Hello!

I will be in London for 3 days the week of January 11th, 2010.

I have never been to London and so I am not familiar with the neighborhoods. I am a female and traveling alone, so safety is a primary concern. I currently live in NYC so I am comfortable being out and about when it's dark and with using subway systems.

I would like to spend no more than US$150/night on lodging, which I suppose could be as little as 75pounds/night if the exchange rate gets worse. Is this completely unreasonable to expect? In which neighborhoods would I be able to find this price range?

I would really like a CLEAN lodging option. Doesn't have to be a big room. Private bathroom.

Some of the things I like to do when I travel: go to museums, walk through parks, photograph buildings/churchs/enjoy architecture, relax in cafes, see a few of the major-can't-miss-them sights, walk along waterfronts, visit farmers markets...

Of course, I would love to stay in the nicest, most centrally located neighborhood, but I realize my budget is very tight for London. So, I'd be willing to stay a little bit farther away and use the subway.

If anyone has any recommendations for neighborhoods or specific places you have stayed at and enjoyed, I will GREATLY appreciate it!

Thanks in advance, I know you guys are always helpful!

Safety is not an issue really -- any area a tourist will find herself will be fine.

I definitely recommend Priceline for budget visitors. You will get a double room. (Even though you'll be solo, you'll do better in a double because singles can be very, VERY small). It will be a full service hotel - not 'atmospheric' or full of character, but perfectly nice w/ modern amenities like a Holiday Inn or similar. AND it will cost you around $100 or less. It will give you twice the hotel for half the price.

If you have not used PL before, check out biddingfortravel.com for info. (I'm talking about the 'name your own price' feature, NOT booking a hotel directly through PL)

The best bidding zones would be Westminster, Knightsbridge/Kensington/Earls Court, and Mayfair/Soho

Please check out the Luna & Simone -- conveniently located near Victoria Station, right on a bus line, and within your price points. Gets great reviews on TripAdvisor, too. Though I've not stayed there for three years, I can vouch for it as ownership has not changed.

The Luna & Simone is in a very convenient location and is a very good budget property. But it would still cost more than a 4 star, full service pricelined hotel.

What you could do is book somewhere like the L&S if the reservation is fully cancel-able, and then bid PL. If after several attempts you haven't "won" a bid, you'd have the L&S to fall back on.

Your budget is tight but definitely doable. In addition to the previous suggestions, I stayed at the Morgan Hotel (morganhotel.co.uk) in June and was quite satisfied. I think a single would be in your price range; I stayed in a twin, and it was sufficient but not overly roomy. I preferred that location, in Bloomsbury, to the area where the Luna & Simone is (I personally find it's more convenient, though Belgravia/Victoria is fine). There are several b&b/small hotels in both Bloomsbury and the Victoria area that could work for you.

One other option, if you don't care for the "mystery" aspect of Priceline, is to see what you can get on londontown.com. It is a discount site, but lets you see exactly what hotel you're getting.

I highly recommend base2stay, which despite the plain name is an immaculate and well-located place (for both walking and taking the tube):
http://www.base2stay.com/rooms_and_rates/rates.html

Travelodge
Travelodge - great value accommodation at over 300 hotels throughout the UK and Ireland. Family rooms from £19 per room in England, Wales, Scotland and ...
www.travelodge.co.uk/

Don't forget the chain hotels - kind of like our Holiday Inns and they can be a great value - especially if you can nab, far in advance, one of their deep discounted rooms - all over London, even in such tourist hot spots as Covent Garden. Dependably clean, modern, etc.

Premier Inn Hotels are similar to Travelodges and have properties all over London - including one in County Hall, smack on The Thames and the Eye Over London Ferris Wheel

Premier Inn Hotels - UK
www.PremierInn-Hotels.com Stay in a Premier Inn Hotel in UK From Only £29 a Night.

Book Cheap Hotels in the UK & Worldwide from £29
Over 580 budget hotels across the UK, ideal for families, business and leisure. ... Norwich Nelson City Centre Riverside, Nottingham Arena (London Rd) ...
www.premierinn.com/

Thank you for all the tips and recommendations!!!

My daughter and I had great success, a B&B in a very nice neighborhood, using:

http://www.londonhometohome.com

In your price range, I think...

a few comments:

As has been clarified MANY times before on here - that Travel Lodge special will not get you <u>anywhere</u> near £19 in central London. For instance the Travel Lodge in Covent Garden runs over <B>£120</B> a night -- on special.

Same w/ Premiere Travel Inn - those cheap rates are for motorway motels up country -- not for their central London properties. County Hall Premier Travel Inn runs <B>£126</B> a night.

Base2Stay is certainly OK -- but will cost substantially more than Priceline or Luna&Simone. Most of their rooms run between £100 and £200 a night.

A Brit reported she did score a 19 pound room at Covent Garden Travelodge but you have to act far in advance. so they do indeed exist and i'm surprised Joplin did not know this since that post was a response to her similar post here that you will never get a room at Travelodge or Premier Lodges in London for under 120 quid a night. In any case either chain presents good value for what they offer in one of the world's most expensive cities for hotels.

I'd shop around for sure, but the "bijou" single at base2stay is 91 pounds (150 USD). They offer occasional deals if you sign up through their website.

As has been clarified MANY times before on here - that Travel Lodge special will not get you anywhere near £19 in central London. For instance the Travel Lodge in Covent Garden runs over £120 a night -- on special.>

well for tomorrow i just checked and there were 105 pound rooms available at TL Covent Garden - so much for the cheapest being 120 pounds on a special!

Well i just put in Nov 30 thru Dec 3 this year and could have booked a 89 pound per night room at Covent Garden Travelodge - and 89 pounds for a modern hotel right near Covent Garden is to me at least a great deal.

Palenque - I will be in London for the nights of 11/27 and 28th.I've been appreciating your suggestions on this and other posts. I have been trying to get Covent Garden Travelodge but they continue to be sold out for my dates. Is there another Travelodge location that you would recommend that would put me on/near the Picadilly line for easy access to Heathrow. Thanks.

10 Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5RE, United Kingdom
0871 984 6245‎

This Travelodge says it is 0.2 miles from the Covent Garden Tube stop, on the Piccadilly line.

alcook2: would you be able to provide the name of the specific B&B you stayed at?

thanks again to everyone! your recommendations have been very useful!

Travellingmom3 - Premier Inns are about the same as Tlodges it seems and this one is better located for going to Heathrow on Piccadilly line - it seems rooms can be had from 97 quid week days 87 quid weekends and the odd special perhaps lower.

London Kensington (Earls Court) Hotel | Information - cheap ...
Premier Inn – a warm welcome. Premier Inn, Information correct as of 31/10/2009 ... London Kensington (Earls Court). 11 Knaresborough Place London ...
http://www.premierinn.com/pti/hotelI...ion.do?hotelId...

I would much rather stay on Drury Lane than Earls Court, despite a short walk to a Piccadilly station. Drury Lane is within walking distance to a LOT. Earls Court is quite far, relatively speaking (walking distance to nothing, tube ride from everything).