London - Where to stay

Can't help much unless you tell us what you mean by "moderately priced".

(just about every hotel is close to some museum or show and easily reachable to others)

My hope is to pay around $150. Is that unrealistic?

sure - $150 is approx £75 and you can get a decent room for that much. Not posh but definitely serviceable.

However, whenever someone's budget is in the $90-$150 range I always suggest Priceline. You can get quite a nice 4 star hotel w/ all mod cons for around $100 give or take. Sometimes even down in the $75-$80 range. When taxes/fees are added you are looking at $100-$150-ish.

For the same money you'd be talking about a pretty decent but 2 star-ish tourist class hotel.

Check out biddingfortravel.com and betterbidding.com to see what sorts of PL bids are successful at the moment. PL is not great for many cities - but it sure is good for London.

freda:


We booked the Parkwood and then had to postpone our UK visit. When we rescheduled, the Parkwood was fully booked (May) and recommened their "sister hotel", The George...looks pretty good for 79£..it's in Bloomsbury close to British Museum and Euston Station and tube...we booked it for May date. Both hotels offer full breakfast included in rate.

http://www.parkwoodhotel.com/

http://www.georgehotel.com/english/index.html

Stu T.

We really liked the K&K George while we were in London. I felt comfortable in the neighborhood and we were very close to a rail station.

It may be above your price range, but if you consider paying more, I would recommend this hotel.

http://www.kkhotels.com

we stayed in the Bloomsbury district, close to the British Museum, just off the Goodge St. tube stop at the Arran House B&B. Google it, you'll find their website. We paid 77 pounds/night for a small, clean adorable room with a shared bathroom on the floor which was very clean. Breakfast (big variety) included, friendly staff.

"We paid 77 pounds/night for a small, clean adorable room with a shared bathroom"

That's my point - the Arran House is a very popular and well-run 2 star B&B hotel w/ some shared baths. It is a great place to stay -- but for less money you could get a 4 star hotel using PL.

Aaran House Hotel?

http://www.london-hotel.co.uk/

Janisj, I have never bid on Priceline although I understand the concept and after looking over the FAQ's on biddingfortravel, listening to the tutorial on Priceline, I just find it very intimidating. Do I really want to risk my vacation on chance?

You could also ask -- do you want to risk sharing your bathroom down the hall w/ three 18 yo's on their high school graduation trip?

PL isn't really "chance" if you bid in the best located zones. We can help you. Any 4 star London hotel in the 2 or 3 best zones will be several rungs above what you can get for £50-£100 booking directly. However, if you are worried and really don't want to try it, that is fine. You can get a perfectly serviceable room w/o going the PL route.

You might want to consider the Royal Adelphi Hotel, just off The Strand on Villiers St. For your budget you could get a single en suite room. Be aware that there are lots of stairs, no lifts and the rooms are small and basic, but clean. The location is excellent and safe. Check out:
http://www.royaladelphihotel.co.uk/

For more money you could stay at The Fielding Hotel, in a side street by Covent Garden. They do single en suite rooms for £85. Check out:
http://www.the-fielding-hotel.co.uk/

PL isn't really "chance" if you bid in the best located zones

What are the best zones? I will search London neighborhoods as well.

Well, Jasnisj, We will be in London in June. I am not sure as yet where my husband's business meetings will be, but I am looking at the hotels and starting to check out rates. I may make a hotel reservation somewhere so we have a backup and then see what I can do with Priceline. How do I get this help you reference?

Hi,
I have booked priceline hotels
in London and elsewhere. I often
travel solo for business, and
find the 4* hotels I get quite
comfortable because of security.
The others can advise you on
the best zones--I like to
stay in Kensington or near
Covent Garden because of business,
but biddingfortravel.com and betterbidding.com are good guides.

The most central PL zones are:

Mayfair/Soho
or Westminster

Other good zones are:
Bloomsbury/Marble Arch - but this zone can put you into Kings Cross - so I would avoid it personally.

