3 or 4 nights in London maybe?? Dumb??
 

Here's an idea I am currently contemplating. Please give me your honest opinions.

I am from the US and am giving serious thought to a 9-day comprehensive tour of Jordan. Normally when doing a tour like this I would arrive a couple days early and explore on my own and get over my jet lag while I can be on my own schedule. But, Amman doesn't look particularly interesting, and my tour includes a half day in Amman plus every possible day trip out of Amman. Obviously, I can't look at other nearby large cities that I might be able to consider in normal times.

So I started thinking about using London as a place to at least deal with some jet lag. Amman is still a 3 hour time difference from London though.

Despite having visited about 40 countries, I have never been to London. This would not be a blitz visit to see the London sights. Rather it would be a gentle transition and perhaps even a scouting trip for a long London visit. I'd need to be in a neighborhood that has convenient public transportation to Heathrow. A nice neighborhood for walking and exploring, with easy access to public transportation if I decided to see some museums or other tourist sites. Perhaps in an area where there are lovely parks or green space. I often find that I enjoy just walking and browsing interesting local areas as much as I enjoy the typical tourist places. This would be around April 1 so I am assuming some things should be green and blooming.

What do you think? Any recommended areas to stay? I don't like big, fancy business hotels and much prefer something smaller, quainter and more intimate. And safe! Air B&B even. I don't need nice restaurants and often prefer take-out or small hole-in-the-wall places.

What do you think? A feasible idea or forget it because it would be a huge hassle just getting to the airport? (I have thought about doing the same in Dublin too since I have never been there.)

Thanks for the help.

I am just about to leave for the airport for a 4 1/2 day trip to . . . London. I can't believe you've not been before. :)

I think that would be a great idea. For that short a visit I'd probably stick to a hotel . . . especially since this is your first visit. A concierge can be a great help finding things and giving recommendations. There are literally countless great central neighborhoods. For a first timer I'd be looking in Sloane Square, South Kensington, St James's, Belgravia, Victoria/Pimlico, Covent Garden, Bloomsbury/Russell Square, and Fitzrovia. There are other really nice neigborhoods but not quite as central . . . Notting Hill, Kensington, Marylebone and lots more. What is your budget??

. . . I'll be pretty much incommunicado for the next 19+ hours but others will have suggestions

This is not a personal recommendation but it comes from my sister, who visits London often with her husband.

Lately they have been staying at Duke's, and she has raved about the place to me; I don't know the price, but my sister does have very good taste in hotels, usually picking small, homey places, not huge business hotels. Location looks ideal. But do check as she told me after her stay last year that they would be renovating.....

https://www.dukeshotel.com

Duke's is a really lovely property -- on the pricey side though. Now I REALLY have to get to the airport :)

It’s a great property but I think it said it was closed for renovation until fall 2025. Not sure when the op’s trip is taking place.

We stayed at Raddison Blu on Mercer street in Covent garden and loved the location. Close to great restaurants, museums and theatre. Have also stayed at the Hoxton Holborn which is more of a scene but preferred first hotel.

Before the Covid plague, we stayed at the Residence Hotel (it was named Nadler then) near the Earls Court tube station. The rooms were nice and had a closet kitchen. Earls Court station is a straight shot to and from Heathrow, no stairs, and connects neatly to other tube lines. The hotel is a short walk to Hyde Park. There is also a Premier Inn right there which may be cheaper. Plenty of restaurants and take out shops in the neighborhood, but my info on them is out of date. I have a trip report: https://www.fodors.com/community/sho....php?t=1658960

So thus far it seems all of you think this is a feasible idea. I am going to look into all of your suggestions. I know absolutely zero about London so am starting from square one. I think good access to the tube for going to the airport is probably my number 1 non-negotiable need.

And, yes, Duke's will be closed for renovation when I would be there (early April this year; I don't plan way ahead as so many of you do.)
I am flexible on price but don't need or want to go super deluxe. Maybe $300. I ended up at $400 in Amsterdam this summer which was more than I wanted to pay, but I think I read that Amsterdam is even more pricey than London. I am fine with a guesthouse or B&B that is memorable and has charm (and a fridge). Frankly, I don't need all the staff a big hotel usually has on hand.

Thanks all.

I’m at SMF waiting for my first flight in a few mins. $300 is doable but not in any sort of ‘posh’ hotel. If you click on my screen name you will find MANY London trip reports maybe 15 or 20 - almost all in different hotels. For that price range I’d start looking either on booking.com or at the many PremierInns scattered all over the city

London is never a dumb idea! ‼️ Have a wonderful visit!

