Trying to think ahead for the Fall...the Thistle Charing Cross sounds perfect but may be too much money for us. It's hard to tell as they don't post prices. In any case, they are full the dates I wanted.

Why don't they post priceson the net for the London hotels?

Need some recommendations. Are there others in this location too?..We prefer to pay for good location as it's hard for us to get around at night for restaurants. (age)

I would appreciate other sugggestions. We would be seeing Imperial War Museum, Tate Modern, Brisitsh Museum and some theaters, Churchill rooms, among other things.

Would spend what we have to up to $350. Thanks.

Hi lois,

I went to the Thistle site, plugged in some dates and got prices.

>..they are full the dates I wanted.<

Are you talking about next Fall? Prices aren't set yet.

Have you priced it using www.londontown.com?

Watch out on the websites that they're not quoting per person instead of per room. One site does that; could be Londontown, I don't recall.

Hi Ira..and others...yes talking about next Fall. I like to plan ahead.

Some of the sites said the hotel was not available on the days I wanted, but they did give me other hotels, so I am not sure if those dates are too far ahead..

For us, it's locatioin, location, location. I am reading Fodors and Frommers and I wish they would not talk about room decor so much...more on location needed.

Londontown does NOT quote rates as "per person"...their rates are per room.

It is probably NOT too early to reserve and with Londontown at elast you can cancel quite easily and there is no upfront payment required.

I would describe the Montague on the Gardens, where I've stayed twice, as being in a good location: it's in Bloomsbury, around the corner from the British Museum, and a two- or three-minute walk from the Russell Square tube station, from which it's very easy to get to the sites on your list. You can even walk from the Montague to the National Gallery and most West End theatres, if you don’t mind a walk of 15 minutes or so. (I’m a Manhattanite, so my definition of walking distance may be broader than many people’s.)

The Montague is sometimes available on Londontown.com, but I've discovered that you can usually get as good a rate, or better, on the hotel's own website (www.redcarnationhotels.com). I just entered some random dates in September 2007 on that website, and got a rate of £157 per night for a double room. After adding on the VAT, that’s just about at your price limit of $350 per night, assuming the exchange rate doesn’t get any worse between now and next fall.

Thank you for your help...I am going to book a hotel next week. I had looked at the Montegue...but your comments really solidify it.

Red Carnation Hotels also run some decent auctions on luxurylink.com but the really good auction prices won't show up until spring. Here are a few auctions running now and some are including beakfasts and upgraded lodging:

http://www.luxurylink.com/auctions/a...52916&nav=

http://www.luxurylink.com/auctions/a...52942&nav=

There's a few more different types of actions if you do a London search.

Ps, I won the Thistle Charring Cross two years ago on Priceline for $104/nt, that hotel has come up a lot in the past. I can't imagine paying full price for it. You can see winning bids at www.biddingfortravel.com. It was a very nice hotel and the location is excellent.

My mom and sister booked Montague on the Gardens through Laterooms.com and loved it.

I guess I need help...I don't understand what ;you mean by "I won that hotel on Priceline"...I thought ;you don't know what hotel you are bidding for.


Also...is the auction thing like ebay???...this is all new to me.

Thanks.

They find out what hotel they "won" immediately upon making a successful bid.

Take a look at biddingfortravel.com and it scroll down to LONDON to see what hotels are being "won" at what prices.

Not like eBay where you bid on a known item. On Priceline you bid for an unknown hotel of a ceratin star level in a specific geographic zone.

So if you know you want to stay in Westmister/Victoria and in a 4 star hotel, you'd bid in Westminster zone and 4 star and if they accept your bid you find out which hotel it is . . . .

Luxurylink.com is an auction site like Ebay but it specializes in travel only. They also have "buy it now" lodging with no bidding but it's not always the best deal.

You can get some excellent pricing if you know how to bid and don't get caught up in a bidding war (also like ebay). Have used them four times with no complaints via bidding. Hope this helps.

Yes it does...thanks. I will study them all..

This year, we stayed at a lovely Bed and Breakfast for around $104.00 just outside of London.

Last year, though, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum. I really liked it! That is a hotel that is on Priceline, though you can also get other hotels - we stayed one night (our last night) at the Copthorne Tara on Priceline and I was not impressed.

I loved the hotel Russell with all the buses just out the door, walk to British museum, hoborn etc.

I am trying the Mayfair this weekend to be walking distance from our favorite Indian restaurant and oxford, regent and bond streets.