Help with London. I'm losing my mind!
 

Okay, so I've spent hours, almost full days trying to find the right hotel in London. I know I'm not the only one. I've sensed this same feeling of desperation in many posts. We implore all of you seasoned tourists and Londoners...Help us! I guess the problem is that you get what you pay for. We Americans are not used to paying $200 for a room that you can hardly turn around in or is unclean or has rude staff. Believe me, I have searched all the $150-$200 price hotels on all the review sites and I can't find one that doesn't have negatives mixed with postives. One person will say this is the best hotel I've stayed in for the price and another will say it was tiny, dirty and the staff was rude. How am I supposed to deal with all these mixed opinions? So if you have any opinions, let me weigh them in with the rest of them.

Now, about me and what I want. I'm really not very picky. So maybe I'm stressed out about this for nothing and I would be happy anywhere. This is just my dream to go to London and I don't want a hotel disaster if it can be helped. There is a perfect hotel for me out there and I want to find it.

Location: Just want quaint, quiet, with walking distance to nice shops and restaurants. I've looked at hotels around Sloane St., Kensington Palace/Notting Hill and British Museum/Bloomsbury. I plan to sightsee in the Tower and Westminster areas as well as go to a play, go to lunch at Harrods, visit some markets, go to Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park on Sunday and take in a river tour. Basically I will be in each area at some point. For some reason, all of my research has made me think Bayswater is not my ideal location.

Price range:$150-$200; 75-100GPB

Bath: I have no problem with hall baths, but I don't want a 5 rooms to 1 bath ratio.

Room size: Small is okay IF there is some place to put the luggage and it's cozy.

Room decor: Simple AND cozy is okay. I don't have to have Laura Ashley decor (although it would be nice). I don't want stained carpets, peeling paint, ripped bedspreads. If it's just like a typical room in my house, which is stylish, but basic, then it's okay.

Staff: They don't have to be underfoot. In fact if I never see them, that's fine. BUT if there is a problem, I want to feel like they care.

So there you have it. Please help me and get me off this computer. My dishes are piling up.

OK, I will try to save your mind from being completely lost here!
Forgive me if the prices are not what you are interested in, I am not sure of them.
My daughter stayed at the Russel in Bloomsbury, loved it. She is spoiled and likes a luxurious hotel room, so I am thinking it was not too small, unclean and I am sure the staff was nice. BTW-I have never come across a rude hotel person in London..or elsewhere in London for that matter.
The other hotel she stayed in was the Gallery in So Ken..also loved it. That hotel might have butlers that take care of individual floors. They have web sites, Google them.
The Yankee and I stayed at the ST James Palace hotel, on Buckingham Gate and the Washington in Mayfair. After that we started renting a flat..we loved that and will always do that from now on.
Most of the things you mention wanting to do, you can do without any trouble, a short bus or train ride will get you all over the city, most everything in LOndon is charming and old, I have a feeling that quaint is a description that Londoners are not crazy about :)
Now don't get crazy, this is one of the fun parts of planning a trip~
Scarlett ((F))

I too, share your pain-even though I've studied in Britain, and have been to London too many times to count. Two hotels that my London native friends commend highly are the Rembrandt, and the Cavendish-the latter which is located on Jermyn Street-across from one of the great dept. stores-Fortnum and Mason. Haven't tried the Rembrandt but like I said, my London lawyer friend recommends this hotel to all the Americans he knows-given that he comes over to the US frequently, and knows our dilemnna over paying exorbitant rates for, as you say, a tiny room that is frequently none too clean.

P.S. I'm staying in a London serviced apt. for my July stay there....it was part of a package deal.

Even though I'm not picky either, I tend to spend way too much time obessing about the right hotel (and the right rate). But for London, I wouldn't use anything besides Priceline,the last two times I got 4* hotels for $65 and $75, this time it's $100 for the Waldorf Hilton in Mayfair. I have been pleased with the first two hotels and expect that this one will be fine too.

If you're willing to up the amount a bit, you can get a 5* for $150-$175, within your price range.

The thing about London is that all hotels are close to some form of public transport so the location isn't that big of an issue (you can select the area on Priceline anyway). And really, how much time will you spend in your hotel anyway, I just use mine to sleep and shower.

And for those of us who obsess, once you've booked it, you're done, no more looking for better hotels or rate :-)

VM-if you haven't yet looked at TripAdvisor.com reviews for the Rembrandt hotel, I recommend you do so. I think you'll find the reviews quite to your liking-and I know my friend wouldn't steer me wrong!

Scarlett, why do you love flats so much? My reason of staying away from them is that 1. I don't know how to find out the rating, unlike hotels; 2. Don't feel like cleaning up the place during my vacation. Would like to know your stories about flats.
B&B's in London seem to be highly appraised. Some friends of mine would only staying in B&B's. Not that they are on tight budget... What do fodorits say?

Vmcenroe,

I wouldn't go crazy looking for a hotel that has NO negative remarks, it's probably never going to happen. Someone is almost bound to complain about something!

