Budget London accommodation
 

We're arriving Heathrow 19 Sept and would like to spend three nights in or near London. Would we be better off finding something out of of the city (and close to Heathrow) and travel in each day by the tube or finding something closer to the city?
I stayed in Knightsbridge many years ago and found that a great location but think it might be out of our price range these days.
Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Definitely stay in the city. Commuting from/to Heathrow each day is expensive and time-consuming. There are literally hundreds of threads on this forum with info on hotels/areas in London, but you'll need to tell us what your budget is in £ to get specific help.

Do not waste a couple of hours each day - and a not inconsiderable amount of money - rather than staying in the city - where you can walk out the door and start seeing sights immediately.

What is your budget?

Have you considered Priceline? We got a ****hotel near Gloucester Rd tube station for 105 USD. Will use PL again for our September London visit.

What is 'we'? A couple, a family, a group? Priceline only works for doubles - though Hotwire is comparable and works for various bed/room configurations.

Staying near LHR for one night before an early morning flight can make sense. But for a longer layover like yours - it makes no sense at all.

And yes, we do need your budget.

What is 'we'? A couple, a family, a group? Priceline only works for doubles - though Hotwire is comparable and works for various bed/room configurations.

Staying near LHR for one night before an early morning flight can make sense. But for a longer layover like yours - it makes no sense at all.

And yes, we do need your budget.

sorry for the double post - the sit went offline briefly while I was posting and neither post showed up when it came back up.

jeezelouise . . . the sit<B>e</B> went offline . . .

I recommend B&B Belgravia on Ebury Street. It is centrally located and reasonable.We have also stayed at their studio apartments which we found lacking. The studio we had was no larger that the room at their main location and you miss out on their wonderful breakfasts. It is also walking distance to the Thomas Cubbitt, my favorite gastro-pub for Sunday lunch.

Number Sixteen in Knightsbridge is also a good choice. Not exactly budget, but also not crazy expensive. We have enjoyed our stays here.

I second B&BBelgravia for sure.

>>It is also walking distance to the Thomas Cubbitt<< Heck w/ the pub, it is walking distance from William Curley Chocolatier! :)

Janis, you are my kind of girl!!

Hey! Thanks for all your responses! I'm very new to Fodors and am thrilled with all the help offered. 'We' is my husband and I. Our budget would be around £100 I think, if we can find something reasonable for that. Will google B&B Belgravia. It's fun checking out other threads too. I've already picked up a few little gems. Cheers.

Welcome.
And oh, boy, London! You will have a blast.

You might have a look at AtHomeinLondon, an agency that handles "real" bed and breakfasts (1 or 2 rooms in a private home). We used them twice most happily for around your budget or less. Some of the properties might require a longer stay, but you could have a look.

The above advice is terrific; staying pretty near the city center and "near" (that's relative!) a Tube stop will end up saving you so much as compared to staying way out like near LHR.

Have to second Priceline. It's all I've used in the last few years - - 4-star hotels with huge rooms for broom closet prices. I mentioned it to my nephew, and he tried it just now and got the 3-star Doubletree at Victoria for 90 bucks (that's U.S. $). Have a look at options and successes at www.biddingtraveler.com and www.biddingfortravel.com

dfourh-Yes, Priceline is great for London and we definitely will use it for our Sept trip. The last time we used it for London 2 years ago our bid was not accepted until day 5 in the process. It does take patience and we would not go under four stars. We used to stay at the Rembrandt but it is not worth the extra $$$ and our last room there was nothing special. I think some people just don't like the bidding and the unknown.

Thank you so much. What do you mean by bidding? Will look at link when I get a minute. Wish I had more time to check out every single suggestion - it sure adds to the fun and anticipation. I really appreciate you all taking the time to help me

I recommend the Ridgemount Hotel in Bloomsbury, very central and a pretty area. I think a double room is under 80 quid for a shared bathroom and under 100 ensuite.

The staff are super nice and serve a really great English Breakfast.

We have stayed at the Premier Inn-County Hall twice and really like it both times..the last time was Sept. 2007. The location is great...right on the Thames. It is part of the County Hall buildings...on the other side of the building (which is actually more kitty-corner to Big Ben) is the Marriot..and the far side is the Premier Inn. Its right next to the London Eye as well. There is a nice little restaurant and bar inside...nothing fancy but fine for breakfast. Its worth a check.

Shadow: County Hall Premier Inn is excellent. Unfortunately it is sort of victim of its popularity/location. It books up far in advance and really isn't a budget property anymore. In Summer it often runs over £170 and seldom under £100.

It is still a great option for a family since up to 2 kids under 16 yo can stay in the parents room for no extra ££