this, if I were to use Priceline or Hotwire, is it likely that I could get a room in that convenient a location for that price?

CAPH52 - I don't think anyone said there's breakfast included at the Northumberland House. If you were referring to nancicita's post, (s)he was talking about Carl-Saunders Hall but not Northumberland House.

What is the rate you are getting from the Northumberland House? Putting Priceline aside, you can easily see what prices you're getting from Hotwire for the dates in June you're planning to be in London.

Hi, yk. Other than to ask about breakfast, I haven't contacted Northumberland House. But the price on the web site is 79 pounds for a twin room.

What time is breakfast served and what does it include?

Breakfast is generally served from 7.30 am - 10.00 am during the vacation periods, though timings do differ slightly from residence to residence, particularly at weekends where times may be later.

Guests at Bankside, Rosebery, Passfield and Carr-Saunders have a choice of English (Bacon, sausages, beans, tomatoes, eggs, hash browns, mushrooms etc) or continental (Juice, cereal, yoghurt, fruit, toast) breakfasts*

High Holborn offer continental breakfasts only.


Breakfast is not served at Butler's Wharf, Northumberland House or Grosvenor House which offer self-catering accommodation.

*Please note these lists are intended as a guide to what is likely to be offered by the residences for breakfast. They do not guarantee that any such item will be offered on a given day.

Here's my 2 cents:

79 pounds = about $113 right now.

Looking at biddingfortravel, folks have been winning 4*s in Kensington for $60-70. Even after you add on the extra fees/taxes, the total via Priceline will still be around $80-90, which is less than Northumberland House. Those bids are mainly for April, but let's just assume it'll be similar for June.

True, the location is excellent for Northumberland House, but for LESS money you can get a much nicer hotel with real amenities. You can add about 15 mins extra travel time from Kensington to Trafalgar Sq.

I have stayed in Kensington (Gloucester Rd tube station) several times lately, and it's not too bad really, esp it's directly on the Piccadilly line from Heathrow; plus walking distance to V&A.

What you can consider doing is:
1) Go ahead and book Northumberland House AS LONG AS you can cancel it without penalty (say, 72hrs prior to arrival)

2) Go on Priceline and bid for a hotel up to a max of $90. At a $90 bid, your total will come out to about $110. If you don't get anything with bidding, stick with Northumberland House. If you do, cancel your Northumberland House reservation.

Alternatively, if you don't feel comfortable with bidding on Priceline, use Hotwire instead with the help of betterbidding.com. If you see any 4* hotels under $90 in a desirable neighborhood, you can grab it.

You might have a look too at the Ace Hotel in West Kensington: http://www.ace-hotel.co.uk/.

I've stayed there twice now; once with friends in a dorm-style room (bathroom on the hall), and once with my mom in a double room ensuite. Both were great, IMO, and it was very easy to reach everything being that the West Kensington and Baron's Court tube stations are nearby.

Twin private ensuites are just about $90 for both of you in June. I'm not sure if that includes tax, but you might do a faux reservation on their site just to see how it prices out compared to others you're looking at. I think this is a place your 19-y-o son would especially enjoy since it's predominantly a younger crowd.

Happy travels!

Thank you, kybourbon. That certainly answered my question. Sorry I missed it but glad you saw it!

yk, thank you very much for taking so much time to so thoroughly answer my question. I really do appreciate it and it sounds like very good advice.

I can't do anything until we've settled our dates. There's a possibility that we may be able to get there a day earlier. But I'm not going to know that until some time this weekend. Meanwhile, I wanted to figure out what course of action I'm going to take as soon as I have the dates.

Thank you, Kyliebaby! I'll definitely take a look at that!

I forgot to mention that it has a hot tub out in the garden too, which I think is a really nice touch for a budget hotel. Of course, you have to pay for it, but if the weather's right, it would be one of those nice-to-have things

CAPH52-

You may also want to take a look at this thread started by Apres_Londee, regarding the Holiday Inn Camden Lock. While the HI in Camden is not as handy as Trafalgar Sq or Kensington, I thought your 19 year old son may actually LIKE the Camden neighborhood.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=35181857

You bet me to it, yk!

The HI Camden Lock is coming up for as low as US$65 in June although that rate isn't available on all dates in June. It can up to as high as US$100/night. I also checked the actual hotel website and they have twin rooms with 2 double beds available.

It's about a 10 minute tube ride from Camden Town to Leicester Square (only 5 stops away).

