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Originally Posted by walkinaround
(Post 16982743)
I agree that Google street view is very helpful to explore your surroundings but if the images were taken at 6am on a Sunday morning, you're not getting a helpful view of the typical street scene. Google tends not to drive around taking pictures when the streets are at their most heaving.
I never said that you can't find quiet corners in London. My point is simply that if one prefers a slightly less hectic area, this may not be the best choice. I stand by my point that the pubs and cafes in Covent Garden are heaving almost always, as are the streets during a good part of the day and night. There is a very different feel in, for example, most parts of Marylebone where it's much less 'transient' feeling. The best way to control how hectic or not your London experience will be is to choose where you stay. Sure, nice to say that you can move at a slow pace but if you're constantly in the most hectic areas of London then your experience will be hectic....and tiring if you're not really looking for a continually high energy pace. anyway, as a Londoner, I'm merely giving the OP information to make up their own mind. |
Originally Posted by janisj
(Post 16982756)
walkinaround -- no reason to turn every thread into a quien es mas macho debate -- lots of Fodorites know London very well . . .
On this thread, I'm simply giving the OP my views about different areas of London. He'll decide where to stay and if he decides to stay in Covent Garden, he'll be much better off making that decision with the understanding that it's in one of the most busy parts of London. A great place to stay if you want to be in the middle of the party perhaps not the best choice if you prefer a more livable environment. I never said that Henrietta is a bad area. Like most cities, there are many good areas in London and I think most travelers are interested in finding the area that is best for them and their visions for their visit. And let me point out that the OP has clearly stated they are not interested in 'craziness' or 'parties' or 'clubs' and even mentions the possibility of staying in rural areas outside of London. Not that Covent Garden is only about party and clubs but his words provide strong clues that perhaps the most busy areas of central London may not be aligned with what he's after. Pretty simple really. |
IMO you have overstated the craziness/ party aspect of Covent Garden. True it is a busy area of London, but your comments seem a bit hyperbolic. I have even been there during the European Cup series and while there were a number of people lined up to get into particular bars, it was not in any way rowdy. Perhaps I manage to avoid such craziness without realizing it, but have spent many an evening there and have never been overwhelmed, and I am certainly not a party person. Everyone has different opinions regarding the various areas of London and, so, one is likely to get a number of different views. For example, I don’t like staying in Bloomsbury but, again a personal opinion. |
Originally Posted by historytraveler
(Post 16982803)
IMO you have overstated the craziness/ party aspect of Covent Garden. True it is a busy area of London, but your comments seem a bit hyperbolic. I have even been there during the European Cup series and while there were a number of people lined up to get into particular bars, it was not in any way rowdy. Perhaps I manage to avoid such craziness without realizing it, but have spent many an evening there and have never been overwhelmed, and I am certainly not a party person. Everyone has different opinions regarding the various areas of London and, so, one is likely to get a number of different views. For example, I don’t like staying in Bloomsbury but, again a personal opinion. Wow, this place can be very tough at times! |
>>but you shouldn't hijack this thread with your personal issues <<
Word count perhaps -- then see who might be hijacking things. Maybe try to answer questions with useful advice/info and not lectures . . . But as before -- I'll step away because you are the expert. |
Can anyone join this fight? I have stayed in Covent Garden on Drury Lane (the LSE student dorm). That street has never been especially busy, but I have to agree that Covent Garden itself, and the streets between the market and the tube station, can be super busy. Not sure what janisj has against Bloomsbury, it's where I stay when the LSE dorm's aren't available (or at least it was, when my knees worked). |
Originally Posted by thursdaysd
(Post 16982812)
Can anyone join this fight? I have stayed in Covent Garden on Drury Lane (the LSE student dorm). That street has never been especially busy, but I have to agree that Covent Garden itself, and the streets between the market and the tube station, can be super busy. Not sure what janisj has against Bloomsbury, it's where I stay when the LSE dorm's aren't available (or at least it was, when my knees worked). I never thought that it would be controversial to say that Covent Garden is one of the busiest areas of London and that the pubs and cafes are almost always heaving. It's a very nice area. But it's one of the busiest areas of central London. Great for many, not the best choice for others. We're all agreeing on most everything here so all I can conclude is that this has turned into a fight because this poster has some lingering personal issues with me as she's talking about other threads and 'every thread' that I've posted on. Not sure what other threads have to do with this one. Who knows....I'm just trying to help the OP with the topic at hand. I guess she now needs a new poster to harass... |
I haven't read the other responses and this may not be of any interest - but based on the recommendation on amsou (another Fodorite) I booked the new, very modern and very reasonable hub hotels in London. Well under your budget. I split my time between the Westminster St. James Park and Covent Garden locations and loved them both and felt the combo was perfect for what I wanted to do in London. Both are easily accessible to the tube. I started with three nights at the WSJ location and then 3 nights at the Covent Garden location (to focus on West End shows). Loved the combo. In between I actually went to Paris for 3 nights. Anyway, take a look. You would want what they call their "bigger" room. If you like afternoon tea, the one at the Conrad around the corner from the WSJ location was one of the best ever!
