London and Priceline
 

Heading with a girlfriend to London at the first of November and we're working through the Priceline bidding system. We'd love to stay in the Mayfair/Soho or Bloomsbury/Marble Arch areas for $100-120 US including taxes. I realize that's probably not going to happen.

I've looked at biddingfortravel.com and checked out the hotels Priceline has used before in London. Now I'm looking at the Kensington or Notting Hill areas. Which area would you prefer? Obviously, we'd like something safe at night, but a convenient tube stop and selection of restaurants would be handy.

DH and I have stayed in the Kensington area before, but we've never stayed around Notting Hill. Two of the Notting Hill hotels that are Priceline favorites are the Hilton Paddington and the Hilton Kensington. Anyone have an opinion of either of these hotels? I can probably get a Priceline bid for one of these for $100 including taxes and fees.

Thanks,
Marla

I did Priceline for a hotel in London about three years ago. After trying several areas I ented up with Kensington. Our room was around $80-100 and was 3 blocks from the subway. We were VERY happy with it and the room was great, especially for the price. Although we weren't as centralized as we wanted to be having the underground so close made if very convenient.

Good luck,
Ann

The Hilton padding is great. Great location. It is connected to Paddington Station. I seem to remember a few restaurants in the neighborhood, but we didn't use them. We never seemed to be near the hotel at dinnertime. Seemed like a pretty safe area to me. I don't know of any areas that are "unsafe". Even late at night, there always seemed to be people around. Never stayed at the Hilton Kensington though.

You need to look at the PL zones - and be very careful. You may like Notting Hill - but the PL zone is Notting Hill/Bayswater and includes Paddington and some areas not really in eiother neighborhood. I personally wouldn't touch that zone w/ a barge pole.

Knightsbridge/Kensington/Earls Court sometimes gets you S. Kens, but most often Earls Court and almost never Knightsbridge.

Westminster zone has mostly very central areas - but also one hotel south of the river and not in a convenient location.

Mayfair/Soho hotels are all very central - but there are no bargains even on PL.

And so it goes.

If you can't get Mayfair/Soho, I'd personally try Knightsbridge/Kens/EC, Westminster, and surprisingly - City/London Bridge. PL has re-drawn the city/London Bridge zone and there are some good hotels there.

I often get hotels in London on Priceline. I would pick the Kensington area over Notting Hill - mainly for convenience.

For our trip last March, I was trying to stay under $100 per night and wasn't getting anything in Kensington. I added the Regents Park area and got the Hilton Metropole for $80/night (pre-tax.)

The area is OK, we felt safe enough walking around, and with the two Edgware Road tube stations(Circle/District line and Bakerloo line) virtually across the street, it made getting around very, very easy. The hotel rooms were small, but clean and nicely appointed.

ttt

In case you haven't yet gotten your hotel, I would recommend the Kensington area. I, also, got a room in 2005 for $75 a night at the 4* Copthorne Tara, and it was a block away from the tube station - very convenient, very safe.

Priceline data for 2005 may not be worth much now. In 2005 I got the Thistle Marble Arch in London for some ridiculous price with Priceline, like $70/night or something, but I think if you check BetterBidding.com that deal doesn't come up anymore. Travel to Europe is booming now and there are fewer good deals than two years ago.

You should be able to get something in the Kensington zone for $85-$100 per night. Add another $15-$20 per night in taxes and fees. This is consistently the cheapest zone. Not my favorite area, as it is a little far removed, but it has excellent tube access, is convenient to Heathrow, and is perfectly safe. London is expensive enough, so I usually just bid in this zone and take what I can get.

Very true, Andrew - but then again, my prices were for August, and this is November, so mine would have to be adjusted for that as well :)

In June 2006 I got the Thistle Marble Arch for $55 through Priceline - the kind of deal that I don't think I'll ever be able to match again.

Hadn't stayed in that area before, but found it to be ok.

Given the choice between Kensington and Notting Hill, I would choose Kensington. Is the Hilton Olympia still in the Kensington zone? That hotel is a little further out than the rest of the hotels in that zone and fear of winning that hotel is what always prevented me from bidding in Kensington.

I was very happy with a 3* bid in Bloomsbury/Marble Arch, but the question is what it will cost now.

Have you considered bidding in the Regents Park zone? That seems to be one of the cheaper options nowadays, with good hotels, although I realize the location may not be as good.

chepar,the hilton olympia is superbly connected by several buses AT THE DOOR.

i really enjoyed my stay there but have also read mediocre reviews from some.

i would be very HAPPY to get that hotel again for the bargain i paid for it last year.

I don't know if the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum is still a PL hotel, but we had it 3 years ago and it was good value and a great location---one block from Gloucester station. I'd stay there again. Back then we got it for a $75 per night bid...it would still have been a real bargain at $125 or more.

Forgot to add that we have also stayed at the Crown Plaza St. James for about $120 per night, and preferred the Holiday Inn.

The HI Kensington Forum is indeed a good and convenient hotel, and it still comes up in the Kensington zone on Priceline.

But as noted above, so does the Hilton Olympia in this zone, and that hotel is further out. As also noted, though, several posters here have found the bus service from the Olympia to be good, and the hotel to be a good bargain overall.

I've "won" the Olympia Hilton twice and while definitely not my prefered location if I was paying full rack rate - for $76 and $82 it was wonderful. The Olympia tube station is not as convenient as some others but it really isn't a backwater either. Only issue is having to change at Earl's court to get most anywhere. But between the tube station and terrific bus connections it is not as inconvenient as some would think.

And the rooms and service were very good. Both times I was asked at check in what sort of room I wanted (which doesn't always happen w/ PL bookings)

Yeah, when I stayed at Copthorne Tara, I was asked if I wanted to upgrade to a Conneiseur (sp) room for $20 extra a night. Since my original price was $75 a night, I thought, sure! It was a great decision - lovely room, nice view, and huge bed. Also included was free internet, which was a special that month. Icing on the cake!

Going to London in spring. This is good info. Thanks.

Julie