gail

Will be travelling with husband and 2 teenagers to London - have never been there before and find it all a little over-whelming trying to decide where to stay. How do others decide - read postings, check guidebooks, etc? In US we get either 2 rooms or a suite-type hotel. Thanks.

nancy

I know just what you mean. For my upcoming trip, I picked up a guidebook that I've seen recommended in this forum--Cheap Sleeps in London, by Sandra Gustafson. I made some selections from the book (based on what I knew I wanted in a hotel) and then searched this forum for comments.<BR><BR>I finally selected a hotel based on a personal recommendation, but I wouldn't hesitate to book a hotel based on positive comments from Cheap Sleeps and this forum.

Julie

Hi Gail,<BR><BR>One good way to start is by picking up a basic guidebook and reading about the different neighborhoods in London. Do you want to stay in a lively neighborhood with lots of restaurants and theatres? Or do you want to stay in a quiet neighborhood with a museum or two? Usually the guidebooks describe which neighborhoods have lots of affordable little hotels, which are ritzy and expensive, and which are a little on the seedy side.<BR><BR>You might also come up with a list of the top 4 or 5 sights that you think you are going to want to see. If you want to spend all your time at Westminster Abbey and the Tate Britain, it wouldn't make much sense to stay in north London.<BR><BR>Then you'll have to give some thought to your budget, and what style of place you like to stay in, homey B&B, predictable larger hotel, etc.<BR><BR>Here is London "Neighborhoods in Brief", from the Frommer's web site, for starters:<BR><BR>http://www.frommers.com/destinations/london/0055020048.cfm<BR><BR>(Look along the left-hand side for more neighborhoods).<BR><BR>Good luck!<BR>Julie<BR>

lisa

We're going with our two teens as well, boy and girl. I bought "Cheap Sleeps" as well, and recommend it also. In addition, I reviewed other travel books and searched the internet. I found hotels unnecessarily expensive, especially because one room never offered the bedspace we need. I found B&B's offered better rates than hotels, plus, I feel will give us a better feel for London (plus breakfast!). All the ones I was interested in had web sites and email addresses. I was able to see pictures of the B&B's and contact owners re bed arrangements, cost etc. I was quite pleased with the options we found and it was hard to choose between them. We're travelling in March and even got a 25% discount. Good luck!

Vita

Hi, Gail. First decide what you'd like to see in London so you get an idea of where you will spend most of your time. Then through travel guides and this forum you will get a sense of what lodging costs and what sort of amenities are provided in that area and adjoining neighborhoods.

Thyra

As has been stated above, grab a guidebook to familiarize yourself with the various London neighborhoods. Then ask yourself, what your primary interests are, how much are you willing to spend and how easy does it need to be for you and your family to get to "where the action is". <BR>The Rants and Raves section of this Forum has wonderful user comments for a variety of hotels in London. <BR>Example, I like to run in the mornings and like staying close to Hyde Park, I will book the London Elizabeth based in large part from the recommendations on the Rants and Raves section. <BR>Frommer's also has a hotel search that is pretty decent.

pw

Get a good guide book yes - but, spend more money in London than you would for a hotel anywhere else in Western Europe. Their standards are very different from our own! Stayed at a hotel near Kennsington Palace just under 3 years ago, spent approximately $130 USD per night. It was singularily the worst hotel I have ever stayed at in my life. Be careful. Good Luck.

kam

The London Elizabeth is just near Hyde Park and great for walking to attractions. It's also near to Paddington Station and the Lancaster Gate tube station. It is reasonable and has family accomodations. Good luck.

Bob

All good advice above. One thing to remember about London: The subway system is great and makes it easy to get around town. If you are located near a good subway entrance you are close to everything. You will be using this to get around the area.<BR><BR>We rented an apartment last trip to London. Two bedrooms, living room and kitchen plus one bath. It beat a hotel and was less expensive. Check travel info for apartments as they are common in the downtown area.

elaine

gail<BR>I'll ask another question.<BR>What were you planning on spending for a hotel, maximum that is.<BR>If you can provide an idea of your budget, some people can recommend some specific places in acceptable areas that you might like. Obviously the more you can spend, esp in London, the more options you have for hotels in good neighborhoods.

r

Gail; Begin by deciding on a budget. What is the most you want to spend per night. London can be very expensive. If you are going on to other places in the UK, London will probably be the more expensive portion of your trip. Then choose a neighborhood. Many guidebooks and websites start at Deluxe and go through the levels to Budget. In London,Budget can frequently not be what we in the US think of as budget. It can be very meager. The underground (subway) will get you anywhere you want to go, so pick a hotel that is close to an underground entrance. Personally, I love Knightbridge. It's fun for shopping, walking and eating.