Is Covent Garden Hotel worth the $$?
 

We are going to London in October with our daughter (6) and I am tempted, in spite of the money (we haven't been to London in awhile and the exchange is stunning!) to book the Covent Garden Hotel--we can get enough room for the three of us, breakfast, etc.; in the U.S. we book a suite which has separate sleeping quarters, but in London that equivalent seems to be a flat, but we really don't want to rent a flat, because we only need 4 nights and I don't feel like cleaning up and we want things like a nice bar and a restaurant (we need a nice hotel because as those of you who have small children know (or remember) we are back in the hotel for the night by 6:30 or 7:00 p.m.)--so I'd like opinions on the hotel if you've stayed there (it's #1 at a trip advisor) and if that area (avoiding the "n" word!) is best for what we will do (BP, Tower of London, two shows, the Parks). Other suggestions on hotels welcome.

Appreciate all the opinions--oh, yes, I did a search, this not did pop up.

Thanks in advance,

Mary in D.C.

anybody?

I don't know about the particular hotel, but we stayed in a flat at Covent Garden and it was so convenient to everything. There are dozens of restuarants just steps away. We are used to walking so we walked everywhere--Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's, the museums. St. James Park is fairly close. There is also an Underground stop at Covent Garden and we took it for longer distance sights, like when we went to Harrods.

I know you said you weren't interested in a flat, but the Scala House (www.scala-house.co.uk) has a nightly rate of £140/night for a 2 BR apartment.

But no restaurant or bar.

Thanks Grace and Kay; I will look at Scala House--I assume it is conveniently located?

Appreciate the replies,

Mary

Scala House is located in Bloomsbury, very close to the Goodge Street tube, but also close to Oxford Circus tube.

You might also want to look at the Dolphin Square Hotel (www.dolphinsquarehotel.co.uk) in Westminster (very close to Pimlico tube.) It's a suites hotel an has a couple restaurants and an indoor pool.

Honestly, I don't think you will necessarily need a restuarant or a bar in your hotel. There were restuarants on each side of our flat, a coffee shop across the street, a pastry shop a few doors up. It couldn't have been more convenient.

There are hundreds of nice bars and restaurants all over London. Several in almost every block - I wouldn't pick my hotel because of the in-house restaurants.

For a family, your money will go a LOT farther if you rent a flat. If you want the amenities of a hotel w/ the extra space of a flat -- Dolphin Square would be very good.

But as was said - there are so many places to eat in every neighborhood, any flat would be good too.

There's a London trip report by someone who stayed at the Covent Garden Hotel, and speaks highly of it, at

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34523532

Do not know hotel but we stayed in a tiny flat in Covent Garden 2 years ago and is one of the most convenient areas we have ever stayed in - so much to see and do close by and you can walk almost everywhere. It is a personal thing but what I do not like about hotels or b & b's etc is that there is usually nowhere to sit other than the bed. The advantage of a flat is it does have separate sleeping quarters, you can self cater for breakfast easily, pop back during the day without staff barging in etc. But the 4 nights could be a problem for a flat- I agree. Whatever London is wonderful!

You may also consider One Aldwych Hotel(www.onealdwych.co.uk) which I can recommend, having stayed for a couple of nights. Its located in Covent Garden and very central for sight seeing.

I can also recommend Axis restaurant, which is a restaurant within the hotel. We also ate at Christopher's (www.christophersgrill.com) again very good, just next to the hotel.

Lyceum Theatre is opposite hotel, currently playing Lion King.

I have often recommended Covent Garden Hotel, despite never actually staying there myself. Recently there was a post here by someone who did stay there and loved it -- saying it was worth the cost.

I'm not sure what you mean by doing a search and the name not coming up. I entered Covent Garden Hotel and got 50 responses. I didn't read through all of them, but there are some comments about the hotel, although I couldn't find that most recent "rave".

There is a reason it is #1 at trip adviser. It is a lovely hotel in a perfect loaction, especially for theatre.

Most of this month's GOURMET magazine is devoted to London. It has many recommendations for hotels, B&B's, apartment rentals, restaurants, and shopping. You might want to check it out!

I'd also advise checking Claridges to see if they are offering any of their family accomodation deals in October. We took advantage of a deal last summer, and had two gorgeous rooms, both with bath, for just under $600/night. The hotel was fantastic, and we walked everywhere from there easily.

I'm also hearing a lot about Renaissance Chancery Court, which isn't too far from Covent Garden. It was recently voted one of London's best hotels, if that stuff counts for anything! It is certainly within walking distance of theatreland.

Good luck, and have a great time!

I'd second the suggestion for Claridge's, however, I wouldn't imagine that it falls within budget.

I'm not a fan of Covent Gdn. it's always full with tourists, I hate the constant crowds. The shops are downmarket, a dreadfully overrated area.

"I'm not a fan of Covent Gdn. it's always full with tourists, "

Then it sounds like a perfect place for a tourist to stay! Especially one who wants to see theatre while in London.

>>I'm not of a fan of Covent Gdn. It's always full of tourists. I hate the constant crowds. <<

Like the rest of London isn't?

I suppose if you spend your entire time in London inside the VERY BEST designer shops spending hundreds of pounds for each article of simply divine clothing you buy, you'd probably not run into a lot of other tourists. But if you're going to London to do the typical touristy things (and who in their right mind wouldn't if they are indeed a tourist?) then you might as well face facts and be what you are.

Thank you to everyone for your posts; I feel very sensitive on this board to the messages that say "do a search"; Patrick--when I did a search I only found threads on Covent Garden, the area, and saw nothing on the hotel, perhaps I was not thorough enough, but enough said on that, now that this has devolved into something else, I will saw thank you for your thoughts and leave it at that.

Mary

Wow. Sensitive doesn't begin to describe it.

I apologize that I couldn't quote verbatim the recent thread from a poster who did rave about the Covent Garden Hotel, and I thought my comments about it might be of some help to you, particularly the fact that there was a recent rave here. Apparently those comments meant nothing to you, as you'd rather focus on the negative.

I also thought that posts that come up when you enter Covent Garden Hotel in the search function, particularly the several that even have the name of the hotel in the titles would have been of some use to you. I'm sorry you have to sift through other information to find them that isn't important to you. Yes it is a bit of work, and obviously not worth it to you.

It is too bad you are so sensitive about people suggesting searches. Do you really expect all the 50 posters who have posted information in the past are going to suddenly reappear and answer your question? The search idea is a good one. It is too bad if you don't want to go to the trouble to use it. I guess you'll be satisfied NOT getting more ideas then. That's too bad.

It was Intrepid1 who stayed there recently.