I think it's a fantastic idea. London is the best city in the world. Make sure the get your ETA before leaving, as it's now required to enter the UK. And use the official site, as there are some oddball sites with extra fees. The cost is £10. The app is very quirky so you might have to do it online instead.

I would post a link to the site, but being tech challenged, I can't seem to do that on my phone.🤒

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-fo...horisation-eta

I think this is it.

I'm not allowed to say why I might be against this.

Bilbo--Why aren't you allowed to say? And what is it you have to say?

I knew nothing about the ETA.

I'm afraid there are a lot of people who don't know about the ETA. Europe is about to do the same, but I don't know the start date, as the website only says mid 2025.

Bilbo sort of thinks no one should fly 'for the fun of it'. His 'not allowed' is only for when he gets too preachy ;)

I have arrived in London and am ensconced in The Conrad St James's and about to head out for dinner (only slightly jet lagged) and I don't feel one bit guilty about flying across the pond. Really

Not even a bit preachy.

Nothing against fun. But not allowed to explain.

If you belong to any hotel loyaty groups, always pays to check to see if you have points you can use. Although I didn't have enough points for comp room anywhere back in 2023, I did end up at Doubletree West End to pick up more Hilton points. Business hotel that was in a good location as between Russell Square and Holborn tube stops and we mostly used Holborn. Our room wasn't cozy or especially old world kind of charming but it was immaculate. I upgraded for a large deluxe room so we had a comfortable and quiet room. There were plenty of cafes nearby and pretty much we stuck to those cafes for breakfast. Easy walk to British Museum as well as restaurants. Could have walked to Covent Garden as well but was too rainy the night we had made dinner reservations at a place there

If you click on my user name, you will find a London trip report--we were there for a week and had a great time!

janisj I had no idea you were such a London aficionado! I am slowly working my way back looking at some of your trip reports to see where you stayed.

StantonHyde I took a look at your trip report, and one thing instantly jumped out at me that I had completely forgotten about (and know a lot about from past experiences). What to do with luggage if renting an apartment and arriving earlier than check in. Obviously, that's not an issue when using hotels.

So, I have lots to think about (first of all to make sure I absolutely am going to do this). And, using booking.com there are a gazillion hits for my dates so how to narrow all those choices down is another challenge.

Thanks for all the assistance.

London is my favourite big city in the world. I love the LIme Tree Hotel in Belgravia, it is small and charming and I looked at room rates for beginning of April and it is within your budget but it books up fast. There are good restaurants around and some nice independent shops, buses outside and the tube is nearby, you can walk up to Sloane Square in ten minutes.
I also love Sloane Square and have stayed at the Sloane Square Hotel which overlooks the square, great location, the hotel is nice, maybe not as nice as the Lime Tree but good. If you are feeling energetic you can walk from both of these hotels up to South Kensington and museums etc.
Marylebone is another area I like to stay, you are close to Oxford St, Mayfair etc there.
Hope you enjoy London.

Now I am a bit overwhelmed since I know nothing about the city or its layout.

I googled tube stops with direct access to Heathrow and found a suggestion for Earl's court area. So, I did a very quick search for hotels/apartments and came across this one as an example of something that could work.

https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/templeton-place.html

What about the neighborhood it's in? Would it fit my desires as described above? " I'd need to be in a neighborhood that has convenient public transportation to Heathrow. A nice neighborhood for walking and exploring, with easy access to public transportation if I decided to see some museums or other tourist sites. Perhaps in an area where there are lovely parks or green space. I often find that I enjoy just walking and browsing interesting local areas as much as I enjoy the typical tourist places."

Should I truly be looking for a place to stay that is on the direct line to the airport? If I had to choose, I'd probably opt for interesting neighborhood most of all. But, I also wouldn't want to stay in a place where it's a huge hassle and a long time to get to the airport. In a place like London where there's great public transportation, I am a public transportation to the airport type of person.

raincitygirl I took a look at the Lime Tree, and it does look very nice. But, it doesn't have a fridge, and that is something I want for a multiple night stay. Thanks for the suggestion. Is this neighborhood easily accessed to get to the airport?

A couple of thoughts that might be a departure from others' ideas...

Look at Windsor as a possible alternative to central London. If one of the reasons for this layover is to overcome jetlag and be ready for Jordan, then maybe going with a less hectic setting, albeit one with plenty of history, fabulous walks, affordable lodging choices... might fill the bill.

