London - best area to stay?

Old Jun 1st, 2005, 08:15 AM
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London - best area to stay?

We are tryin to determine the best area to stay in in London.

When I use the term best - I mean the area where it is easiest to get to all the major sites (want to keep travel time to a minimum while in the city).

Is the areas around Victoria Station where we want to stay?

Thanks!
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Old Jun 1st, 2005, 11:15 AM
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Personally, we like the Russell Square/Bloomsbury area. London is a HUGE city and it sprawls, but this is probably as "centralized" as one can get. have fun.
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Old Jun 1st, 2005, 11:20 AM
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There is no one "best" area. The major sites are spread over a huge area and no single neighborhood is close to all, or even most, of them.

It is good to consider somewhere on or near the Piccadilly and/or Circle tube lines simply because they cross all of London and cross most of the other lines for transfers.

These areas would include (among others) South Kensington, Sloan Square, Victoria, Covent Garden, and Russell Square/Bloomsbury.

Or for higher end accomodations - Knightsbridge and Mayfair/Green Park.
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Old Jun 1st, 2005, 11:44 AM
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We are going to London very soon and I too was wondering where to stay. I had a chat friend that lives there so I aked him. His recommendation for us as tourists was to stay near the Tower of London and gave me the name of a hotel. "The Thistle Tower Hotel" is about $250 a night U.S. and as hotels go that's not bad for there.Good luck.
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Old Jun 1st, 2005, 12:43 PM
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I think that's probably a perfectly good hotel, but I wouldn't think of the Tower of London area as being ideal for first-time tourists.
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Old Jun 1st, 2005, 01:01 PM
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We're going back in September and staying at the Cherry Court Hotel, a B&B near Victoria Station. We're only paying $100/night ($55 british pounds) for a double.

It's a quiet street, helpful staff, and free Internet in the lobby. The rooms are small but clean and comfortable. In London, it's hard to find overly spacious rooms without paying a small fortune, but we never spend much time in the rooms anyway, and they do have private baths.

We were able to easily walk to buckingham palace, westminster, etc. from there.

Here's the web site

http://www.cherrycourthotel.co.uk/
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Old Jun 1st, 2005, 01:11 PM
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I was in London in October and we stayed at the Thistle Trafalgar Square.Very Good location-near Leister
Square, the theater, soho very easy to
get around walking. natjgc
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Old Jun 1st, 2005, 01:27 PM
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This message is mainly to Lovestoplay.

I live and work in London and although the Thistle Tower Hotel is supposed to be a good hotel, I wouldn't recommend that area as the best for a tourist visit to London.

All of the areas Janis mentioned are a much better location with the majority of the main sites much closer and with plenty more restaurants, theatres, bars for your evenings. There is much less going on around the Thistle Tower Hotel, particularly in the evenings.

Despite people saying London is a sprawling city, the central area is actually quite compact and getting around this central area is very quick and easy. However, I find the Tower location to be slightly away from this main central area.

What reasons were you given for staying here (apart from proximity to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London)?
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Old Jun 1st, 2005, 01:32 PM
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Re Thistle Tower Hotel, I stayed there recently and thought it was overpriced and nothing special. I agree about the area: it's near the East End which is fun to visit (Petticoat Lane, Spitalfields, Brick Lane) but not so good for going out in the evenings to theatres and movies. I'd also avoid Victoria, seems a bit seedy to me. Best option for price and convenience is Bloomsbury.
Gertie
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Old Jun 1st, 2005, 01:49 PM
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I've stayed in the Victoria Station area twice and in the Bayswater area twice and I prefer the Bayswater area. Tube stations for the District, Circle and Central Lines are there and these lines get you to most places very quickly. Also, buses run on Bayswater road and you can be in the more "central" areas in just a few minutes. Depending on where you are going, buses can be a better option than the tube, and if you have a travel pass you can use either (and if you don't have a travel pass, buses are cheaper). I also prefered the atmosphere of the Bayswater area, right there by Hyde Park/Kensington Garden. The victoria area might be just a tad more "central" but I don't think it makes that much difference.
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Old Jun 1st, 2005, 02:58 PM
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lovestoplay: The Tower Thistle is a decent hotel w/ terrific views. But it is a (MUCH) less than perfect location for a first ot third time visitor to London.

I lived in the UK for several years and have been to London more times than I can count and have stayed at the Tower Thistle twice. I chose it for specific reasons on those two trips and it was perfect for what I needed. This is to let you know I have no prejudice against the hotel.

