perkie1968

Hi, any suggestions for good hotels in London.

Criteria
- For four people (2 adults/1 teenager/1 child) (don't want anyone sleeping on couches ).
-if no restaurant on premises than restaurants within walking distance, mostly for breakfast
-within half hour of airport
-easy to access via subway system
-MUST be air conditioned
- close to main attractions
-simple but not cheap - equivalent of North American Holiday Inn

Does that exist?!

Thanks

MmePerdu

"...mostly for breakfast"

I don't recall staying in a hotel in London that didn't serve breakfast, even if it was the only meal they served.

"-within half hour of airport"

You'll give up another of your criteria "- close to main attractions" if you insist on the half hour to airport one.

"-easy to access via subway system"

Few aren't.

" - equivalent of North American Holiday Inn"

So just stay at a Holiday Inn. http://tinyurl.com/zeej4cm

Dukey1

If you are willing to stretch that half hour a little by employing The Tube then look at the Amba Charing Cross hotel. Yeah, you have to change lines and walk up that "hill" from Embankment Tube stop (unless you want to walk down a lesser hill from Covent Garden)...really tough I know.

BigRuss

The question "does that exist" is simple: NO.

First of all, your criteria are meaningless without stating a budget. If you're looking for $100/night simple, clean, near-luxe, roomy perfection in London, go elsewhere.

Second, there is no hotel that is close to all main attractions because LONDON IS THE LARGEST CITY IN WESTERN EUROPE. So "close" is a matter of degree depending upon the neighborhood of the hotel and the particular attraction. You're not going to walk from the Tower to South Kensington.

Third, which airport and 30 minutes by what mode of transport? There are at least five sizable airports that service London. If you're flying a major international flight, you'll arrive at either Heathrow or Gatwick, neither of which are akin to airports such as Dallas Love Field, Miami Int'l or San Diego Int'l, all of which are within close proximity to their respective cities. Instead, both Heathrow and Gatwick are major international airports that are far outside the city. Convenience to airports is the LEAST of your concerns because you need to be there about 3 hours before you depart for North America - you can't just show up 45 minutes before the flight and hop on. Far more important to have a good location in London.

Fourth, the "subway" in London means below-ground methods to cross major intersections. If you mean trains, they are the Underground or more colloquially The Tube. Nomenclature matters - Chicago has the L, Boston the T, NYC the Subway, Washington the Metro, Atlanta has MARTA, Philly SEPTA, Dallas has DART, etc.

Fifth, why "must be air-conditioned"? That could make things difficult because to Londoners, 80 degrees F is blazing hot. And you don't say when you're going - AC is an irrelevancy for most months not named June, July or August. That said, you should be able to find something.

Ultimately, you should consider looking for a vacation flat (apartment) with the necessary # of bedrooms. They tend to be far less expensive for what you get (London hotel rooms, and hotel accommodations in most countries that don't have the acronym USA, tend to be small to Americans). There are TON(NE)S of flats available in London.

And also - go to daysoutguide.co.uk and get your vouchers. Learn how to do so and use the opportunities. BIG savings available.

That said, if you're desperate for a hotel for some bloody reason, go to londontown.com and use its interactive hotel map.

ElendilPickle

What you've been told so far is accurate.

What time of year will you be in London, and for how many nights?

Since it sounds like you are looking for inexpensive lodging, I would either do as others have suggested and rent an apartment or stay in one of the YHA hostels that has a family room. This link is for the YHA St. Pancras, which has meals available and is very close to transportation and a number of attractions. There are, as far as I can recall, a couple of other YHA properties with family rooms, but this is a good start.
http://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/london-st-pancras

Lee Ann

Dukey1

The term "inexpensive" is obviously subjective and depends on the individual.

I'm not sure why Russ is so agitated but in terms of apartments they are not the end all and be all IMO but I wish you the best.

janisj

Haven't read any of the responses (it is late in London and I just got in from the theatre) . . . But why on earth do you want to be w/I half an hour of the airport - and WHICH airport do you mean?

That is a totally silly criteria unless you mainly want to visit the airport.

And to get four beds will mostly be speedy . . . What is your actual budget?

ssander

We've stayed at the Cherry Court Hotel five times and like it. It's not for everyone, because the rooms are microscopic, but the Patels who run it are wonderful, you can get a family room for 135 GBP (http://www.cherrycourthotel.co.uk/our-rates/), and it is close to several tube lines.