I think a 19 year old might like Camden Town more than South Kensington too.

CAPH52, on my other thread I list the amenities of this hotel so you can identify it on hotwire. It's pretty easy because there aren't any other 4 star hotels with 5 amenties including non-smoking for that zone.

Whether you go priceline or hotwire you're sure to find something good for $100 or less. Good luck!

Thank you for adding that, Kylie.

And thank you very much, yk and Apres! That does indeed sound very interesting! I know absolutely nothing about Hotwire and have to confess to being very nervous about trying it. But that deal just might be what it takes!

I'm going to take your earlier advice, Apres, to go to better bidding and bidding for travel to try to figure it all out.

I'm also going to google the hotel and take a look at it.

Thank you!

Wow! If we could get that for $65 a night I'd be very, very happy!

There are a lot of reviews and photos of the HI Camden Lock on tripadvisor. I've also got a couple of pictures up in my London xams 2008 album.

http://apres.shutterfly.com/

Actually I don't think I put up any pictures of the hotel itself but there are a few of Camden High Street taken in the morning before the shops open so the streets are emptier than normal.

Here's another trick that can help you figure out the hotels on Hotwire (this is what I do)

First do a hotel search for your dates and make note of the hotels that look interesting to you- the zone you want, the price you want, etc. Make sure you write down the no. of stars, the zone, the price, and the exact amenities listed.

Then go back and do a search for a hotel + flight package for your dates. When you search packages, the hotels aren't "blind" so you can see exactly what they are.

Then open another window and go back into hotwire and do the hotel only search again for your dates.

With both windows open and your notes and a pencil and piece of paper, it's pretty easy to "match" the hotels from the package search to the blind hotel search so you can figure out what the blind hotels are.

Then it's a good idea to cross reference with the hotwire London hotel list on betterbidding:

--Scroll down to the "Hotels - International Winning Bids for Priceline/Hotwire" and click "other countries".

--Then click "hotwire other countries"

--Then click "hotwire hotel list- other countries" and scroll down until you see London.

Another way to "confirm" your HOtwire hotel is actually what you think it is; is to look for the tripadvisor rating listed on Hotwire for the hotel. It usually tells you what the rating is and approx how many reviews (eg, 3 out of 5 stars and 80+ reviews). You can then look up on tripadvisor for the hotel you *think* it is, and see if the ratings and # of reviews match.

If you bid Priceline or use Hotwire, are you able to get a twin room? I've never bid for any hotels in Europe and I know in the US they only guarantee one bed. Of course you don't ever see twin beds in the US.

I think the concensus on Fodors from various posters, is that for London hotels, you usually end up with a room with twin beds.

I've only booked with Hotwire 3 times all in London, but I always got a room with one king-sized bed. But at check-in they always ask/confirm if I'm alone.

I'm sure I read posts here that indicate it's rarely a problem to request 2 twin beds at check-in as long as the hotel has such rooms in the first place. Or people call the hotel directly after booking to request a twin room. This is for London, I have no idea about other cities.

Apre_Londee- did you enter 1 person or 2 persons when you book via Hotwire?

The one time I used Hotwire in London, I entered 1 person and the room I was assigned had one full-size bed. It was the Holiday Inn Regents Park.

The other times I used Priceline, it has gone various ways:
I've had twin rooms for 1 person
I've had twin rooms for 2 people
I've had queen/king rooms for 2 people (on request)
I've had queen bed room for 1 person (on request)

Good point- I always booked for 2 people so my sister would have the option of staying with me in case she could make it down (I don't think there's a price difference between 1 or 2 people on hotwire)

When I'd check in (alone) they'd ask if I was staying alone. It always turned out I was so I'd say yes.

I've always gotten a room with a king bed but I've never specifically requested it as I don't have a preference either way (and my sister and I could always share a bed so it never really crossed my mind in the first place)

I've only booked with hotwire three times total though. The hotels were:

Park Plaza-Victoria
Holiday Inn-Camden Lock
Crowne Plaza-the City

I should correct that, at the Holiday Inn I had a queen-sized bed but at the Park Plaza and Crowne Plaza the bed was super huge.

Thank you all again for the help.

Being 19, of course my son is far more computer literate than I! So he went on Hotwire last night to scope things out. He said the Holiday Inn came up $113 a night on our dates.

But he saw a 2 1/2 star in Chelsea/Knightsbridge/Kensington with breakfast for $49 a night!We'll definitely use the above suggestions to try to figure it out. But does anyone have a guess what it might be? Or any advice based on the area?

