Another London Hotel Thread!
 

So I am hoping some folks might weigh in with any specific information or suggestions for our upcoming stay in London. We normally go with Priceline or try to work some other deal, but this time we are willing to spend more money than normal to get a really nice place exactly where we want to be.

Some criteria:
1) Looking to stay in or near Soho.
2) Willing to spend up to $500 per night or so.
3) Do not like "grand dame" type places.

Some options I've uncovered:
1) Soho Hotel - Great reviews. Perfect location. Pricey.
2) Bloomsbury Hotel - Good reviews. Decent location. Cheaper than other options.
3) One Aldwych - Good reviews. Nice amenities. Slightly lesser location?
4) W - Not the best reviews. We are SPG members (Gold), so earning points and the possibility of an upgrade. Pretty good location.
5) Hyatt Regency Churchill - Hyatt members (Platinum), so earning points, amenities, etc. Good reviews. Definitely a lesser location for our needs.

Thanks for everyone's replies.

What? With Priceline you don't necessarily get a really nice place where you want to be in huge London? Thank you for posting that info.

How long is this trip? Any chance an apartment in Soho would work for you?

<i>With Priceline you don't necessarily get a really nice place where you want to be in huge London?</i>

This should not be taken as a slight of Priceline. I don't think the compromises are any worse (indeed, I think they are less) with Priceline than with any other budget option. When someone comes here with a price range of $100-$200, then Priceline remains the best choice (IMO) and I will continue to recommend it. The difference in the advice I'm seeking and that sought by those recommended Priceline, is that I am willing to spend money to not have to compromise, while someone at $150 will be compromising no matter what route they take.

<i>How long is this trip?</i>

Two nights.

<i>Any chance an apartment in Soho would work for you?</i>

We don't normally use apartments, but if there was something particularly recommendable, I'm happy to check it out.

www.booking.com best honest reviews Hyatt best if money no object particularly since you are Gold Passport for 2 days
would go for that.

Agree that betterbidding.com Priceline/Hotwire can

yield up to 70% off usually prefer that to save for my

4 and 5 stars... I am not to picky...

Also good experience with Dolphin House londontown.com

Happy Hunting!

200 ft from Marble Arch, the elegant and luxurious Hyatt Churchill sample London’s vibrant nightlife in trendy Soho ... Booking.com will never charge your credit card. Best Price ...
http://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/hyat...ncy-london-the...

where I would go... or Dorchester if money was no object

or someone else was paying my fav place to stay at Hyde Park

http://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/the-...london.en.html -

Stay at the Soho! The Firmdale hotels are fabulous Another of their nearby properties is the Charlotte Street Hotel. Have stayed in both and you will not go wrong with either choice.

Forgot to add...also look at another Firmdale hotel, The Covent Garden. Probably their flagship hotel.

I agree w/ weekender. Soho is so close - I'd choose the Covent Carden myself. Or One Aldwych.

But if it must be in Soho -- then the Soho would be great. Haven't stayed there but have been in the public rooms.

I only know the public facilities of most hotels - given your criteria I would be drawn towards the Soho Hotel.

If you want to be in or near Soho, you can hardly beat its location.
Design-wise they get a lot of things right at this place - it's a good mixture of modern and traditional with a bit of determined used-look about it that makes it quite good.

If you don't like grand-dame places, the Hyatt Churchill may not be for you (it isn't for me). While I like most Hyatts (especially the International ones) and this one just completed a renovation, it remains a very traditional, old-school hotel. The rooms are slightly more modern in their designs and nice enough, but not very special. The lobby is all-crystal chandelier and dark wood tradition. Plus, the hotel is nowhere near Soho.

I like One Aldwych - not sure why you'd rank it as a lesser location.

The W is brand new and I hear its rooms are good, but it's in the middle of the Leicester Square, Covent Garden tourist mayhem which might get on my nerves.

my good friends just returned from a very happy stay at One Aldwych. They are fussy and pronounced it perfect. Why is it a lesser location in your view?

<i>I'd choose the Covent Carden myself. Or One Aldwych. </i>

From looking online, I liked the Soho the best of all the Firmdale Hotels, so anything particular that would have you choose the Covent Garden? One Aldwych looked good, but anything concrete you can point to that would push it over the Soho?

<i>Why is it a lesser location in your view?</i>

Wrong side of Soho. We will likely meet some friends for dinner and drinks on Saturday and we often tend to end up in Soho when we see them. We will also probably do some shopping - which means heading to Covent Garden on one side and Regent/Bond/South Molton/Selfridges on the other. It isn't a huge deal, but One Aldwych just isn't as central.

<i>Have stayed in both and you will not go wrong with either choice.</i>

I looked at the Charlotte Street, too. Any reason you would choose it over the Soho? Or are they largely comparable?

<i>If you don't like grand-dame places, the Hyatt Churchill may not be for you (it isn't for me).</i>

Thanks for that. I suspected as much, but kept it on the list because of the Gold Passport benefits.

If Gold Passport Benefits are of importance, I'd go with the Andaz.
.
I'd agree that if you want to be in Soho, the Soho Hotel's location is best. I like it because it's tucked away in a little cul-de-sac away from the mayhem.
That's why I'd prefer its location over that of the Covent Garden Hotel, too. Covent Garden generally is too touristy for my liking.
The Charlotte St. Hotel could be an option, though, as it's quite a good location for the numerous restaurants in its neighbourhood and is still central for shopping along Regent/Oxford St.

The Aldwych may have a more poished, but also slightly more generic appeal about it compared with the Soho or Charlotte St. Hotels. The one thing that might win me over is that it offers a pool, which as far as I am aware neither the Soho nor the Charlotte St. Hotel do.

I am reading this post with great interest since I am trying to decide between Soho/ Charlotte Street / Number 16. There is a pretty significant price difference for Number 16 .... Much lower. Can anyone comment on it or its location versus the other ?

While Number 16 has a great location in So. Kensington, it does not have the amenities of the other hotels as it is much smaller. ( Rooms are typically smaller, too.) The Soho has in excess of 90 rooms whereas the Charlotte Street has approx. 50 or so. Of the three, my preference would be the Charlotte Street.

My dates just changed a bit and now the SoHo is only a wee bit more than the Charlotte. I am going with the SoHo now! Thanks again for the advice. kelly