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Need accommodation advice for staying in central London

Need accommodation advice for staying in central London

Old May 2nd, 2016, 11:03 AM
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Need accommodation advice for staying in central London

I will be flying into Gatwick and am interested in accommodations in the central London area. I found a number of places that were in Bayswater, Earl's Court, (Kensington area) which as I remember is nice. I
We are 5 people total (3 adults and two children) BUT the places can not accommodate us in a large suite or room. We'd have to book two or three rooms.

Also if you have any suggestions on travel from Gatwick into London.

thursdaysd mentioned staying at Grosvenor House on Drury Lane. I will check that out as well.
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Old May 2nd, 2016, 11:21 AM
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I personally would not stay in any of those areas . . . especially w/ arrival at (and I assume departure from) Gatwick.

And most especially not Bayswater.

You can get into basically three areas of Central London by direct train from LGW. Victoria, London Bridge, and Kings Cross/St Pancras ( a few other places too but these are the most convenient for sightseeing). Or, if you want to stay in a different area -- if you find a place on the Victoria, or Piccadilly tube lines you'll be w/i easy commute of either Victoria or Kings Cross/St Pancras

I'd choose either around Victoria or in Bloomsbury for easiest - but there are tones of other places. Covent Garden (the Drury Lane area) is VERY central.

What is your budget? How long are you in London? If more than just a few nights, I'd definitely look into renting a flat.
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Old May 2nd, 2016, 11:30 AM
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Thanks so much janisj. We'll be there for 4-5 nights so maybe a flat would be much cheaper. Should I check out AirBnB? I'd like to pay around $150 - $200 USD if possible. I've seen a number of hotels in that range, I can pay a little more if need be.

Victoria, London Bridge & Kings Cross/S. Pancras - will check these areas out.

What is the best way to travel from Gatwick? As I recall (many years ago) we traveled by train I believe into London. More recently we've always traveled via Heathrow.
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Old May 2nd, 2016, 11:43 AM
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Patrick London and thursdaysd also mentioned staying in dorm rooms at London School of Economics. Any thoughts?
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Old May 2nd, 2016, 11:52 AM
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>>What is the best way to travel from Gatwick?
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Old May 2nd, 2016, 11:55 AM
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Even $200 USD would be great for the 5 of us. I will check out both options (LSE and the University of London). Your advice has been very helpful. Cheers.
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Old May 2nd, 2016, 12:17 PM
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$200/£135 for TWO rooms to accommodate all 5 of you is quite unrealistic, nanabee. Even per room it's on the lower end for central London.
What are your dates?
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Old May 2nd, 2016, 01:06 PM
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Please ask yourself THIS question: is where I end up staying going to be driven by reaching it from Gatwick? Depending on how you agree to travel, you should be able to get anywhere in London from Gatwick. There's the Tube, buses, and taxi cabs once you reach the city by rail.
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Old May 2nd, 2016, 01:19 PM
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Thanks Dukey I think as janis mentioned I can take the train and which train will depend on where I finally make plans to stay.

Seamus I thought so too, but there are surprisingly many places I've seen on Trip Advisor for around $185 to $200. These traditional hotels have small rooms and may not accommodate 5 people without getting two rooms. But also as a few people have mentioned they've stayed at LSE and U of London which some rooms can accommodate larger numbers for around 50 pounds (give or take range).

I familiar with staying in university dorms and for our purposes it makes sense this trip ... if it works out.

We'll be staying for about 4 or 5 days end of June.
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Old May 2nd, 2016, 01:36 PM
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if you want to book at LSE roosm are filling fast for june

http://www.lsevacations.co.uk
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Old May 2nd, 2016, 01:45 PM
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Yikes, I think there is just one or two rooms left! I can't confirm until I hear back from family (and they are a 10 hour time difference away).
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Old May 2nd, 2016, 01:55 PM
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I'm also waiting for information from the U of London.
In the meantime if anyone has further suggestions for central London hotels and or AirBnB I would appreciate any additional advice.
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Old May 2nd, 2016, 06:10 PM
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When the LSE rooms are unavailable I usually stay at Ridgemount on Gower St. There are several other B&Bs on that street and it's convenient for the Picadilly line, buses and the British Museum.
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Old May 5th, 2016, 02:29 PM
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I emailed the U of London but they said they only allowed students to stay in the dorm rooms and visitors could stay for up to 8 days but had to be sponsored by or a guest of the student.

I wish I could find out more but it is hard to speak to someone directly because of the time difference.

Thanks thrusdaysd.
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Old May 5th, 2016, 03:00 PM
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LSE has an eight day limit too, but there's no reason to email them. You can book through the website.
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Old May 5th, 2016, 03:42 PM
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is this the site you used for UoL? http://vacations.london.ac.uk

no need to phone and no 'sponsorships' required.

Same as LSE and a few others -- regular on-line booking just like a hotel or hostel.
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Old May 5th, 2016, 05:58 PM
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Check the Citadines apartments. I am not sure, however, if they would be in your price range.
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Old May 15th, 2016, 11:25 AM
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Thanks again.
Janis your UoL information is great. I tried to book for the dates we will be there but the response was it wasn't available.
I will continue to check because sometimes something comes up at the last minute. Should I or can I call to inquire?

Any other suggestions for Airbnb? We are a family of 5 (3 adults two elemen. age kids).

As far as central London hotels DD would like something off the main street and fragrance free. Any suggestions?

KTravel will check -- it's basically a turn around (5 days) so we don't want anything expensive. Prefer 150 to 200 Euros per night.
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Old May 15th, 2016, 11:34 AM
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Try: http://www.universityrooms.com/en/city/london/home/
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Old May 15th, 2016, 11:55 AM
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My suggestion would be a two bed apartment. Look on Owners Direct or Holiday Lettings. Booking.com also has a section for apartment bookings. We stayed close to the Tower of London last time in a modern apartment and found getting around very easy from there. We used mostly the buses and the Thames boats and occasionally the tube. The South bank is also somewhere many people don't consider. I love being close to the Thames - so lovely to walk along there after a busy days sightseeing and stop for a drink at one of the pubs. We caught a taxi (booked on line) from London to Gatwick. For 5 people it is a no brainer!
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