Kensington/Earls Court/Knightsbridge This is the easiest zone to get a good hotel at a cheap rate - but you might end up in Earls Court. That would not be terrible at all - it is just a bit less convenient. But it has excellent bus service and decent-ish tube service.

and City/London Bridge (the info on biddingfortravel is out of date for this zone)

I like the West End between Marylebone High Street and Oxford Circus (I used to live there). There is a Holiday Inn on Welbeck Street that might be a little higher than what you're looking for, but it's well-located. Oxford Street itself is a zoo, but the streets just north of Wigmore Street are quieter. You're close to the theatre district, to West End shopping, to Bloomsbury and Regent's Park. There are several different tube lines, so it's easy to get around.

thanks for all the tips. i'm a bit skittish about priceline, but might have to go that route since it's so late in the game. have emailed the arran house and the royal adelphi and started to look at the bidding advice sites, but got overwhelmed... might just take my chances without all their threads of advice!

Try Travelodge near Euston/St Pancras stations - they have £19 per night rooms on offer NOW

We recently spent 10 nights at the K+K George and found it to be comfortable. They served a large buffet breakfast every morning and the servers got to know us! They also provide soup and sandwiches at the bar in the evening.It is in the Earl's Court area close to the Natural History Museum and not far from the V&A Museum. The walk to a tube station is about 2 minutes. After staying at the Thistle Victoria 2 trips (this is a very good location with the tube and rail station ajoining the hotel,and in the middle between Parliament buildings and Buckingham Palace), we decided to stay in a different area, and this met our needs.

My favorite place to stay is the Royal Adelphi Hotel. It's situated near Charing Cross tube station, the best location for the price. You can walk to all the theaters, Buckingham Palace, Royal Horseguards, National Gallery, Oxford Street, and even the British Museum if you're a good walker. Convenient for tube connections. It should be just slightly above your price.

My daughter and I got a terrific deal for a twin en suite at the Strand Palace that included tickets to the Broadway show, "Chicago." We booked online at show-and-stay.co.uk. The hotel was beyond our expectations for the money -- not fancy, but safe, clean and located by Covent Gardens. Two tube stations are within walking distance. The shows, Trafalgar Square, etc. are also close by and an easy walk. A full breakfast was also included with our room. We wound up returning there at the end of our trip because of the value and facility. After that trip, I prefer London for Broadway over NY. Have fun!

Hello Ms. Freda,
London is no longer the London of a few years ago. Africa and Central Europe immigration has dryed up the supply of low priced accommodations. There are many B&Bs close to the RR stations. Check your bags and explore. Look at the windows and see the prices. Many hotels are on not on the web. London is a 'friendly' environment. Hotels...try a search of 'Ryanair.'

I'm a big fan of Travelodge, but the two near King's Cross are on horrible streets. Lots of traffic and dust, and in a run down area away from tourist sights (except the British Library).

Last summer we stayed at the Park International Hotel in Kensington on Cromwell Road. It is a block from the Gloucester station and very convenient to Hyde Park. We felt very safe there, as this is a mostly residential area. Ask for a room on the opposite side of Cromwell road if you a a light sleeper, as the road is very busy. Rooms were clean and comfortable for under $150.00 per night.
Have a wonderful time in London!

When my best friend and I stay in London every Fall we usually like to stay in the area near Paddington Station. It's right down the street from great shopping on Oxford Street and a relatively quiet area in the evening. Plus we can get to Paddington Station in about 10 minutes to catch the train back to Heathrow or out of town on day trips.

We stayed at the London Elizabeth Hotel in 2005 (http://www.londonelizabethhotel.co.uk) and for the last two years at the London Guards Hotel (http://www.rcahotels.co.uk). They are both small hotels and range from ₤65-₤85 for a double or twin room (not per person) and includes breakfast.

The London Elizabeth is right across the street from the Lancaster Gate tube station. The London Guards is a couple of blocks further down Bayswater setting back in a very quiet cul-du-sac. There is a bus stop right on Bayswater going in both directions making it easy to get to Oxford Street or Notting Hill.

The rooms aren't huge at either hotel, but more than enough room for two people and include a frig, coffee/tea pot, and most importantly, an ensuite bathroom. And the staff is very helpful at both locations.

The Bedford hotel in Southampton Row is next to the Britush Museum and cost £74 per night with english breakfast. This is part of the Imperial Hotels chain.

I'm going mid April for 3 days as well - got reservation at Bay Tree House - read about them on Tripadvisor.com - I'm traveling with my husband n have gotten very warm feeling via email already. Hope u find a great place.

