I checked out both the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury and Arran House. The price per night ranges between $175 and $95, including tax. WAY too expensive!

Correction: Between $175-195, including tax.

What do I consider reasonable? In the US, we can get a nice hotel for under $100 a night. That seems to be next to impossible in London.

Not in New York (or many other parts of the States) you can't. You can of course get a great double for $100 in Topeka or Barstow.

Time for a bit of a reality check -- you are talking about London - not some little town out in the country. It is just a fact of life - hotels are expensive in London (and in NYC, and in Tokyo, and in most major cities).

What did you think rooms cost in London? You CAN get a basic B&B for your $100 / £55, but w/o going priceline that is about all.

If you wait a couple of weeks you can try laterooms.com. Sometimes they have GREAT deals - but only for last minutes bookings -- w/i two weeks of arrival.

Here is a site that lists hotels and B&Bs by price or location: www.holidaycity.com/london50/index.html. Elizabeth House, one of the listings, got a good review for "basic accomodation" in my 2001 copy of Rick Steves' London guidebook. It's near Victoria Station.

Globerunner, London is expensive. If $175- $195/night, including a full breakfast, is "way too expensive", you have a challenge. Be sure you check the area where a really inexpensive place is located-- it might be dodgy.

We did find a place to stay. It is not the Elizabeth House, but it is near Victoria's Station. I can't remember the name off hand. And I did finally realize that I was being unrealistic with my expectations. Research proved that we will have to pay more than we are accustomed to stay in a central, decent location in London. I will let you know how the place was after our trip. Thanks for all your help! You guys are great!

My husband made reservations at the Cherry Court Hotel. I've read mixed reviews and am wondering how these people could possibly have stayed at the same place. Some say the place is dirty; others say it is spotless. One common complaint is that the rooms are very small. We may keep looking.

Globerunner - I'm sorry that Priceline won't work for you this time. I just booked 5 nights at the Thistle Marble Arch (using www.biddingfortravel.com for strategy) at $60 per night. With taxes, $363.43 for 5 nights in Feb. It also gets mixed reviews, mostly positive. I'm hopeful. Good luck with your search. London is so-o-o pricey.

Just one more thought. What if you made a 'regular'cancellable reservation? Then, a few days before the trip (if you are sure you are going), within your cancellation window (when you can cancel with no penalties), you could try Priceline to see if you can get something less expensive. The main drawback would be that you can't pick your exact hotel.

Since you choose your location, star level and price, you can ask for what you want and see if Priceline comes up with something. If not, you still have your reservation. If Priceline accepts your bid, you can cancel your 'regular' reservation with no penalty.

We just made reservations at a small hotel called Luna & Simone. It is resonably priced, close to Victoria Station & a bus route. It also received very good reviews on tripadvisor.com. I requested a room on a lower level to cut down on the stair climbing my DH would need to do since he recently had a hip replaced.

Sparks, I liked the sound of Luna & Simone better, so we made a reservation there, too. When are you going? We are going mid-March.