It is also a 5-minute walk to Victoria Station, which has convenient, 30-minute transport to Gatwick. Heathrwo is further, but closeness to the airport is not what I would call a deal-breaking factor.

There is no real breakfast...just a basket of fruit, juice, etc., and no real lobby...just a nice place to stay.

As stated before, London is huge, so it is impossible to close to everything. However, the tube & bus system is one of the best anywhere. Within zones 1 and 2 (which cover nearly all the sights) you rarely have to wait more than a few minutes for a train.

ssander

BigRuss

Dukey: characterize your own contributions.

There's no agitation. Perkie either wants reality or not.

nytraveler

Perkie seem to be extremely naive - and I would suggest that before s/he gets near the trip s/he read a couple of guidebooks so they know where they are going, what they want to see/do, and how much they have to spend.

As for AC - when are they going? And they need to understand that with hotels in europe you need to confirm when the AC will be running (and preferably controllable within each room).

janisj

Dukey: BigRuss doesn't sound agitated, merely realistic. In fact a flat probably would be best for this family since it sounds like they want a 'moderate cost' (whatever that means) and beds for four. Family rooms in properties like Premier Inns have very strict rules that the children sharing the parents room cannot be older than 15 (and yes, they definitely demand proof of ages). Since the OP does not tell us when they are traveling nor the ages of the kids nor the budget - we are all shooting in the dark.

With answers to some of those questions we can give better advice.

WoinParis

I am always rebuffed when people say 'like xxx in the US'.
I have never slept in a Holiday Inn... Do I feel again paranoia being excluded from start to give an opinion ?
*sigh*

jamikins

Try Premier Inn...look for hotels in the bounds of the circle line on the tube and you should be fine. Do not make the mistake of choosing somewhere outside that because it is cheaper or closer to the airport. You will spend way too much time and money on transit into the city.

29FEB

From another post, it looks like OP plans on July, with 3-4 days in each city.

Southam

In both UK and France, the giant Accor chain of hotel franchises probably exceeds the characteristics of Holiday Inn in its peak days. You can read both good and bad qualities into that statement. But see for yourself: The website www.accor.com covers everything from motels to glam under such names and price-points as Ibis, Mercure, Sofitel, Fairmont and Raffles.
http://www.accorhotels-group.com/en/...portfolio.html

MmePerdu

"I have never slept in a Holiday Inn... Do I feel again paranoia being excluded from start to give an opinion ?"

Wo, did you know that it is perfectly acceptable to say nothing when you have nothing to contribute?

perkie1968

Sorry, didn't realize asking a simple question (here and in the France thread) would upset people. For those of you who responded kindly, thank you.

Time of travel: July 2017 (hence the need for a/c)

Have I done my research? Yes, but after a while it all blurs and makes no sense, hence the questions to try and narrow down the search.

Budget: No idea, since i've never travelled to Europe before and have no idea what to expect cost wise, which is why I need help figuring this out, from people who've been there done that.

The reason I used Holiday Inn as an example: they are clean, roomy and depending on the city, give or take $120 (Cdn) per night. Now, if you're going to tell me that something at that price in London/France will get me a cockroach/rat infested closet in the drug infested part of town, then clearly I'll need to rethink the cost.

StCirq

Well it certainly won't get you a roomy hotel room for 4 people. There are websites galore that will give you an idea of hotel prices in both Paris and London, so you can see for yourself.

thursdaysd

It's not a simple question, there are literally thousands of hotels in London. No one can give a sensible answer without knowing what you are willing to spend. I usually stay in B&B that costs 164 GBP a night for a quad en suite. But you can spend 545 GBP for a single at the Ritz. Or probably less than the B&B for a family room at a hostel or Premier Inn.

Kathie

Even on my first trip to London, over 30 years ago, US$120 a night bought us a closet-sized room, (the room was smaller than the bathroom alone in our last Singapore hotel) where we could only get out of bed on one side as the room was so small. So the idea that you will find anything acceptable for four people in London (or Paris) at that price strikes me as unrealistic.

The problem with your question is that you didn't give people enough info to be able to offer useful information (when you are traveling, budget, ages of the children).

Are you committed to those two cities at that time of the year? You have chosen two of the most expensive cities in Europe at the most expensive time of the year. Tell us what is "cast in stone" and what is not, and perhaps we can offer alternatives.