DAX

We've been to London 3 times before, but barely ventured beyond Mayfair except for Harrods & Covent Garden Market area. We would like to explore a different area of London. Which of the above areas comes close to being a cozy & fun neighbourhood to stay for 2-3 days. We are hoping for some interesting neighborhood pubs/winebars/restaurants & shops (but not markets). Feel free to suggest another neighbourhood that I'm not aware of.

janisj

considering what you've said here and on your other thread - this is an odd group.

Earl's Court - no charm what so ever. Mainly inexpensive hotels/B&Bs around the Exhibition Center/Tube station.

Gloucester Rd - better, in South Kensington - but not "cozy". Good choice of moderate priced hotels nearby, and lots of restaurants/cafes w/i walking distance

St Martin's Lane - between Soho/Leicester Square and Covent Garden. Fun for sure, but one of the least "cozy" areas you might pick

Bloomsbury - Depends where w/i the neighborhood - but generally the area around the British Museum.

PatrickLondon

Sounds as though you've found somewhere to stay in or near St Martins' Lane. There are some oddly quiet back lanes in the area with some flats I would quite like to live in (if only), but if it's on St Martin's Lane itself, janis's characterisation is just right.

Bloomsbury (the central and southern end, around the Museum as janis says, not the bit that most of us would consider Kings Cross or Euston) offers the better prospect for what you're looking for, maybe also Marylebone and the area in between it and Bloomsbury, and where Pimlico shades into Chelsea, and around Sloane Square.

The difficulty is that there can be a vast difference in feel between the main roads (fun but noisy) and the streets around (quiet, possibly what you mean by cosy, but not very exciting).

janisj

&quot;<i>Marylebone and the area in between it and Bloomsbury, and where Pimlico shades into Chelsea, and around Sloane Square.</i>&quot;

Funny - I was going to recommend the very same areas - but didn't want to confuse things even more, even though you asked for other ideas. Between this and your other thread you' have already 7 different neighborhoods.

Parts of Marylebone, Pimlico and the eastern end of Chelsea that PatrickLondon mentions are just about what you are looking for.

DAX

I do have a reservation at the St Martin's Lane but not sure if it's the right hotel after reading the reviews as courteous staff is important to us. It sounds like their staff has quite an attitude. We do prefer clean lines over busy/flower dotted wallpaper. We are also considering Millenium Bailey's (Gloucester)and Marriott Kensington(Earls Court/Gloucester). In the 90's we were fine with the Mayfair hotel(previously Intercontinental), the other Interconti by HydePark, and Le Meridien Picadilly. What hotels would you recommend outside of Mayfair? (in Marylebone, Sloane Square, Pimlico, Bloomsbury, Covent Garden). We're trying to get a more intimate look of London.

ucsun

i have stayed at Millenium Bailey's (Gloucester)...and it's nice. i love the location as it's close to the tube stop. i don't know if it would be considered cozy...nice yes...

Fidel

Try The Cranley in Bina Gardens...a bit of a walk from Gloucester Tube so there's the restaurants and the museums there, but just far enough away to be intimate and exquisite. The service is excellent.

DAX

Thanks all, I'm listening (reading) for more suggestions, I'd appreciate to learn which hotel to pick in Marylebone/Bloomsbury. Patrick, janisj ? I wish there is a website dedicated for these areas.

Fidel: I do like the Cranley on its website, the room looks comfortable &amp; spacious, but how far is the nearest commerce ?(Cafes/pubs)

ucsun: Is the area surrounding Bailey's pleasant enough to walk? Can you describe Cromwell Rd? Honestly our idea of cozy is really loose, we just don't want a buzzing area like Trafalgar Square or Picadilly Circus.

ucsun

Dax,

the area is pleasant enough to walk. i did my running in the area and it was nice. it seems to be a resedential area around the hotel. plenty of food options and the tube is right next to the hotel. i have stayed in that area each of my 3 trips and i quite like it.

Lexma90

Last year, we stayed at Montague in the Gardens, in Bloomsbury. It may not be what you're looking for in the decor; we picked it because it looked, to us, like typically English. But we loved the location, the staff was very courteous and helpful, and the facilities are delightful. The sitting area, the lounge and the terrace out back were all beautiful.

