London accomodations advice, please
 

We’ve book our flights and have a hotel reserved (Lime Tree Hotel - lovely place with great reviews) for our early July week in London. Another hotel has since indicated availability (the Caesar - know nothing about it but seems highly rated too). And now, I’ve found even more hotels that might work for us. So basically, I’m confused on lodging in London and would appreciate some advice!

For getting around London easily by public transportation and by foot, the Belgravia location seems desirable and seemingly closer than the Bayswater hotel location. Both areas seem well connected by public transport. Am I assessing this correctly? Or should we keep looking for something even more central, in the Covent Garden, Soho, Fitzrovia, Bloomsbury, Mayfair areas or should we keep the Lime Tree? We originally thought B&B, or hotel, but now we're thinking that access to laundry facilities (washer/dryer in an apt) might be a plus since we all are continuing on with trips after London. This is my only reason to consider an apartment (5 of us, a multi-generational group). Also, still concerned about A/C, and that the Lime Tree doesn’t have it. I’ve already asked that question before, received a variety of answers, so I guess the choice is up to preference, really. Comments appreciated.

Many smaller hotels do not have ac in UK,,, its usually not needed.. its not exactly a hot country( although on occasion it can have a warm spell in London.. I personally have never hit one.. every time I have been in summer its been cool and rainy!) . The larger chain hotels usually do have it though.. if its important to you perhaps look at the Premier Inn Kensington..

As for area.. frankly , we find London sites pretty spread out and you will always have to take a bus or tube to get somewhere. I stayed have stayed in Kensington, Russell Square area, and near Euston.. and in all cases there were sites we could walk to .. and those we could not..

Lime Tree is well reviewed.. I would hang on to it till sure you find something comparable.. I find London pretty expensive for what you get..

Note that washer may not automatically mean dryer, you might be expected to hang or drape clothes inside to dry, something will be provided to do that.

I like staying by the river, for the boat activity and the views it opens up, although most people stay away from it in the areas you mentioned.

The Lime Tree is fine. There are thousands of hotels in London so you will probably find hundreds that fit your needs/budget. Quit looking, you'll just drive yourselves crazy.

The Lime Tree is in a <u>much</u> more convenient location than the Caesar . . .

The Lime Tree hotel looks nice, I like the location.
Sloane Square only has the circle line, which is not so convenient (fairly long waits for tubes sometimes) but you're also close to Victoria.
You will find lots of small laundry places (search on Google Maps) where they will do a service wash for you; you don't have to sit around and do it yourself. It takes only about 2 hours to have a load of laundry washed and dried. Ironing would be extra.

If you get a flat, it will almost certainly not have AC either. Most homes do not.

The Caesar Hotel is fine too, close to Queensway (Central Line) and Bayswater (Circle Line). Queensway is a not very attractive road, lots of Chinese restaurants, phone shops. It's a convenient location, and the Central Line is easy for getting around London. Belgravia is a bit more posh, compared to Bayswater.

When I don't rent flats I often stay in Ebury Street (very near the Lime Tree). It is very close to Victoria and Sloane Sq, which IMO is much nicer/convenient staying north of the parks in Bayswater (the Caesar).

Plus one of the best chocolatiers in the city is just down the road :) http://www.williamcurley.com/index.html

'The Lime Tree is fine. There are thousands of hotels in London so you will probably find hundreds that fit your needs/budget. Quit looking, you'll just drive yourselves crazy'.

Exactly.

You have booked somewhere you really liked the look of. Don't waste any more time searching something you already have covered. Concentrate on the aspects of your trip that still need attention.

I have been to London a bunch of times (17 or 18?) and several times in summer did need AC. It very rarely become as hot as in the US - but it tends to be damp - and pretty warm (85) and humid can be very uncomfortable. There is no way I would do a hotel without AC in the summer.

IMHO Bayswater is not that convenient or that pleasant so I would head for other more central areas.

Agree not to just keep looking or you will never find anything. Once you find amenities, location and price you can live with just grab it.

Thanks everyone. Yes, after hearing from all of you I think we will keep the Lime Tree accommodations. It was on my original short list of places, and I was very happy when they said they had first floor rooms available.

And, of course, I will love the nearby chocolate place mentioned above!

Many thanks.

It looks really nice and has good reviews so I doubt you will be disappointed :-)

Just a point of note - you do know that UK first floor = US second floor? If you want rooms at street level you need to ask for ground floor.

Yes, thanks. We are aware that the first floor is up one flight, not at ground level. And actually that might be best/safest if we want to have the windows open a bit overnight. Let's just hope the temperatures are pleasant while we're there.

Unless it is a money issue, I simply don't understand why you would book a hotel during a season where you have to hope the temperatures are pleasant in order to be comfortable. Vacation is not a time for unnecessary inconvenience. I strongly second nytraveler's advice to have AC in the summer.