hub Covent Garden reviews - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...n_England.html hub Westminster St James Park reviews - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...n_England.html |
And I would recommend the actual Premier Inns, as opposed to the Hubs. My last visit to London, with uncooperative knees, I stayed in a Premier Inn (St. Pancras) and was very pleased. However, we had an extremely long thread on London hotels a couple of months back, and the OP wound up at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street.
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This OP or another?
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Different OP: https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...r-70s-1665521/
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Well, one thing is certain: the Hotel Henrietta is not in a posh neighborhood. This area is not Chelsea, Marylebone, Belgravia or Mayfair.
There is nothing wrong with this area (Foyles Bookstore in Charing Cross Road is my favourite bookstore in the world) if you were a budget tourist or maybe a family on holiday with your 4 children, but the Goyard set would not be staying here. I just love Marylebone. You don't hear horrid working class accents here. So many cafes filled with Annikas and Anouskas discussing the Duchess of Wellington's boob job. So fun. You can pop right into Selfridges for a Balenciaga raincoat, too. And don't forget the Wallace Collection, which is tres pukka, is just right there. Thin,aristocrat 🐼 |
I read more of the thread. If they are willing to pay $400, they aren't going to want a hub hotel.
I can't wait to return to them! |
So, great advice from all, my wife's number 1 want is walkability. She does not want to take public transport much. We aren't really going to hit all the "sites" as much as drink, eat, see maybe 3-4 sites and who knows what the weather will be like.
Using Google maps it seems most of the restaurants/pubs are SOHO (is that the right term) and Westminister.......any thoughts ? |
Originally Posted by Pepper_von_snoot
(Post 16982855)
Well, one thing is certain: the Hotel Henrietta is not in a posh neighborhood. This area is not Chelsea, Marylebone, Belgravia or Mayfair.
There is nothing wrong with this area (Foyles Bookstore in Charing Cross Road is my favourite bookstore in the world) if you were a budget tourist or maybe a family on holiday with your 4 children, but the Goyard set would not be staying here. I just love Marylebone. You don't hear horrid working class accents here. So many cafes filled with Annikas and Anouskas discussing the Duchess of Wellington's boob job. So fun. You can pop right into Selfridges for a Balenciaga raincoat, too. And don't forget the Wallace Collection, which is tres pukka, is just right there. Thin,aristocrat 🐼 |
Covent Garden is perfect for you; that 'the Goyard set' is not staying there is a silly remark to make.
