Another budget London thread, with an emphasis on lodging.
 

My 19 y.o. son and I are in the early stages of research to figure out whether it's economically feasible for us to spend two or three days in London in June. I know that we can find plenty to see for little or no cost. And the beating the pound thread was very encouraging in terms of cheap eats. So my major concern at this point is lodging.

My husband and I visited London in June of '82. We stayed in a guest house/B&B in North London (Lady Margaret Road, Tufnell Park) that was recommended by a co-worker. And it worked out very well for us. It was near a tube stop so we had no problems with transportation. The people who ran it were lovely. The breakfasts were great. And we had some very nice conversations with fellow guests.

But that was 27 years ago! Is a B&B/guest house a little ways out of the thick of things still a good way for us to go? What could we reasonably expect to spend for a place comparable to the one where we stayed back then?

And can anyone recommend a similar place that they liked?

Thanks!

I recommend looking here:
http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/

Note that with many of these accommodations you get the use of a kitchen, which will help cut your costs significantly.

I stayed at High Holburn House, and other posters here have stayed at Northumberland House.

I would go to the library and check out a copy of Let's Go Britain which is by far the best guide for low-cost accommodations.

I stay in a B&B in Eltham for 22 pounds with breakfast but with two people you may find some TravelLodge type hotels a bit out of the centre nearly as cheap.

Or consider University housing - again Let's Go a great source

I stayed in a B&B in Tufnell Park area that i booked thru B&B UK and it turned out to be a Bed Sit more than a B&B

Bedsit is where they lodge indigents and can be a half-way house

one night right outside my open window on the lower floor some nut case lost it and was banging on the door, yelling and going beserk - the padded wagon finally came and took him away.

Make sure it's a legit B&B IMO

I won't be the first one to suggest this, but I'd really encourage you to look into both Priceline (for bidding) and Hotwire (you book a room "blind", but it's fairly easy to figure out what you are booking)

"better bidding" and "bidding for travel" are two websites that will help you figure it all out.

I've had great success with booking hotels with Hotwire. I've used it threee times now and every time I was able to correctly guess what I was reserving.

Most recently, I stayed 3 nights at the Holiday Inn Camden Lock for the equivalent of 33 GBP per night for double room, breakfast not included.

I also just received an email notice from the Hoxton Hotel, over on Great Eastern Street in Hoxditch- you might want to check out their website. They're having another 1GBP sale on Janaury 29th (pretty much impossible to get though). They also have some room deals this spring, and pretty good prices over all. Breakfast included with all rooms, no matter what rate you book at:

http://www.hoxtonhotels.com/

Your 19 yr old might like staying in a neighbourhood like Camden or Hoxditch.

Thanks so much for the very prompt responses! I'll check out all of your suggestions.

One quick question about the bidding sites. I've read in the past that they're not as useful when you need more than one bed in the room. Is that still the case?

It depends how much risk you are willing to take, in respect to bidding on Priceline. I have always been able to get twin beds (on at least 7 bids, I think), and I think that's the most common bed configuration in London. But in theory, you could be denied that request.

Similarly, with Hotwire, if you enter a request for two people only, it's also possible you could be denied twin beds.

Thanks, WillTravel!

I was just looking at the YHA hostel site (after reading good things about them on the beating the Pound thread). I noticed that they require that children under 16 staying in a room with a parent be of the same sex as the parent. So I'm wondering whether my son and I would be allowed to share a room with twin beds? Obviously, it would be a lot more expensive if we had to book two rooms.

I tried to e-mail them with my question. But their e-mail form requires a post code and phone number and won't take my American ones.

I stayed at a couple of YHA's on my first trip to London in the early 90's...as I recall the rooms (dorm style) were segregated by sex. Do they have two person rooms now?

every single time I've used PriceLine in London, I've been asked at check-in if I wanted a double bed or twins.

If you were at all nervous about waiting til arrival - then as soon as you win a bid on PL, contact the hotel directly and request twin beds.

In my experience, many more travelers want a double/queen than twins so it is seldom a problem to get two beds.

Lenny, many of them have private rooms. The one I was looking at in York has rooms with two single beds.

Thanks again, Janis. I'd still prefer to go with a B&B than a hotel. But I'm open to exploring all my options.

