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.