Believe me 2 1/2 stars is fine with me! My daughter and I stayed in a 2 star in Paris and were very happy with it. And $49 a night with breakfast?! Wow! Heck, for that price, we could take turns sleeping on the floor if we wind up with one bed!

CAPH52-

check this out:
http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showtopic=63541&

Sounds like that 2.5* will be Holiday Inn EXPRESS Earls Court.

All HI Express provides free breakfast. Don't think of it as a cooked British Breakfast, but more like what you'd get at Hampton Inn or La Quinta.

I think 111op stayed at a HI Express on the Southbank a few months ago, and he commented on the breakfast. I'll see if I could pull that up.

The Earls Court location is so-so. Farther out than I'd like. But at least it should be a decent hotel. You can go on tripadvisor to read the reviews.

Tell your son to check out betterbidding and biddingfortravel for London wins and which hotel you will likely get.

I had to share a twin bed one time with DD. We slept at opposite ends, but she is short.

Thanks, yk. You're amazing!

And thank you, kybourbon. I'd been planning to go to those sites myself. But it makes a lot more sense to have him do it. He might actually understand what he's reading!

Okay, we've finally locked down our dates. That 2 1/2 star is still showing for $49 a night. I've looked at the web site for the Holiday Inn Express and it looks more than fine to me for the price. And the pictures show a room with two beds.

My sports freak son loves the fact that it mentions being close to Chelsea Stadium. He'd like to take a tour and figures there's a better chance we'll fit it in if we're staying nearby!

I'm set to go for it. But I want to be sure none of the experts here can tell me a good reason why I shouldn't. Is it really far from a tube stop (it mentions being on the Kensington line) or very inconvenient in another way? I'm willing to put up with some amount of inconvenience for that price. It looks to me to be $30 cheaper than anything else in the area. (Although I think there was something in Marble Arch for $59.) Over four nights, that's $120. For which I figure we can find other uses! But, of course, I don't want to spend it all on transportation because we're farther out!

Again, thank you so much for your patience with me!

I emailed a London hotel we got through Priceline, asking for twin beds, and they replied that I had to discuss the matter with the agency I'd used to book it.

For the Express by Holiday Inn at Earls Court, I took a look at the Journey Planner at www.thetube.com .
I tried a couple of prospective sites you might visit - Piccadilly Circus and the Tower of London.

For Piccadilly Circus, it recommends walking 21 minutes to the Earls Court tube station and then taking the Piccadilly Line.

For the Tower of London, it suggests walking 13 minutes to the West Kensington tube station and taking the District Line.

So I think you are not close to a tube station, and in neither case did the transit planner suggest taking a bus instead, although there are alternate, longer routes to these places that involve the tube and the bus. You are 3 minutes from the #430 bus stop, but it looks like you'll still do better walking a relatively long distance to the tube stops.

There's a review which says there are two tube stations next to the hotel, and that really puzzles me. Can anyone confirm exactly where the Holiday Inn Express Earls Court is in proximity to tube stations?

It looks like the West Brompton station, on the District line, is about a 9-minute walk from HIE Earls Court. I personally would find this location too far out for my interests. For example, it takes 50 minutes to get to the British Museum. The Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington is about 26 minutes away, by bus and walking, which is not too bad, but there's not too much that is closer. So you're definitely not in the center of things at HIE Earls Court.

Thank you for going to all that trouble, WillTravel!

As long as it really is 13 minutes and 21 minutes, that wouldn't really bother us. DS is used to walking on a large campus and I walk to work and back every day (twice a day). But, of course, a tube station next to the hotel would be better!

Oh, and thanks for that heads up, Stokebailey!

Hi CAPH52 & WillTravel-

The HI Express Earls Court is at 295 North End Road. The closest tube station is WEST BROMPTON (0.2 miles), which is on one branch of the District Line. My guess is that trains DO NOT run as frequently via that branch, compared to the main branch.

The second closest tube station is WEST KENSINGTON (0.4 miles), and it is along the main branch of the District Line.

Earls Court tube station is farther away, about 0.8 miles.

That is why I don't think the HI Express is as convenient, between the walk to the tube station(s) and the sole reliance of one tube line. However, a $120 savings is substantial, IMO, plus the free breakfast.

CAPH52- if you decide to book the HI Express, I'd go ahead and sign up for the Priority Club membership (if you don't have one already). It is free and once you get the membership #, go ahead and email your priority club # to the hotel PLUS a nice request for twin beds for your stay. They may or may not honor your request, but I often find that if you belong to their hotel loyalty club, they try a little harder to accommodate their guests.