I have turned on AC exactly <u>twice</u> in the UK . . . and that was living there for 5 years and more than 40 visits since.

You aren't sleeping during the 'heat' of the day. In the unlikely event there is a heat wave, you can open the windows and borrow a fan from the hotel. In early July it actually is more likely to be cool/rainy than hot. (have you seen all the rain at Wimbledon and British Grand Prix and Open Championship? All are in late June through mid July)

Janis, were you living IN LONDON when that A/C wasn't turned on?????

No -- in Oxfordshire -- and visited London probably 12-15 times a year during that time period. All told I've stayed over in London probably 80-100+ times from one night to 10 days.

From an August 11, 2014 review:
However, there is no AC and it was extremely hot every night, even with the fan. We asked for another fan and they didn't have one. (Somehow this merited a 4/5 star rating anyway)
From a Fodor's review:
The Hotel does not have a/c. I was there the 2nd week, not the much hotter 1st week of July. With the desk fan and open window I was comfortable.
From Frommer's about hotels in London, "In summer, rooms without air conditioning can get quite hot".
Not worth the trouble if it's your vacation week with the heat wave.

I have managed to hit a London heat wave, and we would have melted without A/C in the hotel. I was so hot in the tube and on the streets that having a cool room to return to at night was a blessing!

Honestly, I don't know what to do. It's not a matter of money, though I can't imagine A/C raising the price that much. No doubt I will continue to look, since doubt is once again in my mind. I

Different people have different tolerance for heat. I can;t sleep if it's much above 70.

And many hotels have windows that don't open.

As for fans - I have never understood them - they do nothing to lower the temp - just move hot air around.

kathleen, I don't know what your price point is but I have stayed at the Sloane Square hotel which is not far from the Lime Tree and it has air conditioning. We really enjoyed our stay in the hotel, the Sloane Square tube station is right across the street and there are many shops, restaurants etc in the vicinity. Yes, expensive ones up Sloane St. but on the King's Road, a variety of price points.

www.sloanesquare.co.uk/

Another hotel I really liked is the Ampersand which is in South Kensington, again right near the South Kensington tube station and even more choices of places to eat. Also a short walk to the Victoria and Albert museum, the Museum of Natural History and not far to walk to Hyde Park, Kensington Park, Harrods etc.

They have AC also and I am not a big one for AC normally but that July it was smoking hot in London and I must admit it was nice to turn it on just to cool the room a bit and then we'd turn it off and open the window.

Thanks. I will check into both of your recommendations and also check to see what is available elsewhere in our time period.

I haven't even been to London that many times, and yet it was pretty hot two of the summers I was there. I was there in August once for the PROMs and I think it was close to 90. I can't sleep if I'm too hot, that's my main issue, as well as noise, of course.

Now I do think fans help a lot, a breeze does make me feel cooler, no matter what. I don't find fans that common in hotels at all, though.

I'm seriously considering the A/C issue, and to that end I've been looking at other accommodations. Anyone have opinions on one or all of these four places? -The Presidential Kensington, or The Cleveland, or Park Grand London Hyde Park, or Nottingham Place. In each place we'd be booking two separate rooms/studios/suites, one double and one triple/family, each with A/C, WIFI, lift, and some with kitchenettes if not an available breakfast. Additionally the Presidential Kensington has washer/dryers. What do you think? Thanks.

I personally wouldn't stay in any if those, but if I had to it would be the Nottingham Place. The others are near Paddington and earls court .

(It really is too bad the others have scared you off from the Lime Tree because of a/c. It it a much superior location and a better property. But never mind - you've decided a/c is an important amenity. Here's hoping you don't need heat.)

I agree with Janis, I'd stay in the Lime Tree and open the window before staying in any of those you have listed.

I should qualify that out of all the many times I have been to London that July of 2013 was the only time it was that hot, and we probably would have been fine with opening the windows, but as the AC was there of course we turned it on for a short while. I don't have AC in my house and manage just fine for the few weeks of summer when it is super hot here. But only you can make that decision.

I think it is not the norm for London to be so hot as to require AC.

Note: The District Line also stops at Sloane Sq. (Does it share tracks with the Circle line where they parallel each other? If not, then it should not have as many delays as the Circle.)

They both stop at a number of great attractions.

SS

I was looking at the wrong hotel when I looked at the Nottingham Place, sorry. It looks very nice and actually I like that area around Marylebone High Street, lots of nice shops, pubs etc, a really nice neighbourhood feel and close to Regent Park.

As for the others, not crazy about their locations.

I'm not completely giving up on the Lime Tree and I'm still keeping it reserved, BUT I would like a comparative alternative to it that would include A/C. My quick new choices didn't really measure up either in quality or location to my original choice. So given my parameters, what would a couple of quality alternatives be? I'm really glad that you're all being so honest. I'd just like to get this right. Thank you!