Subway_Scoundrel

Coming back from the Baltics/Nordic countries after 2 week vacation and have one night in London. Been 10 years since I have been there. Will get to London early afternoon and plan on taking Heathrow Express to Paddington and then back the next morning for flight at12noon. So not much time in London. I am going to use Hilton points so below are my choices. It will be a Friday night.

I just want a hotel where I can get out that afternoon and see some things, walk to a decent restaurant and maybe hit a pub or 2 that night and get back to Paddington Station to Heathrow on a Saturday morning.

Any idea on where I shoudl stay ? I have always wanted to stay at the Trafalgar Hilton but I am no Hotel snob and only for one night.

You help and comments are greatly appreciated.


The Trafalgar London
2 Spring Gardens, Trafalgar Square
London, United Kingdom, SW1A 2TS
44-207-870-2900
0.1 miles from city center


The Waldorf Hilton, London
Aldwych
London, United Kingdom, WC2B 4DD
44-207-836-2400
0.5 miles from city center


Hilton London Green Park hotel
Half Moon Street, Mayfair
London, United Kingdom, W1J 7BN
44-207-629-7522
0.8 miles from city center

London Hilton on Park Lane hotel
22 Park Lane
London, United Kingdom, W1K 1BE
44-207-493-8000
1.04 miles from city center


ilton London Euston hotel
17 - 18 Upper Woburn Place
London, United Kingdom, WC1H 0HT
44-207-943-4500
1.39 miles from city center

Hilton London Tower Bridge hotel
5 More London Place, Tooley Street
London, United Kingdom, SE1 2BY
44-203-002-4300
1.90 miles from city center


Hilton London Metropole hotel
225 Edgware Road
London, United Kingdom, W2 1JU
44-207-402-4141
2.09 miles from city center


Hilton London Paddington hotel
146 Praed Street
London, United Kingdom, W2 1EE
44-207-850-0500
2.19 miles from city center



Hilton London Islington hotel
53 Upper Street
London, United Kingdom, N1 0UY
44-207-354-7700
2.22 miles from city center


Hilton London Hyde Park hotel
129 Bayswater Road
London, United Kingdom, W2 4RJ
44-207-221-2217
2.61 miles from city center

alihutch

I would think that the Waldorf would be cool...also not far from Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden and the Rover Thames...but don't use the Heathrow Express from Paddington....huge waste of money, known at the tourist express, as no-one here except those on business use it. The Piccadilly line is the way to go.....

Jay_G

For ease of access and having everything for a whistle-stop visit within spitting distance, I'd say to go for the Hilton Trafalgar.

Lots of the 'big' sites are on the doorstep and you'd be within stumbling distance of the Lamb & Flag (reputedly the oldest pub in Covent Garden).

It's also handy for Charing Cross station, where you can grab the Bakerloo line to Paddington to catch the Heathrow Express the following morning. I'm sure you know what you're doing and it'll be a hell of a lot quicker than the Piccadilly line.

laurie_ann

If you were planning to use Heathrow Express anyway why not Hilton Paddington, it is attached to the station? You can always go out on tube or by taxi to elsewhere.

(And BTW I agree that if you can get the Trafalgar or Waldorf which are both near enough to Picadilly line and use the tube that is even better.)

But, if you do plan to use tube, check on website for planned weekend closures that might affect you. (You can put in date and see what is scheduled.) http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravel...offset=weekend

janisj

I'd stay at Trafalgar SQ, Green Park or Waldorf. All are very nice and in good locations. I wouldn't stay in any of the others except possibly the Park Lane. I also would NOT take the Heathrow Express. That only gets you to Paddington station which is convenient to only the Paddington, Bayswater and Edgware properties. Since I wouldn't stay at any of those, I wouldn't take HEX. You have a short time in the city - don't stay at Paddington. The Trafalgar SQ, Waldorf and Green Park hotels are all w/i walking distance of lots of sites and attractions.

For the Green Park property, it would be cheaper, faster and actually easier to just take the tube.

For the Trafalgar Sq or Waldorf, I'd use a pre-booked car service. It will cost more than the train - but by the time you add the cost of a taxi from Paddington you are talking very similar costs w/ much less hassle. It would be door to door w/ no luggage hassles ate LHR or at Paddington.

justshootme

Based on location, I'd choose the Trafalgar Sq or Aldwych location. A car service will maybe a better choice for getting to LHR.

daldoc1

Why not stay at the airport if there is a Hilton there and go to Windsor for the dinner and pubbing. That way you don't have to do so much traveling back and forth. We did a one night layover in Heathrow and stayed at the Marriott there on points and we had the hotel arrange a car service to take us to Windsor with a phone # to call and have them come back and pick us up. Slept in the next morning and just a shuttle to the airport. very relaxing.

tahl

Because of a similar schedule, I stayed at the Hilton Paddington in September. The neighborhood around the station is fine but unexciting, though I had a perfectly nice afternoon stroll over to Portobello Road before dinner at a pub and an evening at the theatre. I loved the H.P's access to and from the Heathrow Express; it was literally a three-minute walk from the front door of my hotel room to being on the train to the airport. I'd happily stay there again under similar circumstances.