As far as hotels in London, I haven't stayed there yet, but I will be staying at the Amsterdam Hotel in Earl's Court. My friend and her husband stayed at there last fall and did recommend it to me. She said the rooms were clean and the staff was very nice to the guests, though, sometimes the hotel owner seemed to bark orders to her employees but then would turn right around and be nice to my friend and her husband. The rates are reasonable. I'll be paying 78 pounds for a room with 2 twin beds with bathroom en suite. The hotel's website is http://www.amsterdam-hotel.com As I said, I haven't stayed there yet, but I do trust my friend's recommendation, we've traveled together a lot so I know which kind of hotel she likes, so you may want to check this hotel as well.

I usually stay at University accommodation. Beit Hall (open for tourists Easter and summer). My single room with ensuite overlooked the Royal Albert Hall. A hot breakfast was included for 60 pounds a night. It is a great location, plus you can self cater. Buy something nice at Harrods food hall and heat it up back at your digs. I love the chicken tikka
My husband usually stays in very nice hotels...and this week he is taking 3 days out of a business trip to visit London for pleasure and to buy me some urgently needed supplies that I cannot get in Sydney.
I have booked him into the Norfolk Hotel near Paddington...45 pounds a night...you should read the shocker reviews of this place! Hope he has hot water...."it was not intentional officer"

It's not an English style hotel or even close to being quaint but what about one of the Holiday Inns in Kensington? Check tripadvisor to see which one gets better reviews..I can't remember. The price seems to be pretty reasonable for the rooms...and they sound big enough. The area is supposed to be terrific and has plenty of shops and restaurants. Just a suggestion if you have no luck finding the "perfect quaint, quiet hotel".

Use this opportunity to become a much more savvy traveler to your ADVANTAGE.

You ask how can you deal with those negative and positive comments about the same property? READ the comments very carefully...those "generalizations" about "the service was bad" and "the rooms were small" and "the staff was rude"....all COULD be true but when people don't give concrete examples then I tend to discredit the remark, and the source, somewhat.

Get realistic and do not engage in genralizations yourself: "We Americans aren't used to paying..." well, I am afraid that we most certainly ARE used to it in places like London so you might need to get over that.

You have to learn to live with your OWN self-imposed budget of $150-$200. London is an overpriced hotel town just as is New York here.

Seriously, I have been in the same boat that you are/were in now..until you get there you aren't going to know for sure that you "made the right choice"...I think the person that recommended Priceline was doing you a favor...you give it your best shot and then you forget about it.

Thank you everyone for your input. I've made my decison!! I'm going with the Rembrandt. Airlawgirl, thank you, thank you for that hotel recommendation. I don't know how I missed it but it seems like the best hotel for the price. You're right, lots of great reviews on tripadvisor. I'd love to try priceline but never having been to London I'm not ready to put the choice in someone else's hands. Maybe next time.

Hi ...

Have you thought of trying www.travelodge.co.uk.

They have hotel in Covent Garden.

The travel lodges are normally clean etc. I have stayed in a number.

At the moment you can get a double room for £75 a night in June (no breakfast).

Mark

VM- for some reason, I thought the Rembrandt might be right for you. Now, I'll be in London in July, I will see my friend who gave me the recommendation- and you, of course, will have to post your review here, so we all know what you thought of it-perhaps it will be our new "go to" hotel for London (although admittedly, for me traveling alone it is a bit above my price range).

I find London a bargain compared to NYC and similar US cities. In London I have found tiny, clean, ensuite rooms in safe neighborhoods with a good location for around $60/night for a single during shoulder season.

Keith

Although you made your decision, I just wanted to reiterate what a poster above stated: the public transportation system in London is fabulous and extremely convenient. You can get a hotel room almost anywhere in the city and have easy access to the underground, which gives you easy access to just about anywhere in London. We stayed in the Euston Station area and had a decent hotel within a 2 minute walk of the underground. Although this hotel wasn't too convenient to most tourist locals, it never took us long to get anywhere in London because of the underground.

London is one of my favorite cities. Have a great time!!

Tracy

We stayed at the County Hall Travel Inn - it was great!

You are right behind the London Eye - a 1 minute walk, literally, and a 5 minute walk from Waterloo. The rates are very reasonable, and the rooms were enormous - larger than many hotel rooms I've stayed at in the U.S., in fact. It's been recently renovated and everything was clean and modern - very much like an American hotel chain.

I couldn't believe how great the location was for the price we paid.

Know the feeling!!Been there done that!

Couple suggestions:
1. Check with the airline you are flying. Usually they have some good specials...for example...British Air has travel dept. and good specials.

2. Take a look at Imperial Hotel, and Royal National Hotel....both around Russell Square. About a block from "tube" on Picadilly Line. Direct from Heathrow. You can view both of theses at www.findlondonhotel.com Both are in your price range.

