Best london location to stay?

Old Jan 26th, 2015, 08:30 AM
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krm
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Best london location to stay?

I was hoping to get some advice as to which area in London would be best to base ourselves for a trip this June. Will be traveling with 2 teens. I was considering renting an apartment in the Kensington/Chelsea area. Is this a good idea? Would also appreciate really nice hotel suggestions, preferably in a safe, central area, close to tube stations.
Thanks!
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Old Jan 26th, 2015, 08:47 AM
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"Best" is dependent on several factors - not least budget - but also things like what you want to see, where you are arriving in London, what facilities you want on your doorstep, do you need any early starts or late arrivals...
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Old Jan 26th, 2015, 09:32 AM
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Kensington/Chelsea could mean a large area. Some of Chelsea is far away from the tube. Not all areas of Kensington are equally nice.

Look at the underground map; inside of the yellow Circle Line is good, somewhere near the Piccadilly line or Central Line is even better.

What is your budget for hotel or flat? With two teens I would definitely consider a flat instead of hotel. It gives you more space.
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Old Jan 26th, 2015, 10:38 AM
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I'm no expert by any means but we stayed at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel in June with our granddaughter.

Very convenient close to The Eye and Big Ben, we walked everywhere. A tube station was across the street.

What we liked the best was our "studio room" which had a sitting room with a large pull out bed, then the bathroom separated it from the main bedroom.

We all agreed that the breakfast buffet one of the best we've had anywhere in Europe.
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Old Jan 26th, 2015, 11:12 AM
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We have stayed several times (with our teens) in Bloomsbury. We like it because it's close to things we like [disclaimer: we all are ok with walking a bit, so our idea of "close" may be different from yours], such as museums, shows, nightlife, pubs, restaurants (well, these are all over). Close to several Tube lines too. We are not shoppers, so being close to stores does not appeal to us. One time we stayed in Chelsea, at a B&B, and while we liked that, and I enjoyed the proximity to the park for running in the morning, for everything else, it felt too far away for us.

We've stayed twice at the Beauchamp Grange, which is a hotel, not flats, but suited us just fine. They are a rare hotel that offers rooms with two double beds, and the rooms are relatively sizeable. Breakfast was the usual continental thing, usually included in the room rate (special deals are often on).
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Old Jan 26th, 2015, 03:15 PM
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Thank you for the suggestions. Our budget is under $500 night. i think a flat would give us room to stretch out a bit, and having a washer and dryer would be great too. But a larger hotel room with 2 double beds would be fine for a few nights.
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Old Jan 26th, 2015, 04:23 PM
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We like the South Kensington/Chelsea area. The Millennium Bailey Hotel is next door to the Gloucester Road tube stop that has three tube lines and a nice little shopping and eating mall. There are lots of hotels in the area, as well as Fraser Suites.
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Old Jan 26th, 2015, 09:39 PM
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For a budget of up to $500, have a look at www.onefinestay.com. Flats have wifi, washer/dryers and they give you an Iphone for use during your stay. That's handy for mobile internet, and helping you find your way in London.

Hotel rooms with two double beds are not that common, and with teenagers, it might be nice to have your own bedroom while they hang on the sofa in the living room.
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Old Jan 26th, 2015, 10:06 PM
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Be careful with "neighbourhood" names. People who want to sell or rent you property or a hotel room can stretch those boundaries to breaking point.

What you need is the postcode so as to be able to pinpoint the place on Google Maps (or similar service), in relation to public transport and other local services, shops and restaurants.
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Old Jan 27th, 2015, 05:23 AM
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The Park Plaza Westminster Bridge was about $430 per night for 3 including breakfast in June 2014
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Old Jan 27th, 2015, 06:29 AM
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Consider the Premier Inn London County Hall - right next the Eye. Great location. Affordable. Clean.
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Old Jan 29th, 2015, 02:17 PM
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Thanks for the suggestions. Any thoughts on staying near St Pancras area?
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Old Jan 29th, 2015, 02:46 PM
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I have stayed at the Great Northern Hotel at Kings Cross. Loved the hotel and it's extremely convenient for catching trains to Edinburgh or the Eurostar. The St. Pancras Renaissance is also very nice. However, not sure I'd stay at either for more than a coupe of nights.
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Old Jan 29th, 2015, 03:01 PM
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You can ask about 20+ different neighborhoods and get 20+ different suggestions/opinions.

Instead of throwing out areas 'How about xyz" -- why not ask about specific hotels or flats you have found that seem a good choice and we can comment re the amenities and specific location.

"St Pancras?" - the Renaissance pricey but fabulous, a flat in some nearby side street -- maybe good maybe not.

There are good places in most central neighborhoods - find one you like and we can give you the pros/cons.
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Old Mar 14th, 2015, 11:09 AM
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Bookmarking
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Old Mar 14th, 2015, 12:46 PM
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We stayed at the Crowne Plaza on Gloucester Road and found it to be very convenient. It has two double beds in a room so that works for a family. The hotel was clean and the location was great.
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Old Mar 14th, 2015, 02:31 PM
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There are scores of apartments available for around 200 pounds a night. My favourite area for convenience is Pimlico. Look at Trip Advisor on the web and you can get a large number of recommendations for any area you like. The advantage of Pimlico is that it is relatively near Victoria station and you can get anywhere from there. The other company I have used is Coach House Rentals. They are very good and reliable and I can personally recommend them. Whatever you do, rent an apartment rather than use an extremely expensive hotel.
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Old Mar 17th, 2015, 02:55 PM
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Thank you!!
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Old Mar 30th, 2015, 07:33 AM
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bookmarking
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Old Apr 3rd, 2015, 05:42 AM
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A suggestions is rent a flat. I am staying here in a few days with my two kids: http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationR...n_England.html

I prefer flats over hotels, less money and you can eat your own meals as in home
Happy travels
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