By the way, I choose to take the Heathrow Express rather than the cheaper Tube because of the extra space on the Express for luggage.

alanRow

<<< By the way, I choose to take the Heathrow Express rather than the cheaper Tube because of the extra space on the Express for luggage. >>>

Which is only useful if you are staying near Paddington as otherwise you'll have to pay for taxi / bus / tube to get you to your final destination and if you arrive at Paddington at the wrong time of the day you'll be fighting it out with several hundred thousand commuters

janisj

tahl: "<i>By the way, I choose to take the Heathrow Express rather than the cheaper Tube because of the extra space on the Express for luggage.</i>"

I'd take the Express too -- IF I was staying in the Paddington Hilton. That's a no brainer since the tube doesn't go directly to Paddington from LHR. It requires line changes.

But I personally wouldn't stay there unless I had business in the immediate area. For anywhere else in the city, the HEX usually doesn't make sense.

Palenque

taking the Tube in from Heathrow is better than taking it back to Heathrow with luggage - The Tube starts at Heathrow so it is usually fairly empty and you can get a seat in a corner, etc. to arrange your baggage - but taking it back you may have to board a crowded Tube with resulting problems - but i suppose on a Saturday morning it would not be as bad as at rush hour Mon-Fri

Palenque

If one was to stay in Paddington Hilton then why not just stay in Heathrow Terminal 4 Hilton and wake up at the airport in the morning?

tahl

Palenque: in my case, I was arriving at Paddington in early afternoon by train from Cardiff. I much preferred to stay in London at the Paddington Hilton, be able to go enjoy the afternoon on foot, drop back at the hotel to change, then go out to dinner & the theatre, and take the HEX to Heathrow in the morning, rather than to go directly out to the airport area, check in, and come back into town for afternoon and evening activities with no chance to freshen up in between them.

Since (like the OP) I was taking a noon flight from Heathrow, I had plenty of time to get to the airport in the morning. For an early-morning flight, I'd likely choose to stay near the airport.

Palenque

I agree the Paddington area makes a convenient place to stay because of the Heathrow Express getting you to the terminals in about 20 minutes and IMO it is far far more leisurely than trying to get on a potentially mobbed tube train to Heathrow. Though Paddington area is rather blah you have great tube and bus connections from it to anyplace in London. For one night before a flight a smart choice IMO

sandra3120

Another voice in agreement with HEX: if you're away for two weeks prior to arriving for one day in London, chances are you will have heavier luggage to deal with than the tube will permit easily, not to mention if elevators are out of service at your tube stations you will be hoiking the luggage up the stairs. HEX is foolproof in that regard, and the Paddington Hilton is the most sensible if you want ease of dealing with luggage on both ends. You can always take the tube after you've dropped your luggage in your room should you choose to go exploring. Personally, I prefer a taxi to see where I am, and I'm in London 10 or so times a year: I've never had the least difficulty any time that I have arrived in getting a taxi from Paddington to Bloomsbury where I normally stay.

janisj

"<i>if you're away for two weeks prior to arriving for one day in London, chances are you will have heavier luggage to deal with than the tube will permit easily</i>" Not necessarily - for lots of travelers anyway. I take the same small suitcase on a 4 week trip as on a 5 day trip.

The HEX is absolutely fine IF it fits in your budget (<u>£32 R-T</u, and IF one is staying at Paddington.

Since one can get into central London for about £35 w/ a car service, even for a single traveler the HEX + a taxi costs more. For anyplace but the Paddington Hilton - the HEX is practically useless.

If one can afford a car service - you can stay in a nicer/more central area and travel door to door w/ no luggage schlepping what-so-ever. Or if budget is an issue and you can manage the bags, you can travel into town on the tube for a pittance . . . .

janisj

That was probably confusing - the HEX is £32 R-T and a car service is approx £35 each way. So of course a car service costs more for one. But the £32 plus two taxi rides from/to Paddington of about of £15 or so - they are pretty close in cost.

(for 2 or more travelers - a car service is a no brainer)

Palenque

Car services however do have to cope with London's oft horrendous traffic snarls so leave lots more time than the dependably 20-25 minute non-stop train ride from Paddington.