But I am afraid your London chat friend must not know what he is talking about - it is a pretty inconvenient location for a tourist . . . . . .
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Old Jun 1st, 2005, 05:16 PM
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We've stayed in just about every mentioned area..Bloomsbury, Bayswater, Marylebone, Holborn, South Kensington, Kensington,Mayfair,Victoria..and for my money and the last 20 or so trips I really prefer the south Ken, Chelsea, Knightsbridge area ...wherever I can get a good deal on a suitable hotel. Good tube connections, easy access to the things that interest us, walking distance to many places, good cafes and pubs and shops and services!The tube is so wonderful that wherever you stay ...as long as it's not a hike to the station..you are not that far from anywhere.
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Old Jun 1st, 2005, 11:15 PM
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I rarely stay in London hotels.

But one area that's unaccountably been left off the suggestions above are the handful of hotels along the South Bank of the Thames, like the Travel Inn and the Marriott County Hall.

The area's within easy (and interesting) walking distance of many major sites and the colossal range of West End pubs, restaurants and theatres, with really outstanding views, almost totally traffic free, and handy for Waterloo (not only the station for Eurostar, but also the most accessible major tube station in the system, apart from Euston, if you've got luggage or aren't too nimble).

It doesn't have the "tourist ghetto" feel of Bloomsbury or Bayswater, because the area's full of things we all come and use ourselves. And it doesn't scream out for the lick of paint and a ton of re-pointing most of Victoria and Paddington could use
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Old Jun 2nd, 2005, 05:32 AM
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Actually the two County Hall hotels you mention are highly recommended on here all the time. But besides the Marriott and the Travel Inn there isn't much else to choose from in that area.

Because of the great location and reasonable rates the Travel Inn is often fully booked. And the Marriott is pretty expensive for the average traveler unless they are using Marriott points or maybe Priceline.

Both hotels are great choices -
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Old Jun 2nd, 2005, 06:03 AM
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Even with Priceline, Mariott County Hall is pretty expensive. For me.
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Old Jun 3rd, 2005, 07:47 AM
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I have stayed at

Marriott County Hall

Renaissance Chancery Court

The Chesterfield Mayfair

My favorit location and hotel is by far the Renaissance Chancery Court. The location is fantastic and there is a tube stop right down the street making it really easy to get around. Although we always walk as much as possible.

GL
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Old Jun 3rd, 2005, 09:08 AM
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I also agree with the choices of the County Hall location or Chancery Lane (used to work close to County Hall). It all depends on when your going and how much you want to spend. I lived in London for 15 years and would never send anybody to stay around Bayswater or Victoria for all the reasons mentioned about. It is a bit of a tourist grotto. If thats what you want then go for it -there is nothing wrong with it but if you want to be able to enjoy a little more to London then County Hall is v. good. The City Inn Hotel group is great. I haven't stayed at the one in London but have in Bristol and find them modern, clean, reasonably priced and a great breakfast. Here is a link to their website.

http://www.cityinn.com/index.htm

Also the Jurys Inn chain are good. They have one in Angel, Islington which is a nice area (used to live around here) full of shops, pubs etc but good for getting around London - very close to the city and good bus connections. Another great area to hang out in - Tony Blair used to live there before he became Prime Minister.

Here is there website.
http://www.jurys-london-hotels.com/jurysinn_london

Enjoy!
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Old Jun 3rd, 2005, 10:54 AM
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I appreciate all the tips! Could posters tell me whether the Hilton Trafalgar or the Green Park would be better?
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Old Jun 3rd, 2005, 11:58 AM
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On our first visit to London, we stayed at the Marriott County Hall, and loved both the hotel and the location. On our last visit, I didn't need a hotel, since a daughter now lives there, but Notting Hill has both a tube stop and buses, and I noticed many very nice hotels and bed and breakfasts. There are many hotels that are located along Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, which then have access to bus stops and tube stops, and the area is convenient and totally different from our first stay. I wouldn't want to stay right in the middle of the tourist area, unless you are very limited for time, and will only cover a limited area. The Thistle has several locations along Kensington Gardens, so if that hotel is of interest, I'd look into their other locations. I feel you'll miss the beauty and the many parks that abound if you stay in the heart of the city. One park in particular that I thought was beautiful, and more quiet, was Holland Park. This is an easy walk from Notting Hill or Kensington.
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Old Jun 4th, 2005, 05:13 PM
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I favor Bloomsbury/Russell Square or North Lambeth, near Waterloo Station. With the Tube, it really doesn't matter that much anyways.
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