fashionable London hotels?
 

Hi,
My husband and I will be in London for only two nights (Sept 10-12). We are looking for a unique place to stay (perhaps a boutique hotel??). I was mostly looking at staying in (or very near) Mayfair - it seems like a good central location for walking to most sites, but am open to other suggestions.
We are in our late 20's like to shop (well, I do anyway!) and want to be able to walk to most sites, also like to go out to pubs/bars/clubs at night.
Can you suggest a place we might enjoy?
I don't mind paying up to about $250 USD per night. (Which I realize won't get me as much in the UK!)

Thanks for any help!

unfortunately in your price range (unless some last minute deal), there will be but a very basic hotel in mayfair..certainly any "boutique hotel" will not be in your price range..

You could bid for a 5* hotel on Priceline in the Mayfair zone. There are several possibilities in this category - I think some Ian Schrager hotel and the Le Meridien Piccadilly are two of them. The first might be a boutique-type hotel, but not the second. However, I'm sure they would be quite nice and well-located, and you would likely succeed for a bid of well under $200 per night.

You might possibly be able to get a basic twin room at Blakes Hotel in Kensington for that price. Here's the website
http://www.blakeshotels.com
You will likely have more selection, in your price range, of the kind of hotel you're looking for if you stay in Kensington or Knightsbridge rather than Mayfair. You'd still be pretty close to the centre of things.

Ian Schrager's hotels (as places to stay) are terribly overrated, and aren't boutique sized. Besides, you won't be able to get them for such a low rate.

The Chesterfield hotel is relatively small, it's not five star so you should be able to afford it. The position is superb, as for the facilites, I cannot comment. Hilton London Mews (I think it's called that) just behind Old Park Lane is another smaller property. Hilton Green Park too!

However, none of the above will be anything special, the service will be average, you're paying for position. I note that your stay is over a week-end so it is worth calling various properties for week-end specials - these are not usually available on the internet. Or I'd recommend you spend a little more and stay at Mayfair's finest hotel, Claridge's. If you can't afford Claridge's please make sure you have a glass of Cristal in the fabulous bar. Who knows, you could even bump into me there.

mk2, I certainly wouldn't pay for an Ian Schrager hotel, but people have recently gotten double rooms for Priceline bids of under $200.

Sofitel is having a summer promotion right now. Their hotel in London is Sofitel St. James. Though not in Mayfair, it is in a good, convenient location just off Trafalgar Sq. Their lowest rate for your dates is £ 130 per night, which is under your $250 limit. I haven't been to the hotel, but Sofitel usually has a more "modern" feel to it, which is close to your "boutique" requirement.

The Sofitel St. James is another 5* hotel that comes up on Priceline in the Mayfair zone.

I find it very interesting that Ian Schrager properties are on what is essentially a bargain hunter's web-site. I try to avoid staying at properties offered on this basis, as they can tend to attract the wrong sort of clientele. This just goes to show that his properties cannot survive at the top end of the market without having to resort to offering their rooms at rates far below the rack.

If I recall correctly, the Connaught Hotel had some rates of 149 pounds per night on the lastminute.com (or possibly laterooms.com) web site a few months ago. I think most hotels do dramatically deep discounts under the right circumstances.

Have a look at the Myhotel Chelsea. It's listed on travelocity for $270/night. You can book something that's cancelleable and try to get a last minute deal on one of the discount sites like laterooms.com

Try Myhotel Chelsea. I stayed there last year, and loved it. It's small, with very nice rooms (great beds and bathrooms), great staff. It's not in Mayfair, but if you like shopping, you will love this area. It's right behind the Conran Shop, in an area called Brompton Cross. There are some great stores just around the corner (Joseph, Chanel, Paul & Joe, Jimmy Choo, lots more), you are very close to Walton Street (more shops and small restaurants), and through Walton Street you walk to Harrods, and Harvey Nichols a little further. The King's Road is also very close.
You could walk to the South Kensington museums, and can take the underground from South Ken to anywhere else. Think the website is www.myhotels.com. There's also a Myhotel in Bloomsbury; also a good area, but one that I'm not as familiar with.