I understand - lots of pluses to a B&B -- but just make sure you aren't very far out of the center. The added expense of travel in from outer tfl zones and the extra time for commuting can often eat up any savings.

Outside of London I almost always stay in B&Bs (unless renting a cottage for a week). But in London I rent flats except when I'm only there 2 or 3 days. Then I always use Priceline for a central hotel.

I stayed at Carr-Saunders Hall (LSE) in winter 2006 with my family. We paid about $60 USD for a large room that had two full-size beds (there were three of us). Booked online with a credit card. Prices may have changed since then. Check http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/reside...rrsaunders.htm
for details.

Check-in was smooth with no problems. Bathroom is down the hall, and breakfast included. It's a dormitory environment (clean but no frills, not a hotel). It was quiet when we stayed there, since it was the Christmas holidays.

http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/

I plan to book my reservation here again when I visit London in June.

Thank you, Nancicita. I see they have twin rooms. And very good rates! Was it a full breakfast?

Hi CAPH52

I visited London 7 times in the last 4 years. Of the 7 times, I did:
Priceline 5 times
Hotwire once
LSE dorm once

The most I have paid was about $120/n including tax & fees.

Overall, I find I can get a slightly better deal on PL over HW, but HW is slightly "easier" to deal with than bidding on PL.

The LSE dorm I stayed at was Northumberland House. It was fantastic because of its location. There's no way I can find a hotel in such good location via PL/HW for the same price. Of course, the downside is that it's very, very basic. The bathroom is super tiny, and I've stayed at many hotels with small bathrooms before. It has no amenities like phone, or electric kettle, or hairdryer which you would get at a 4* hotel via PL/HW. The dorm doesn't even provide soap, let alone shampoo.

But, as I've said, the location is unbeatable. It's great for me because I can easily go back to the room for a nap in late afternoon, before I head out for an opera. Other hotels I've stayed at via PL/HW always involve a ride on the bus or tube to return there for a rest.

Like Janis said, I'd avoid B&B in London. The cheap ones are really cheap, whereas the nicer ones are much more expensive.

Caph52, you can check out a copy of "Great Sleeps in London" by Sandra Gustafson from your library. She focuses on small hotels/B&B's/dorm rooms, with a preference to lodging that is O&O by locals. Then, look up reviews of these places on Trip Advisor. Many of these places have e-mail addresses, and you can find out more about their specific policies.

The dollar has slid considerably since my last visit to England last summer, and that exchange rate should help you have a low-budget trip. I'm so glad you are going.

Northumberland House (LSE) also seems like a good place for economic lodging. It looks newer than Carr-Saunders.

Source: http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/reside...humberland.htm

The accommodation is perfectly placed for all of the tourist attractions in central London- theatres, museums, galleries, Covent Garden and Regent Street are all within easy walking distance.

2009
Single Room £59
Twin or Double Room £79
Late Summer Deals - up to 30% off these rates

> Thank you, Nancicita. I see they have twin rooms. And very good rates! Was it a full breakfast?


It was a full breakfast buffet -- basic dorm cafeteria food. It's not fancy, but I'm grateful for any breakfast that's free. We had scrambled eggs, ham/sausages, toast, tea, coffee, milk, cereal, croquettes (I think that's what it's called), fried potatoes, yogurt, fruit.

I stayed there for two nighs between Christmas and New Years 2006 so it was very quiet at that time. There was nobody else on the same floor. There were only a few other people in the cafeteria during breakfast time.

Bathroom was clean. Yes, it is true that they do not provide soap. It's not a hotel, so it may not suit everyone. For the budget traveler, it's a great option!

nighs = nights

I have also stayed at Sundial Court (Guildhall School of Music & Drama) which is near the Barbican Arts Centre (Underground: Barbican stop) in August 2006. It's also a good economical option, and very similar to LSE dorms. I didn't have breakfast there, though. Rooms are clean and quiet. Bathrooms & showers down the hall. There's a sink in every room.

I like the fact that there's 24 hours security at the building.

http://www.gsmd.ac.uk/school/student...mmodation.html

Pictures and Rates:
http://www.gsmd.ac.uk/school/student...ial_court.html