We haven't spent time in the following hotel, but we had planned to spend a couple of nights in London, so did the research. The Avonmore sounds very nice, and it gets good reviews on trip advisor.... all but one. All the other reviews are good. We'd narrowed down our choice to the Avonmore.

http://www.avonmorehotel.co.uk/

Best,
Sandy

Stayed at the AAron house hotel. Very reasonable, good "authentic British" breakfast. Good location. a lot of the recommendations above are also good but this hotel was a real bargin. http://www.smoothhound.co.uk/hotels/arranho.html Enjoy London!

I found the Cardiff in Norfolk Gardens Paddington OK. There are 2 others nearby in Phaed St (not sure of my spelling there!) the Westpoint and another.

I, too, obsessed with the hotel until I finally decided to book one through Priceline. Check out www.biddingfortravel.com - it's a board for priceline users and is unbelievably helpful. This board makes using Priceline a lot simpler. We stayed at the Waldorf (won Priceline bid at $100 per night but I did make arrangements with Waldorf for an upgrade since there were 3 of us, and they charged us an additional £30 per night) a couple of weeks agao, and this is an incredible hotel. Even with the additional amount, it still was not bad, considering the Internet rates for the room we had was $450 a night. We still ended up paying less than if we stayed in a 3* hotel and the Waldorf is a 4*. The customer service was wonderful and the location is excellent - walking distance to Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, British Museaum, theaters, etc. We had a really good experience with this hotel; and I would stay there again. It appears people are getting it still for $100 a night. Best of luck.

If you work for a large company, check to see if they have an arrangement with Club Quarters. We stayed there when my wife was doing some consulting for a company that had a membership. The weekend rates are incredibly cheap for members. The local was great, for me at least. Close to 2 or 3 tube stops, and while we were right in the City (financial district), it wasn't just all office buildings. Rooms weren't huge, but big enough for two, and very clean.

2fly,
after staying in some very nice hotels, we started thinking that staying in a flat would give us more of the feeling of living there rather than the luxury hotel experience..which while perfectly wonderful, can be had anywhere, we wanted to walk back to our flat at night , shop, bring flowers, etc..pretend that we were Londoners for a few weeks.
We used Manors & Co. The flat was in So Kensington and was perfect. They even have a limo pick you up at the airport if you want to pay the fee (we did)
There is maid service included, they supplied hair dryer, etc.
There was everything we needed if we wanted to stay in and eat ( we had take away from Harrods Food Halls once) .. on that trip, we left our stuff and the apt and took the train to Paris for a long weekend, coming back to our little flat..
I am not sure if the cost is better with an apt, unless you count food, but the experience was great.

You might want to look at Topham's Hotel in Belgravia. It is on a quiet street, a quaint old building, large rooms for London, and wonderful service. When we last stayed there, it was about 150 pounds per night, including VAT. It is also close to Victoria Station, so you can get anywhere from there.

We are staying at the Rembrandt for 2 nights in July at the recommendation of my soon to be daughter-in-law, a Brit chef with two restaurants in London and two in Manhattan.
They are being married @ Hambleton Inn (www.hambleton.co.uk)
M

Mikemo et al: if you read through the posts, you'll find that vm decided to go with the Rembrandt- which is clearly the best choice in London hotels- recommended by the locals.

Try http://www.farnum-christ.com/ if an interest looking at a wide variety of really neat rental apartments around London. You can call them at 800-366-2048 or email [email protected] if an interest. Mention a friend from Cannes referred you.

The Rembrandt looks lovely but won't work for us as have 2 adults and 2 kids 12 and 9 and they only allow 3 per room even though the girls are free. any ideas??

2fly,
I always stay in apts. Daily maid service is usually included. If maid service is a priority, just make sure prior to booking. You are right that apts don't have star ratings. You need to do a little research and look for good reviews & recommendations - I personally don't mind this aspect of the planning process.

<<why do you love flats so much? .... Would like to know your stories about flats.>>

We prefer staying in a flat for several reasons. You have more room to relax. There are sofas and comfortable chairs instead of having to sit on your bed or a desk-chair in a tiny hotel room.

You also have your own kitchen where you can prepare your own breakfast (saves £££'s!) and you have a fridge where you can keep beverages and snacks cold.

We just find it more comfortable and relaxing than a hotel room.

For Annecourt-if you really want to stay at the Rembrandt, why not contact them about a room for 4? No personal experience, but other hotels mentioned here for families-
the Marriott County Hall or the above mentioned Travel Inn County Hall both near the London Eye on the river. Dolphin Square apartments are apts but run like a hotel (ie front drsk, included breakfast). Also, several apt places around Queensgate. Check all on tripadvisor.com!!

You can also do a search here for quad rooms AND london.

I booked the Marriott Ciunty Hall for three days; got a super deal with code E88 via their website. I also booked the Cavendish via the British Airways site www.baholidays.com for under 100 pounds (middle of June). They have other good deals.

Thanks to everyone that showed me the loveliness of staying in a flat. I am getting hooked....
We are able to extend our vacation by a few more days. So will try everything but hotel. I will have a separate post on flat + bb + castle. Thanks.