Looks like we were posting at the same time, WillTravel. Thank you again! It doesn't seem to be a very convenient location, does it?

I'm going to have to give this some thought. On the one hand, when my husband and I were there all those years ago, we were out a ways and I don't remember minding that at all. Besides the good price, I really like having the continental breakfast. I figure it saves us both time and money in the morning.

OTOH, we're really only going to be there for three full days and part of another. So being in a more convenient location would make a lot of sense.

yk, yet again, thank you so much! Both for your thoughts on the inconvenience versus the cost and for that tip on the Priority Club. I will definitely do that!

yk, I agree that the tubes from West Brompton are likely relatively infrequent, as the West Brompton tube station was not showing up much in the search results. So the search results were saying it was faster to walk to farther tube stations rather than take the West Brompton one.

CAPH52, it's partly a matter of what sights you plan to see. If you make a list, you can figure out the transport time. I wouldn't find the walk a problem in itself, except that I would prefer to be spending that time walking around the sights and neighborhoods that I wanted to see, rather than to/from the hotel.

CAPH52 - regardint the location, I guess it all depends on whether you and your son will want to return to the hotel during the day for a break, or will you just stay out all day?

If you are just going to be out all day until after dinner and/or shows, then staying at the HI Express is not a big deal, as you'd spend about 1.25hrs each day traveling (10-min walk to tube station plus 20-30 min ride on the tube).

But if you want to return to the hotel in the afternoon to rest, to freshen up, before going out again for dinner/show, then the location is not convenient, as you don't want to spend >2hrs each day just getting back and forth.

Thanks again to you both!

yk, I think that's a very good point. Dinner and a show is really not the type of trip we're planning! It'll be more like a meal in a pub and maybe an evening walk with London Walks! So, odds are, once we leave the hotel in the morning, we won't be back until we're done for the day.

Is it worth trying to figure out where/what the 3 1/2 star in Bloomsbury/Marble Arch is? It's only $10 more but doesn't offer breakfast, which to me makes it less of a value. But if it's much more convenient...?

I don't want to be so focused on the Earls Court one that I pass up a better value. Neither do I want to waste a lot of time on the other one if it's not likely to be any better.

I don't want anyone to feel I'm being rude in not responding so thought I should let you know we're getting ready to go out for the afternoon.

The Bloomsbury/Marble Arch area is much closer and much more convenient (in terms of number of buses and tube lines, plus more walkable sights nearby). But of course, the question is whether you'd be able to ID the hotel or not. If you aren't able to figure out what hotel it is, are you willing to take the risk?

Breakfast in London costs about a few pounds if you visit a small shop/greasy spoon type place.

A few reasons why one may want to return to the hotel during the day:
1) drop off any (heavy) purchases, eg, souvenir books
2) drop off heavy guidebooks
3) put on something dressier for dinner or put on a sweater/light jacket at night when it cools off.

Hi, Caph,

My own 19 yo and I had a similar struggle with the breakfasts issue: we love 'em. I like staying close to the action and being able to walk, so we will be at the Regency Park Holiday Inn, listed on Hotwire as 3.5 star in Marble Arch/Bloomsbury area, at a nice rate. I assume it's a decent place.

I asked about breakfast a few weeks ago, and got some helpful answers on this Fodor's thread:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/akzbpo

Once, pre-Internet, I found a lovely B&B in Hampstead for my mother and myself. Having to take the Tube every time we went into town became an annoyance for my mother, who often mentioned wistfully how nice it would be to stay in the Marble Arch area.

oops
or maybe this:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=35178590

Sorry. I seem to be incapable of performing this simple task. Search 'London breakfast' and that should bring home the kippers.

mark

The Holiday Inn Express breakfast I had near Glasgow Airport was all right, but nothing to write home about. The pastries and breads were not particularly good. It's certainly not what I'd think of as a high-quality British breakfast. I can't say if this is typical for HIEs all over Britain, but I wouldn't expect too much.

What I did when we stayed at the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury was to visit a small Italian deli nearby and get very nice sandwiches and coffee every morning. This worked out to about 10 pounds for two.

Interesting to see the HI Regents Park been upgraded to 3.5* by Hotwire. When I stayed there last year (May 2008) booked via Hotwire, it listed only as a 3* then.