Windsor is very close to Heathrow and IMO is an ideal substitute for a short layover compared to the central metropolis. Just a thought, anyway.

We are just back from an 8-night trip to London. We had great weather (for January) no rain! Anyways, we have visited the city several times and our favorite place to stay is the Chesterfield Mayfair. It is about 2 blocks from Green Park station which has 3 lines running (Jubilee, Piccadilly, Victoria) so transport around to the sights is easy. Easy access to Green Park, Hyde Park, Mount Street Gardens. One block from Shepherd Market - a pedestrian area filled with pubs, restaurants & shops. We love the Chesterfield Mayfair and have stayed several times.

https://chesterfieldmayfair.com/
https://www.shepherdmarket.com/
https://mayfairfoodie.com/restaurant...arket-mayfair/

Bette I checked out the Chesterfield Mayfair. It's lovely but a tad more than I was hoping to spend. And, it doesn't have a fridge, which is a bottom line requirement for me for a stay of a couple days.

Gardyloo Your idea is really, really intriguing. At one point I had thought about a smaller place like Bath or Oxford thinking a smaller place might be just the ticket. Then I looked up their locations and realized why they wouldn't work. So, I am definitely going to give Windsor a hard look.

Just very quick -- back from the most expensive lunch I've ever had (and truly worth it . . . finally made it to HIDE and alllthe hype is warranted - cold sandwich from M&S for dinner :) )

Anyway as direct access to/from LHR do not limit yourself to Earls Court for sure. Yes, the Piccadilly line does hit Earls Court but also nicer areas all along the route. But also anyplace along the Circle or District Line (thats what you'd use for the Lime Tree rialtogirl suggested -- wonderful property BTW). Circle/District isn't on the Piccadilly line but has the easiest ever transfer at Hammersmith -- literally a 30 foot stroll across the same platform so just as convenient as anything on the Piccadilly Line.

And then there is the Elizabeth Line which is the fastest way between LHR and central London. So Bond Street, Tottenham Court Rd, Farringdon, etc. are also in the running.

Don't get me wrong, Earls Court is fine, but there are about 20 neighborhoods with good LHR access that are 'fine-er'

I can't believe it! Overnight roundtrip airfare US to London in economy for the flights I was thinking about went up $400! This is still 2+ months out, and I know how to play the wait for prices to change game. This though is ridiculous.

I have found that waiting for airfare prices to drop is not a good thing, in my experience recently they tend to go up the longer you wait. I'm in Canada, maybe it's just us but ever since covid that has been my experience. If you see a fare you can live with, best to book it right then and there.

Yes, I believe you can take the National Express to Victoria Coach station and then it's a 3-5 minute walk. Victoria station is very near the hotel.
I think there are better neighbourhoods than Earl's Court personally.
In terms of the fridge in the room I could swear there was a mini fridge in my room as I bought some snacks from the lovely but a bit $ Italian shop next door. Maybe email the hotel and ask?

If you want a hotel with a kitchenette, the Resident Hotels all have a frig, microwave and sink, and are all highly rated on that other travel forum. They're having their January sale for members (free sign up), so rates are better. I've stayed multiple times at the Resident Kensington and the Resident Victoria, and really like their rooms. I've never stayed at the Resident Covent Garden or Soho, as they're always higher than I need to spend.
https://www.residenthotels.com/edinb...xoCA8AQAvD_BwE

You might also look at the Locke apart-hotel https://www.lockeliving.com/en/london/ember-locke. I've NOT stayed there, but I'd bookmarked it for future looks.

When staying in Earl's Court, I enjoy walking all over the residential areas of South Kensington, up to that "museum row" and Hyde Park, or south to posh Chelsea. And then on the way home, bringing back some elderflower drinks and cheese and crackers for the room. Also, I often head to West London attractions, like Kew, Chiswick House, Syon Park. So your templeton place apartment looks very convenient to me. That being said, I do find myself logging 8-12 miles/day when I stay in that area because I prefer to walk and wander rather than be underground on the tube, (which sounds like you), as opposed to when I stay in Covent Garden or Westminster, which is just so much more "central" to a lot of places I'd visit.

However, as Janis mentions, anywhere on the Piccadily or Circle/District line is very easy to LHR (b/c that Hammersmith connection is so simple). As is the Elizabeth Line.

