There's no one neighborhood that's the best for London. As you noted, it's very big, so you'll be using public transport anyway. My favorite area is Bloomsbury; others like South Kensington or Mayfair (though Mayfair is generally more expensive).

How long will you be in London? Have you considered renting an apartment? There are many threads here discussing options there. It might be a better value and more comfortable for you with two tweens. Just a thought.

Also, a number for your budget would help. One person's "super luxury" is another person's "middle-of-the-road." How much do you want to spend per night?

Step 1: Identify nightly lodging budget in dollars and cents. Brits on this board can translate into non-Italy/Portugal/Greece/Spain/Ireland-currency and pence.

Step 2: there is no perfect "in the center of things" area for London because it is the largest city in Western Europe BY FAR (think NYC to Chicago comparison). If the tweens are boys, then the center of the Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus area is still a decent Tube ride from the Tower, the Imperial War Museum and the South Kensington museums.

Step 3: Check out Londontown.com, which has an interactive tube and street map and shows hotels too. You should REALLY consider an apartment (London has ton[ne]s of short-term rental units available) with 2-3 bedrooms (depending upon the thus-far unknown sexes of the tweens). Consider Bloomsbury, South Bank, South Kensington and Covent Garden areas. Mayfair will be very expensive.

This may be helpful. It helped us choose.

https://www.airbnb.com/locations/london?tags[]=12

The list at link above is the tam "Great Transit", but as you see, there are several tabs you can click on depending on what you are looking for in an area:

Great Transit
Museums & the Arts
Along the River Thames
Touristy
Shopping
Peace & Quiet
West End
Dining
Nightlife
Loved by Londoners
Artsy

The site is run by airbnb, and while we didn't choose airbnb for our accommodations, this list was certainly helpful!

a few examples:

Bloomsbury:
https://www.airbnb.com/locations/london/bloomsbury

Mayfair:
https://www.airbnb.com/locations/london/mayfair

The West End:
https://www.airbnb.com/locations/london/the-west-end

Any place in London without great transit is not "in the center of things."

Would definitely NOT choose airbnb.com or vrbo.com for London - too many legitimate companies that have short-term rentals, therefore the need to rent through a single seller in a foreign country is low. See ozgirl's experience: http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/beware-knightsbridge-apartment.cfm

Strongly suggest kids get their own room and bath. We always did that and it worked fine - and there was no way I was going to share a bath with 2 tween/teen girls.

To be central and able to walk to a lot of things we like: Covent Garden, Knightsbridge, some of Mayfair. Yes, it will cost more - but IMHO worth it to set out on foot most mornings versus heading for the tube.

Caveat: We are New Yorkers and used to walking a lot. Sometimes we find that other Americans have a differnt interpretation of walking distance.

We stayed at this flat for 2 weeks, near Kensington Church/Kensington High St/Kensington Palace with 2 young daughters, 13 & 16. Lots of restaurants, shopping, etc and the Kensington High St Tube is convenient. Flat was pricey but nicely appointed and spacious. See photos & info in link. Two caveats: there was no A/C (they claim it isn't necessary in London, but sometime it is in August) & the washer-dryer combo takes forever to do a load, so if you are staying more than a week, that might be an issue). If this one doesn't suit you, you might check out others. They offer someone to meet you at the flat and show you around its features and you can book transport from the airport through them too, if you wish. The latter is surely more expensive than taking a train, but it is nice to fall into a comfy cab when arriving from an overnight flight.

http://www.aplacelikehome.co.uk/l42-bullingham-mansions-kensington-bqxgspxf.aspx

<< Would definitely NOT choose airbnb.com or vrbo.com for London >>>

BigRuss, I never said to choose airbnb, nor did I recommend them. As a matter of fact I specifically stated that we did NOT use them. I was only posting because the site shows nice pages of the AREAS of London.

I'm sorry jinky. I consider airbnb one (small) step above than craigslist. Which is to say very low on the scale.

I know you aren't talking about the rentals, but some of their 'guides' are silly. What the heck does >>Watch the legs on your wine glass as you sip the night away in this sophisticated central London neighborhood.<< mean???