While I didn't enjoy my stay there (false fire alarm at 7:30am followed by the lack of hot water), it's location is quite good, with 2 tube stations nearby and plenty of bus lines that go almost every direction.

The Hotwire people told me the HI had been re-evaluated and so upgraded. I'd hope that means they repaired water heater.

Stokebailey, the trick is to pull up your thread and then click on the title. That'll give you the correct url to copy and paste. Can't tell you how many times I did it wrong before I finally got the hang of it!

Once again, I appreciate all of the help. After reading all of the advice here, talking to family and friends, etc., we've decided to go with the Earls Court one. Wish me luck as I go off to try my first Hotwire bid!

Have fun! I was hoping we and our offspring could run into each other while complaining about hot water at the front desk.

That would've been fun, stokebailey!

Well, I got it! Did I do the right thing in passing up the insurance they offer?

I'm going to take your advice, yk, to sign up for the Priority Club before contacting the hotel about twin beds.

Besides doing a trip report, I'll make sure to pull this thread back up to let everyone know how this worked out.

Again, I just can't thank all of you enough for your very generous help.

We usually get trip insurance, just because, that covers the entire journey.

Hi CAPH52- Congratulations. It really is a very good deal, too good to pass up when you're watching your budget. Do let us know how the hotel is when you come back from your trip.

But not the one through Hotwire, right, stokebailey?

It is a great deal, yk. With taxes and fees it came out to $236.87 for four nights. That makes me very happy!

We've never had to collect on a claim, so don't know how wonderful they are that way, but have used

InsureMyTrip.com

in the past to insure everything including hotel costs. Many others.

They have threads here occasionally about the subject, controversial of course.

Thanks, stokebailey!

I also booked the same deal for $49 and it was the Holiday Inn Express Earl's Court. There are 4 of us and for the price we couldn't pass it up.

I just got back from London and stayed at the Morgan Hotel. Great location in Bloomsbury (literally around the corner from the British Museum) and only 85 pounds. Very clean - cheap and cheerful.

Hi CAPH52,

That's a great deal, congrats! The HI Expess sounds like a pretty nice place and with breakfast included you can't go wrong at that price. I'm looking forward to hearing about your stay when you get back.

Thanks, Apres! I'll definitely let you know how it works out!

Thank you so much for this thread CAPH52 & others! I booked the same Hotwire deal last night for March 27th - April 1st for $49/nt ($58/nt after taxes) at the Holiday Inn Express at Earls Court. Such a great deal (I don't think I could get that price for a motel in my suburbia home town) and you helped me purchase with confidence! Thank you!!

I'm so glad it helped you, CRIdo! Believe me, I understand. Without the help of the people here, I would never have had the nerve to try Hotwire!

I also understand what you mean about not getting a hotel for that in your home town. The weekend before I booked this, my husband and I had spent Saturday night in Madison, WI visiting our son who goes to UW. We were thrilled to get an EconoLodge in Madison for $50! London for that price is just unbelievable!

While I'm here... Yesterday I took yk's advice and sent the hotel an e-mail very politely requesting a room with two beds. (And kissing up a little bit by saying how much I'm looking forward to staying there after reading the good reviews on TA. Which is the truth!) I added my Priority Club #.

I haven't heard back from them yet.

Oops, forgot one thing. CRIdo, since you'll be there before we are, would you mind posting back to let us know how it goes? Thanks!

CAPH52 - I definitely plan to post my experiences - I will be back in late April. London is our first stop, followed by 7nts in Edinburgh for a conference (which initiated the trip), 4nts in Amsterdam and 7nts in Paris, and one final night in London - it will be my husband's first time to Europe and only my second & it's been over a decade.

I must admit/warn I never finished my last trip report on Costa Rica from 2007(I should do that! the people on the Latin America forum were amazingly helpful for that trip) - but I almost always post a review on tripadvisor for hotels, so I'll make sure to at least do a copy & paste here.

Great recommendation to contact the hotel beforehand, especially with the priority club #.

I don't know what I would do without fodors and tripadvisor!

"I don't know what I would do without fodors and tripadvisor!"

My feelings exactly!

While I hope you do post a trip report, for selfish reasons, I'd be thrilled just to get your reaction to the London hotel!

I still haven't heard back from the hotel about my request for two beds. Don't know whether I should expect them to or whether they'll just note the request on our reservation?

Sounds like you've got a great trip planned! Have fun!

CAPH52 - Since your trip ins't until june, I would wait until 1 week before to give them a call as a confirmation and a bed request.

