I've down a lot of research and read all tips and message boards on the internet but I'm still confused. Please help me decide which is the best area to stay and WHY?, based on your own experience. <BR><BR>1. Nightsbridge<BR>2. Convent Garden/Mayfair<BR>3. Piccadilly Circus<BR>4. Kensington<BR>5. South Kensington<BR><BR>We're not into night clubs, but we always stay in a 'happening' exciting area with lots of restaurants, cafes, people watching etc.... We love to be central (right there in the middle of everything central, walk to places after dinner..etc

Any of the above. Not being flippant but ALL of the areas you list are "right there in the middle of everything central, walk to places after dinner, etc.." If you ask 10 people about which is THE best you will get 10 different answers. <BR><BR>BTW - Covent Garden and Mayfair are not the same or even near each other.

I LOVED the Strand area. We stayed at the Thistle Charing Cross and thought it the best location in London. We could walk to most of the major sites. We even had a nice view of the London Eye form our room. It was great!<BR>Judy

<BR>I am afraid that for an exciting and happening place none of your five are spot on. My list, starting with the best for your purposes, is this. <BR>Leicester Square (but a bit noisy)<BR>The Strand (just south of Convent Garden: I am listing these hotels to you by e-mail)<BR>Convent Garden<BR>Piccadilly Circus <BR>Mayfair (but not too close to the parks)<BR>Knightsbridge: 30 minutes walk to theatres or concert halls<BR>Kensington and South Kensington: a hour's walk to theatres or concert halls<BR><BR>So I agree with Judy.<BR><BR>Please write if I can help further, though I must say that I have not seen any hotel bedrooms in London, as I live here. Welcome to London.<BR><BR>Ben Haines<BR><BR><BR>http://www.royaladelphi.co.uk/index.htm<BR>http://www.demon.co.uk/hotel-uk/adelphi.html#<BR>Royal Adelphi Hotel. From &pound;45 or 80 inc breakfast<BR><BR>http://london.hotelguide.net/data/h100241.htm<BR>Strand Palace Hotel. &pound;159 to 199<BR>Also at discount &pound;57 any date in August <BR>and &pound;66 Fridays to Sundays all year <BR>on http://www.hotelsengland.com./<BR>Discounts also on http://www.travelnow.com/hotels/<BR>and on http://www.180096HOTEL.com<BR>Many rooms are small, but not all, so it is good to ask <BR>the room size before you book.<BR><BR>http://london.hotelguide.net/data/h100316.htm<BR>Charing Cross Thistle Hotel. &pound;190 to 255<BR><BR>http://london.hotelguide.net/data/h100486.htm<BR>Waldorf Meridien. &pound;210 to 495<BR>Also at discount &pound;165 any date in August <BR>and &pound;176 Fridays to Saturdays all year <BR>on http://www.hotelsengland.com./<BR><BR>http://London.hotelguide.net/data/h100119.htm<BR>Savoy Hotel. &pound;265 to 1190.<BR><BR>

My choice for what you want would be near Piccadilly Circus. It's dead-on close to the Theatre District (i.e. Shaftsbury Lane shoots off from P.C.), Leicester Square is just down the road, and Oxford Street in the opposite direction. Why: when I lived there, and we finished work, if we didn't hang about the pub closest to work, that's the area we'd head to. Close to Soho too. Good night-life in terms of people walking about, and restaurants, pubs, etc. all around. Get the theatre crowd too. Why also: my husband always wants to be "right there in the middle" too, and that's where he'd stay. You can also check out what's not sold out, get cheap tickets, and walk into a show (yes, you can wear jeans).

My favorite all time stay was in Mayfair, right across from Shepherds Mkt.But we also rented a flat in So Kensington and that was great.<BR>Knightsbridge is a little too busy,traffic,noise,crowded.Piccadilly the same.(JMHO