THe hotel is on 15 Montague St., which is alongside the British Museum. We found it convenient to several Tube and bus lines, and liked being able to walk through nearby Covent Garden. The immediate area is very quiet, but several nearby streets had a variety of small restaurants (though, as I remember, not many shops). We skipped the very expensive hotel breakfast, and usually ate breakfast at any of the places on Little Russell St.

susanteach

We were disappointed in the Earls Court area. The web site of our hotel completely misrepresented the place and the neighborhood only had a couple of good things going for it: pubs and super-cheap Indian take-out food. We ended up spending a lot of time on the subway which could have been put to better use.

DAX

Please keep the info &amp; ideas coming, I'm learning a lot from all of you.

susan: I don't even like curry, so there's one less reason to be in Earls Court area. Thanks for posting.

Lexma: The Montague is actually a fine suggestion, but not available for the days we're there.

ucsun: Good to know that you stayed 3 times in the area. What made you return to the same area in Kensington? Was Bailey th best hotel choice for you or was there a better one?

ucsun

for me it was ideal as i love to go to supermarkets to explore and there were 2 near by and i liked the options from the tube stop. and to be honest, i was only at the hotel to sleep so it really could have been anywhere and i really would have been fine. but the millenium was a nice hotel. i also like the Holiday Inn Kens...that one i may have liked a little more i think. but only by a little.

ucsun

don't forget that you can tube to different types of 'cozy' locations regardless. i may like certain areas, but i may prefer to sleep in others.

Huitres

Contrary to what janisj said re: Earls Court, I found the area surprisingly central and accommodating. I was there for 2 weeks mid-November for business at Earls Court. I stayed around the corner on Philbeach Gardens Road at a local B&amp;B. The price, location, and staff were all right. I would stay there again. I liked being within close walking distance to the Tube and close proximity to Kensington area, etc. There were interesting restaurants and pubs also within walking distance that I enjoyed as well. Let us know where you end up staying!

susanteach

Earls Court isn't a BAD area at all. If you are seeing a show or attending a conference at the nearby center, then it is a great location; however, in terms of interesting things to see while exploring the neighborhood (what the orig. desires), there are mainly just a lot of white row-homes and ethnic shops. If very budget-minded there are plenty of Earls Court hotel deals, and they are FANTASTIC. Taking the subway was also convenient--just a drag to do in the rain. By the time we got into the city-center, we were annoyed by being so cramped and often having to stand on the subway car due to the large crowds of commuters. If price is what you are concerned about, by all means...stay in EC.

SB_Travlr

We've stayed at the Millenium Baileys several times, like it very much. For our September visit, it was pricing over our budget (180 GBP) -- but the Millenium Gloucester, which is a more modern building right next door, was 80 GBP on londontown.com.

We really like that area: it's a proper neighborhood where people live -- not just tourists. Small local shops, a wonderful Waitrose supermarket (where you can buy fresh berries and croissants for breakfast), cafes, walking distance to museums, Kensington Gardens, and Kensington High Street. Best of all, it's right next to Gloucester Road tube, so very convenient. Plenty of buses right there, too.

Bloomsbury (as long as it's the museum area) would be my second choice, Pimlico third. Earls Court wouldn't make the cut.

You don't mention your budget, but if you've previously stayed in Mayfair, maybe you're not looking for a bargain! ;-)

DAX

Thanks all. I appreciate all your helpful descriptions and welcome more. It seems that people prefer staying in KENSINGTON over BLOOMSBURY, perhaps due to convenience &amp; neighbourhood mix?

A good bargain had originally led me to booking a King deluxe for 195 GBP (50% off)at the St Martin's Lane hotel, however my doubt is confirmed by the absence of any positive response about staying there plus it seems to cater to cool twenty somethings(we're in our 40's). Within reason, our budget is flexible, we're just looking to have a different London experience.

Hagan

I have to echo the sentiments of those who mentioned the M. Bailey's in S. Kensington. We stayed there for a week last September and loved it, not only for the fantastic convenience of the location, but because we felt we were actually living in a neighborhood. In the mornings, as we sat at outdoor cafes having coffee and croissants, we watched mothers walking their children to school, prim and precious in their uniforms. Nearly every night, we walked down the street to &quot;our&quot; favorite pub, either for a pint or for a full meal. Not many tourists there, but locals stopping off after work. If we could ever go back, I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again!

WillTravel

I'm trying to decide whether I preferred staying at the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum (right near Millennium Bailey) or the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, as I did on my last two separate trips to London (have also stayed in various other London areas). I think I preferred Bloomsbury, although I'd be hard-pressed to say exactly why.