Or - >>crowds gather in London’s West End by morning, afternoon, and night to absorb a bit of the vibrant lifestyle in a neighborhood that never looks back.<< HUH?

silly.

rholt: Before we can make useful suggestions we need to know your actual budget and how many days you will be in the city.

There are several really good areas - but your budget and whether a rental flat makes sense is part of the equation.

lways stay in Mayfair (close to Bond Street for high end shopping), at The May Fair http://www.themayfairhotel.co.uk. Their rates vary quite a bit depending on dates.

Hit the wrong button, sorry. I meant to say that we always stay in Mayfair, etc.

Calm down, Jinky. Fact is, if you suggest someone go to a website that hawks certain products, the person might buy the products being sold. And airbnb is not a place to buy a rental contract for London.

Rholt: As stated before - need your budget in real money, not vague terms that presuppose everyone else knows WTH you're referring to.

Mayfair and Knightsbridge are expensive; Covent Garden can be but there are also some good values there. Would discourage staying in High Street Kensington area - it's a bit far away from "the center of things" from a tourist perspective, even though it's a nice area.

Note that the flat mocha dolce linked to is listed in a price band of 1380-2089 GBP/wk - that's $2200-3350 or about $315-480 per night.

Sorry, I had no idea it would be so awful. I was only trying to help

You might enjoy staying at the Columbia Hotel (Lancaster Gate) across from Kensington Gardens. During my solo trip to London in September, the Columbia was just perfect. The hotel and the immediate neighborhood felt very safe and comfortable. The tube stop is just a couple of blocks away, and there's a bus stop out front! Overlooking the fact that this hotel is somewhat worn and dated, the Columbia is very clean, and its location is hard to beat! Every staff member was courteous and helpful during my 7 night stay, and the free full English breakfast was a bonus. Visit their website at http://www.columbiahotel.co.uk/

The Columbia was the US military VOQ (visiting officers quarters) in London in the 50's 60's and 70's . . . and hasn't been updated since. Nice location, but not cheap (dirt cheap back in the day). Also - it is slightly out of the way on the north side of the park - but I always enjoyed staying there.

"The Columbia was the US military VOQ . . . ."

Good lord, that brought back a rush of memories! My father was an American officer, and we sometimes stopped by there when we were in London c. 1956.

Rholt,

I strongly agree with NYtraveler:

“To be central and able to walk to a lot of things … Yes, it will cost more - but IMHO worth it to set out on foot most mornings versus heading for the tube.”

I will suggest again my favorite hotel –the STRAND PALACE – large vintage hotel with all rooms recently redone and great breakfast. Moderately priced. But no AC.

Advantage: 3-4 minutes from Trafalgar Square, the very heart of London. Within a mile or less of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, theater district, the City, major museums, St. Paul’s, Piccadilly, the Thames yada, yada.

I liked the convenience of making a pit stop around noon or before dinner before setting out on another excursion. Location, location, location! I stayed there two years ago and hope to return this summer. Enjoy London

Return to trip to London midMarch - there will be five in the group. Strongly considering renting an apartment/flat. Looking at Onefinestay or Connections... We are flying into Gatwick but open to areas of London -

Hearing horror stories worried who to book with - are these two good choices OR does anyone have positive experience with apartment rentals???

We stayed at the Holiday Inn in Kensington. It was a block from the tube station. It was not luxury, but nice. The rooms were very small, you would need two. The bathrooms, think cruise ship small.
We went on a soccer tour with our girls (they played) and we were put in this hotel. It worked fine for us. I know there are more centrally located places, but the hotel was nice, clean, had a decent breakfast and we hopped the tubes around town.
I would think it was a moderately priced place to stay. I honestly don't remember if there was a breakdown in costs for us.

We have booked through onefinestay; great service, I would definitely use them again. With teenage kids, much better to have a flat or house with more space than 2 hotel rooms. They give you an iphone with local information and free local calls and internet, for use during your stay.

For area, Marylebone is very nice; central, but with a 'local feel'. The Marylebone Hotel is good - rates vary, but I have found them good value for what they offer. There's a gym and indoor pool as well. Standard rooms are small - with a narrow double bed.