The Jurys hotel in Gt Russell Street is a wonderful hotel. It is just down the road from the British Museum and just around the corner from a tube station, it is also not far from Oxford Street.

We, too, stayed at the Park International last October. Got it on a Priceline bid.

South Kensington is our favorite area to stay. A few years ago we got the Millennium Bailey and then another time the Millennium Gloucester on Priceline, but they seem to have disappeared from the site.

You might try the Travel Inn chain, they are very reasonable for London, modern & clean. One is near the London Eye, another at Pultney Bridge just to mention a few.they have a website.
For a simple, cheap for London, picnic lunch, buy your sandwiches and drinks etc in a Marks and Spencer, either their Simply Food branches or in the Food Halls in the main stores. Excellent quality.they are on Oxford Street, there is one near Harrods and the museums.

Premier Travel Inn County Hall is a great location - unfortunately it is such a good location for families and is so popular, that it is 1) often booked solid, and 2) really is no longer a budget property. Most times in high season it will run around £125 a night.

Many of the the Travel Inns in London that are less expensive are in less convenient locations.

There is a Premier Inn (aka Travel Inn) in Kensington at Earl's Court tube, and another in Hampstead at Belsize Park tube. I've stayed at the Premier Inn in Liverpool, and it was quite satisfactory. Ibis Hotels is another budget chain you can try.

My husband and I are going to London in May and I have found two hotels that interest us. One is the Strand Palace Hotel and the other is Park International. We are wondering which one to choose. Our son wil be going and he's a smoker. Suggestions as to which is the better hotel?

The Strand Palce has a better location for the sights, but is completely no smoking (this is very common). I think that you can get smokers' rooms at Park International, which is handly for the Kensington museums, but best to check directly.

More properties are switching to fully non-smoking, but lots of hotels still have smoking rooms. If the Park International allows smoking - it is a decent place in a decent location. Priceline isn't an option since you might end up w/ a non-smoking hotel (possible but not overly likely)

We just booked 2 rooms at the Strand Palace which is located in the theater district. Since our son is also going, we needed a room that allowed smoking, so I requested one smoking and one non-smoking. The location of the Strand was the deciding factor for us booking there. The other hotel that seemed appealing was the Park International. Anyone else staying at the Strand in May?

Unfortunately, when I called the Strand they informed me they do not have smoking rooms but the agent said he'd put in the request. Nevertheless,I wouldn't change hotels because of its, great location. The site for the hotel really should take out the smoking rooms available, it's misleading.

"Unfortunately, when I called the Strand they informed me they do not have smoking rooms "

I was really surprised when you said you had booked the Strand Palace after Londonres posted that it is a totally non-smoking property . . . .

Yes, I realized it too late and got my hotels mixed up so when I called Expedia, the agent said he'd put in the request. Of course he had no idea that the Strand had no smoking rooms and merely told me he'd request one. I cancelled and now have to take a chance on the Park International having one when we arrive since the hotel can't guarantee a smoking room upon booking.
What hotel/hotels do the smokers go too, or does everyone leave their rooms to smoke outside........or take a chance on booking a hotel with the hope of a smoking room available upon arrival?

The same thing they do now that restaurants no longer allow smoking - they go outside.

I'm not a smoking nazi - but it always made me VERY nervous to be in hotels where smoking is allowed. They can burn down their own house (hopefully not) but I'd rather not have to head out into the street in my night clothes because someone has fallen asleep w/ a ciggy.

And to think it wasn't that long ago that smoking was allowed in theatres, cinemas and airplanes . . . . .

I also get nervous about smoking. I remember the King's Cross Tube fire which was caused by a discarded cigarette - some of the bodies were never identified.

Well, you've probably booked by now, but just in case you are still interested, after researching I booked 4 nights for us in June in the Ridhttp://www.ridgemounthotel.co.uk/gemount Hotel in Bloomsbury, apparently you can see the British Museum from the hotel, it is so close. We have bed & full breakfast for 75 GBP per night, single en-suite + breakfast is 54 GPB. It's only a few minutes walk to the Goodge St. tube stop. Have a great time! Jane

Oops, sorry, I pasted the URL in the wrong place! It's the Ridgemount Hotel, http://www.ridgemounthotel.co.uk/