Louise

I would like to know if this is a safe area to stay with a family could anyone advise me

Erin

Hi, <BR>I can only speak for the Paddington area...yes it is a safe part of London. About a month ago, my mother and I stayed at The Royal Sussex Hotel on Sussex Gardens (2 blocks from Paddington Station). We liked the area because it was close to a tube station servicing 4 lines, there weren't any hordes of tour groups and tour buses, plenty of places to eat, AND it was quiet. It's not as picturesque as other parts of London (Paddington Station is especially ugly), but if you are looking for inexpensive hotels, this is the place to be. All along Sussex Gardens are townhouses that have been converted into hotels. Although the rooms in our hotel weren't very big, the staff was very friendly and so were the other guests. Good Luck! <BR>

May

I have stayed at Bayswater in a friend's apartment and never felt unsafe. There are many restaurants in the area and many people about until late at night. I think it is quite a safe area. It's nowhere as posh as fashionable London but convenient.

Ivan Markov

I just came back from London where I stayed at Shakespeare's for 65 pounds per night. That was possibly the worst experience I had in London, with the exception of a cycling courier who almost run over me (my fault, looking the wrong direction). Indeed, these are OLD town houses and it's difficult to say when the last repairs took place. The so-called continental breakfast is so simple but nevertheless difficult to understand with the relatively low prices of food in London: a coffee, a toast, and an egg. O, yes, and a spoonful of orange peelings jam invariably. <BR> <BR>You may want to look for a better value for your $120 per night. <BR> <BR>Cheers, <BR> <BR>Ivan <BR>

Al

We first went with our kids to London 30 years ago and stayed in the Paddington area in an converted old townhouse for one pound per person per night. Them days are gone forever. But those townhouse hotels in the Sussex Gardens area are still there. Check out Frommer and see what he says.

Tim

Louise, <BR> <BR>My wife and I stayed at a hotel on the corner of Queens Garden and Leinster in Bayswater in August 1997. We were a 5-10 minute walk from both the Queensway and Lancaster Gate tube stations. We never felt unsafe and walked around a lot of the side streets in the area at night without any problems. The hotel staff did advise my wife to not carry her small purse in full view when walking around the area because of pickpockets. We heeded that advice and had no problems. Queensway is one of the main streets in Bayswater and has a lot of restaurants and was always busy with activity. From my experience there and talking with others, a lot of college students from the U.S. and other European countries stay in the Bayswater area when studying in London. <BR> <BR>I have to agree with Ivan with respect to the continental breakfast experience at our hotel. Warm watered down orange juice, warm milk with cereal, and somewhat stale bread seemed to be the norm at breakfast. We paid approximately $100/night for our room, but the hotel was very old and modest and lacked many of the amenities that most U.S. hotels provide for that price. <BR>However, it was quite adequate for our purposes - a place to bathe and sleep in between our touring! <BR> <BR>As for you, I don't think you should have any problems staying in the Bayswater/Paddington area. I have recommended the area to others, and I would have no reservations about staying in the area again. Have a great trip! <BR>