michca

I will be staying with my Mom and my Aunt in London for 1 week from July 12 to the 19th (although we will take an overnight trip to Bath within that week). Since both my Mom and Aunt have problems with arthritis (plus my Aunt has respiratory difficulties) I am looking for a hotel with air conditioning and with a lift. I am running into trouble finding triple rooms that are reasonable in cost (around $200 US a night), in areas that I might want to stay (South Kensington, Victoria).

I have found a great rate for a hotel on the border of South Kensington/Earl's Court called K+K George- it seems to have had really good reviews on Trip Advisor, and is very close to the Earl's Court Tube stop. But prior posts here don't recommend staying in the Earl's Court area. Is the K+K George really that much farther away from the central sites than say the Millenium Gloucester (it doesn't seem that way on a map)? What is so bad about the Earl's Court area?

Our other options, of course, are to book a flat or to book 2 rooms via Priceline. E&E apartments seem to come highly recommended, are in a nice area, and are quite reasonable in cost (570 pounds per week for a 1 bedroom flat to accomodate 3 people). But does anyone know if the apartments come with lifts or air conditioning (I can dream, can't I?

Would Priceline be a good way to go? Is it difficult to get 2 rooms for a period of at least 5 days? Some of the hotels that seem to pop up on Priceline in the Kensington area (ie. Copthorne Tara, Millenium Gloucester) don't necessarily have the best reviews. Can anyone here comment on their experiences with those hotels?

Any other recommendations? Other areas I should be looking to stay in?

Thanks so much for your help! This hotel booking process is taking over my life!

MaureenB

Have you tried londontown.com? They have an easy search engine that allows you to choose amenities, price range and areas of town. I recently used them and their e-mail follow-up is nice, too.

janis

I normally VERY highly recommend E&E - but I don't think they are a good option in your situation.

Each flat is individually owned and are in MANY different types of bldgs spread over the Victoria/Pimlico area. Some will have a/c and lifts, but many will not and you won't know what you get until you get there.

There is nothing bad or dangerous about Earls Court. It just isn't as nice an area as South Kens, or even Bayswater (which is an area I try to avoid). And it is farther from most tourist sites than other areas. If K+K George looks decent to you it would certainly be OK. Earls Court would not be my first choice but it isn't a "hole".

Londontown that Maureen mentions is a good site - and do try laterooms.com. There are often REALLY good bargains.

Dorothy01

The Citadine Apart'Hotel - South Kensington has a one bedroom apartment available for your dates at 128 pounds per night. The website is www.citadines.com. We stayed at the Trafalgar Square location and have also stayed at their properties in Paris and Belgium.

The apartment/hotel hybrid has air conditioning and a lift. The one bedroom apartment has a separate bedroom with a double bed and twin beds in the living area. The kitchenette has a stovetop, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, dishes, silverware, some appliances (toaster), and pots and pans. The bathroom is spacious with a tub, sink, and toilet.

What I really like about the company is that you can book the special internet rate and still can cancel up to the day of arrival if something happens. So many apartments require pre-payment.

The apart'hotel has a front desk with staff on duty twenty-four hours per day. They also have laundry facilities (at an extra charge). They do not provide maid service on a daily basis; I think it is every three days or so but you can pay extra if you want your room cleaned every day.

SusanP

One thing you might want to consider is that with arthritis and respiratory problems, you would want to avoid the Tube (all those stairs and long corridors) and get a hotel near good bus routes. I have arthritis in my knees and was with my 80-year-old mother. We stayed at the Thistle Trafalgar Square. I don't know what their price is for a triple, but anything near Trafalgar Square is good because just about every bus line in every direction stops there. Of course, we also took a taxi when necessary.
Have a great trip!