Okay. Thanks, yk!

I got a very nice e-mail from the hotel this morning saying that they've changed our reservation to a twin room!

GREAT!

Just wanted to let you guys know that Holiday Inn Express at Earl's Court for $58/nt on Hotwire was a great little hotel and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. We were there for 5nts in the end of March and one night before our return flight in mid-April.

The hotel is in zone 2, so it's a little out of the way and about a 5-7min walk from the West Kensington tube station (just turn left directly out of the tube station and head straight until you see the hotel on your left) in what appeared to be a fairly safe, but definitely not "picturesque" part of London. However, for the price it was fantastic - VERY clean and tidy, comfortable beds, good water pressure, very capable heating & A/C, spacious enough rooms (especially for London), reasonably quiet at night (never heard the other guests, just occasional street noise if the window was open) and a good continental breakfast with cereals, canned fruit, yogurt, cheeses, juice, coffee, milk, pastries, muffins, apples, toast, selection of teas and rolls - even pre-wrapped muffins if you were in a rush (served from 7-10am). In the end though, the thing we liked the most about our hotel was that is was surrounded by a series of good cheap food options (which seemed very hard to come by in other parts of London) including a Tesco, Greggs, decent Thai place, very good Turkish restaurant (Best Mangal), and plenty fish & chip shops just on the walk from the tube to the hotel - many more places past the hotel. The West Kensington station is nice & quiet, and only has one short flight of stairs. If you're coming with luggage I would recommend transferring at Hammersmith (just walk across the platform). The hotel staff were friendly, a little less knowledgeable then desired about the area, but everything was pretty straight forward and check-in & out was very simple. Other "extras" included an ice machine in the lobby (but only cups for ice, no buckets), hand soap and shampoo (in squeeze dispensers) in the bathroom and a tea kettle (with a selection, of pretty awful, tea & coffee).

We had a great time in London, it was the first leg of our trip and coming from California the jet-lag (8hrs) was brutal and we were really happy for the comfy beds & close by food the first couple days. We bought 7 day travel cards from Victoria railway station and used the 2for1 offers at the Tower, Westminster and a wildlife photography exhibition at the Natural History Museum - almost paying for the travel cards themselves! In addition, we hit up Hyde Park, Harrods, the V&A (briefly), the British Museum (always AWESOME), the London Eye, the National Gallery (there beautiful Da Vinci was out on loan ), went on a London Walk, and came across St. Paul's during an evening choir session (amazing).

One more thing, if you book through Hotwire, it definitely helps to contact them regarding what bed situation you want. We did this for the first stay and got the double bed, but hadn't bothered to send an e-mail regarding the last night of our trip and got two twins...but my husband had been dealing with a bout of travel sickness and we were just happy to have a clean room ready when we showed up.

CRIdo, thank you so much for posting this! You've made my day! I've read some good reviews on TripAdvisor. But reading good things about the place from another Fodorite makes me feel better.

So you found the South Kensington station more convenient than West Brompton?

Did you come from Heathrow? We're flying into Gatwick so still trying to figure out the best way - train and then overground rail or train to tube.

I was glad to see that they serve breakfast (including the wrapped muffins) from 7:00. I'm hoping to try to be at St. Paul's when it opens the Monday morning of our stay.

Also very glad to hear about the food options in the area. My son will be happy about the Turkish restaurant. Did you happen to notice whether many of those restaurants seemed to stay open fairly late?

Again, thank you so much!

Oops, sorry, just realized I should have said West Kensington, not South Kensington!

I was also glad to see that the bed request you made was honored. As I wrote upthread, I've e-mailed them (and gotten a response) with a request for twin beds.

We did come from Heathrow. We only went to the West Brompton station once, it seemed fine, but from West Kensington it was such a straight shot and there was a Tesco and Greggs along the way (great for picking up snacks and drinks for later) or when we were dragging our feet home from a long day in the city we could pick up kebab wraps on the way back to our room.

There's also a good fish & chip shop just around the corner past the hotel and a Bangladesh restaurant that looked good. If you go down another few blocks there's also a small Sainsbury's, a nice looking bakery and Hell's Pizza (actually really good pizza).

As I recall most places were open late (definitely the Turkish kebab place and fish & chip shops) at least until 9-10pm, well except Gregg's which closes after lunch time.

Hope you have a great visit - London is such a great city with so many fantastic free things to do! I still can't believe what a great deal the hotel was...never thought London would be a "cheap" vacation