I'd probably recommend the Resident Covent Garden or Resident Soho for you, as this is your first trip. You'll have no trouble finding green spaces because London has wonderful parks everywhere. Covent Garden/Soho is very well-positioned for a tourist. Or Westminster and Victoria for all the pomp. Or Russell Square for the British Museum. (If you're going to Jordan, I'm assuming a passion for ancient civilizations, so even though this will be a slow-travel visit to London, a trip to the British Museum would seem to be must. The Rosetta Stone alone is worth the visit, no matter how you feel about the controversy over its repatriation.)

Best of luck deciding, and have fun planning!

I see AJPeabody is also a fan. I'd stayed there when it was the base2stay, then the Nadler, and finally the Resident. It's really a very comfortable, clean, quiet place to stay. It's definitely very easy to Heathrow, though I admit the Elizabeth Line from Tottenham Court Road to LHR was pretty wonderful.

Janisj is THE aficionado for England & Scotland around these parts! ;) You can't go wrong following her advice.

This trip sounds like a great idea! It shouldn't be a huge hassle to get to the airport, and you can have a really great time in London with 3 or 4 nights.

Let me suggest the Bayswater area--not expensive and right near Paddington station, which means you can either take the Heathrow Express or the cheaper and barely slower Elizabeth line on the Tube. In total there are four different Tube lines in the area that will all bring you to major tourist attractions. There are lots of grocery stores in Bayswater (check out their 4-6 pound meal deals for a great quick meal) and quick-service restaurants and Hyde Park (and Kensington Palace!) are an easy walk away, as is Notting Hill, which is a beautiful neighborhood (but more expensive and less convenient than Bayswater to stay in). I would recommend the Kensington Gardens Hotel (9 Kensington Gardens Square, London W2 4BH) which is in a garden square but walkable to everything nearby, but if it's booked out there are lots of other options.

Ah shucks ☺️ There are a lot of UK experts/fans on Fodors. Few willing to fly from the west coast for 4 days -- I'll grant you that LOL.

I really appreciate the advice all of you have given me, but now I have more questions. (I did look at gardyloo's idea of Windsor but have decided to make this a 4 night stay, and there isn't enough in Windsor for 4 nights.)

"I'd need to be in a neighborhood that has convenient public transportation to Heathrow. A nice neighborhood for walking and exploring, with easy access to public transportation if I decided to see some museums or other tourist sites. Perhaps in an area where there are lovely parks or green space. I often find that I enjoy just walking and browsing interesting local areas as much as I enjoy the typical tourist places." In addition to my original requirements, I guess I forgot to add that I would definitely pick a quieter more residential area with a few local shops and restaurants over a more typical tourist neighborhood that is hopping with shops, souvenir stores, restaurants and bars. I really like to just walk through neighborhoods and look at how people live. I don't want noisy, busy areas aimed at tourists. And, for airport access I don't want to be dragging my suitcase more than about 4 blocks or so to the tube station, especially since it very definitely could be raining.

Many of you have made great suggestions that I have added to my list of definite possibilities, so I not asking about those right now. As janis had originally suggested, I been browsing on booking.com and here's what I have so far.

All of these places passed a quick first pass through, but I haven't looked at them in depth. For most (but not all) I would be looking probably at the mid-range rooms rather than the cheapest and smallest. Can you please give me some advice on whether these locations (not lodging itself) should be eliminated or elevated in my rankings based on their environment or general ambience? And, please tell me if there are other areas I should definitely be looking at to mesh with my requirements.


Kensington & Chelsea area

City Prime Apartments https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/collingham-prime.html? Earls Court 1350 ft. & Gloucester Road Tube Station 1800 ft.

Templeton Place https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/templeton-place.html? Earls Court 800 ft, West Brompton Tube Station
2,600 ft

The Bailey's Hotel https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/mil...nsington.html? Gloucester Road Tube Station 750 ft, South Kensington Tube Station 2,150 ft

The Harrington https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/the-harrington.html? Gloucester Road 600 ft., South Kensington Tube 2000 ft

5400 Queen's Gate Hotel https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/queensgate.html? Gloucester Road 1500 ft., South Kensington Tube 2100 ft

Sloane Avenue, Chelsea and Kensington

Nell Gwynn House https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/nell-gwynn-house.html? Sloane Tube 2550 ft., South Kensington 2200 ft.

Westminster

Tophams Hotel https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/the-tophams.html? Victoria Station 1200 ft., Sloane Tube .7 miles

Citadines Trafalgar Square https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/cit...rafalgar.html? Charing Cross 600 ft., Embankment Tube 700 ft.