I don't think you realise how large London is; if you don't want to take public transport much, you will do A LOT of walking or take taxis. Covent Garden is as central as you can be. There are LOADS of pubs and restaurants. Soho is a short walk away, maybe 10 minutes. Loads of pubs and restaurants there too. You are not going to need room service.... Covent Garden and Soho are the main areas for going out in London. |
We are literally leaving London as I write this (we’re on the train to Luton, heading to Dublin). We stayed at The Academy Hotel which is in your budget and lovely. It’s in Bloomsbury, a short walk to Marylebone (where I might live if I lived in London). Ignore the Google rating of 3.9 - the hotel has been extensively renovated. It’s 5 connected townhomes. Our room was 226 sq. ft very comfortable bed, nice linens, excellent shower. As it turns out, we walked literally everywhere we went - all the way to Borough Market and back one day, all the way to the V&A and back another. Our room was in the back so very quiet. Breakfast is good, but no cooked options - cereals, meats, smoked salmon, fresh fruit and the like. Excellent coffee! Good size safe in room. My only complaint is they need to put a side table next to the pedestal sink (there’s a shelf, but it’s not big enough). Excellent WiFi. Nice bar and lobby. We would stay there again. |
1 Attachment(s)
Originally Posted by Tulips
(Post 16983296)
Covent Garden is perfect for you; that 'the Goyard set' is not staying there is a silly remark to make.
I don't think you realise how large London is; if you don't want to take public transport much, you will do A LOT of walking or take taxis. Covent Garden is as central as you can be. There are LOADS of pubs and restaurants. Soho is a short walk away, maybe 10 minutes. Loads of pubs and restaurants there too. You are not going to need room service.... Covent Garden and Soho are the main areas for going out in London. Attachment 2959 For example, Goodge STreet (loosely the very northern edge of Marylebone) to Tottenham Court road (the northeast gateway into Soho) is a mere 7 minute's walk. And these aren't sprinter pace times. Add a mere 8 more minutes to get to leicester sq (smack between Soho and Covent Garden). The OP definitely does not need room service in ANY of the areas mentioned on this thread. None of them. And ALL of them will have lots of choices. Lots of them. But that comment makes me concerned that the OP might think that you need to stay in the very busiest of areas to have loads of restaurants and bars. You most certainly don't. Covent Garden and Soho being the the 'main areas' for going out??? Well they are and they aren't. They are London's primary 'entertainment districts' and as such, they are the most popular destinations and get huge foot traffic from tourists, out of town workers and, yes, locals. But there really are not just two 'main areas' for going out in London. London is like NYC in that there are loads of neighbourhoods that have at least one area of trendy and good restaurants. So it's kind of like saying that Times Square or mid-town, east side (or whatever) are the 'main areas' for going out in NYC. Or saying Faneuil Hall is the 'main area' in Boston to go out. There are dozens of cool areas to go out in London. Not one or two 'main areas'. Some trendier Londoners would feel that Covent Garden nightlife is torture. For others, it's the first thing that comes to mind.
Originally Posted by sf7307
(Post 16983342)
We are literally leaving London as I write this (we’re on the train to Luton, heading to Dublin). We stayed at The Academy Hotel which is in your budget and lovely. It’s in Bloomsbury, a short walk to Marylebone (where I might live if I lived in London). Ignore the Google rating of 3.9 - the hotel has been extensively renovated. It’s 5 connected townhomes. Our room was 226 sq. ft very comfortable bed, nice linens, excellent shower. As it turns out, we walked literally everywhere we went - all the way to Borough Market and back one day, all the way to the V&A and back another. Our room was in the back so very quiet. Breakfast is good, but no cooked options - cereals, meats, smoked salmon, fresh fruit and the like. Excellent coffee! Good size safe in room. My only complaint is they need to put a side table next to the pedestal sink (there’s a shelf, but it’s not big enough). Excellent WiFi. Nice bar and lobby. We would stay there again. I can't speak for this hotel but the area is tops. Goodge street which is very close is a dining mecca. Charlotte Street area has loads of restaurants. These areas are very lively without being overrun with tourists and out of towners stopping off for drinks before stumbling back to their trains. Lively but not 'entertainment districts'. |
So now you are lecturing Tulips??? I'm pretty sure she knows London as well as you do . . . just sayin'
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