Brompton Cross is a great area - one of my favourites. Lots of neat (expensive) boutiques, shops and restaurants. I always try to stay close by.

IMO Mayfair is for old people.

Well my dear, you're mistaken.

Mayfair hosts the finest shops, the finest restaurants, the finest property (real estate), and the finest bars and nightclubs. These are patronised by people from all age sectors of society.

There sure seemed to be a lot of non-old people there last weekend when I spent a lot of time in Mayfair.

OK, I'll revise that : when I lived in London, I thought Mayfair was ghastly.

Well dear, you're the only person who thinks it is "ghastly". Mayfair has always been one of the prime residential London areas.

Caroline-that's highly amusing! Mayfair ghastly and for old people! But you are Scottish, no? Perhaps that could explain your sentiment??

Thank you everyone, great information. I am not sold on Mayfair, I need to learn more about Chelsea and South Kensington. Is that an area that would be good to be in at night? Lots of restuarants? pubs? activity at night in general? Mayfair does sounds nice, but perhaps I am looking for something a little edgier?? :)

If you want "edgier" then stay in Clerkenwell or areas like that - Chelsea certainly isn't edgey - a very pleasant area that meets your criteria of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.

The Connaught for 149 pounds? If only I could grab a plane tomorrow!

The Connaught is staid, even with the new restaurant. It is still resting on its clubland (19th C) laurels. Londoner's rarely spend time there, taxi drivers make use of its facilities too!

I got another email today from lastminute.com where the Connaught is being offered for 175 pounds for dates in July and August. About 4x or 5x as much as I will spend on a London hotel, but maybe it will be of use to someone.

If thats the case we spend more on breakfast than you do on lodging.

That's no doubt the case, atlcity.

Happy travels.

If breakfasts aren't included in my rate I rarely bother with them daily. I will have one every other day or maybe every couple of days - I am not a great breakfast person, at home I never have anything to eat at breakfast-time. I have a cup of tea, usually with a slice of lemon (never ever milk) and that is it. On holiday I far prefer a very light local lunch, maybe a little tapas with some white wine when in Spain, or some local cheese, bread and olives when in Italy. I rarely do three (plus) course lunches. Then in the evening I have a full service dinner - far better on the figure than having three large meals daily.

We eat substantial breakfast's. I was blessed with great genes,I eat whatever I want and my weight hasn't changed by more than 5 lbs. in 30 years.

I've enjoyed every visit to London greatly. The last weekend (at the end of a 2-week trip) was spent in an executive room at the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum, right near the Gloucester Road tube stop. Breakfast was less than a few pounds, purchased at Sainsbury nearby.

"We eat substantial breakfast's. I was blessed with great genes,I eat whatever I want and my weight hasn't changed by more than 5 lbs. in 30 years."

Well dear your weight might not have changed significantly, but if it's an heavy weight I'd go easy on the "substantial breakfast's".

6'-0" 170lbs.

Dieticians say that people will have a lighter weight if they eat a proper breakfast. But I'm not the person to look to for such guidance. One thing I note when traveling is that if I do have a substantial breakfast, there is little need to spend much time or money on lunch.

On a man that isn't so bad, but by no means perfect, on a woman it is far from svelte.

Our 8&10 year olds travel with us and while both thin are constantly ready to eat.

"Londoner's" - I am surprised one has not read "Eats, shoots and leaves". I can understand the necessity of the apostrophe in Claridge?s but I do feel, my dear, it is somewhat redundant in the word Londoner?s.

Have no claim on perfect.I've been called many things but a girl ain't one of them.

Londoners usually has a cockney connection, my apostrophe elevated it to one who is of London in the genitive case, but it may well be redundant.

Yes, if we're getting picky on the way we write on this board, genitive case wouldn't be redundant, rather incorrect-but who really gives a toss?

And Margate-unless one prefers the skinny rock-star type (not me!) you are lucky, 'cause that sounds just about ideal.

It would only be fair if mk2 posts his/her height and weight for comparison purposes.