I’m sitting at the interval of Pirates so can’t read your whole post right now - will when I get back to the hotel. But suffice it to say there are 20+ neighborhoods that would work for you. Understanding that London is ENORMOUS and no neighborhood is strictly residential and most can be a bit touristy. And several have good connections to LHR. More later

So Nell Gwynne house is in Chelsea which I love because it is more of a residential neighbourhood, albeit with nice restaurants and shops especially around Sloane Square and on the King's Road. The buildings are beautiful, there are small pocket parks, the people watching is good, it's an upmarket neighbourhood but not intimidating if that makes sense. You have good transportation from there and if you are energetic you can walk to lots of places from there. However in this area I still prefer Sloane Square hotel or the Lime tree which I mentioned to you before. But that is just me and my preference. This place could suit you and your requirements well.

The first four I wouldn't stay at just because that end of the Cromwell Road is busy, it's not as charming, I just don't care for it as much as other areas. There's nothing bad about it in terms of safety etc it is just not very appealing. Maybe down the side streets, but where those hotels/apts seem to be situated, it's not appealing to me. I went to the Design museum there last year to a very good exhibit and remember thinking I'm glad I didn't stay here. Lots of traffic.
Queen's Gate, maybe, it's a little further into South Ken but still on Gloucester Road, going to be very busy with traffic etc.

Tophams Hotel, not bad at all, looks to be very handy to Victoria station but again the LIme Tree is close by and from memory where it sits is just a bit more charming and appealing. But that is probably me being really picky. Aesthetics matter to me a lot. I think this one would be just fine for ticking your boxes.

Citadines Trafalgar Square is going to be different to those mentioned above in that it is close and handy to lots of museums, art galleries etc and you do have some nice parks there and can walk along the river but it is not going to be as "residential neighbourhoody" in feel as the others I like. However, it's a really interesting area with lots to see and look at and when you get tired there are the parks to duck into. It will be busy there and loads of other tourists but if I was going to pick "busy" it would be this one over the first 4 or 5, especially when you haven't been to London before.
I only looked at location, not the properties themselves.

Can't add much to what raincitygirl posted. And ditto almost all of it.

re Nell G. House: I've stayed there twice but last time was years ago -- maybe 15+?? So I can't advise re current management etc. Anyyway there are all sorts of units from tiny studios to large flats. It is midway between South Kensington and Sloane Square tube stations. Not that close to either one a bit over 10 minutes walk to each.

Tophams is towards the top end of Ebury Street so a bit shorter walk to Victoria station than is the Lime Tree. Another place to checkin Ebury Street is B&B Belgravia. Terrific food. Rooms are in two different buildings two doors apart but breakfast is served in their main bldg.

The Citadines is a very short walk - like 3 mins / 4 mins with luggage - from Embankment station which is the one you'd use traveling in from LHR (after changing at Hammersmith)

I have only stayed at one on your list which is the Citadines at Trafalgar Square but that was at least 10 years ago. Good location near the river but no parks nearby. I have stayed at the Holborn Citadines several times over the last 10 years. Good location close to the tube/Piccadilly line straight to LHR. Newly renovated but have not stayed there recently.
I do like the Citadines for the price for a decent size room with a small kitchen and self service laundry in the building. Ikea quality but pleasant. Did spend a few nights at the Holborn Hoxton last month but would not stay there again. Small rooms even though we had the largest with 3 star like quality. Poor value. Good although expensive breakfast.
Busy bar scene at night but noise did not carry.

Booking.com has filters that let you set price range and many other requirements. You can also put a neighborhood or point of interest in the search bar.

For example, instead of just requesting hotels in London, I put "London Earl's Court tube station". (I've never stayed in that area, but Janis mentioned that it was very convenient for transportation to Heathrow.) Under filters, I requested an 8 or more score for guest ratings. (The guest ratings are quite reliable on booking.com, because only verified guests are allowed to post a review, and only after they've been verified to have stayed there.)

There are many other possible filters, and you can see how much each will restrict the field. I didn't do any in-depth search of the results, but this hotel jumped out to me:

The Mornington Hotel
https://www.booking.com/Share-D1KkPq
​​​It looks like the kind of hotel you're looking for.

I haven't flown into Heathrow in a long time, but when I did, I used to stay in the Victoria area. There was one change of stations to get there, but it was a very easy change, just walking to the other side of the platform. It was a convenient neighborhood for sightseeing and an easy walk from St. James' Park.