Fodorites;

I need your help again.

I have paired down my hotel choices to these two Bloomsbury hotels The Montague on the Gardens, and the Harlingford. Both have good raves in Fodors, but can anybody give a personal recommendation? Or suggest a other hotels in Bloomsbury?

Thanks in advance,
Greg

Hi VolGreg,
Well... I can tell you I stayed at the Harlingford (you know its a B&B of course)...but it was a couple of years ago, so for what it's worth.... nice rooms, large breakfast, good service. Location on a quiet street. There is a 'shopping centre' with pharmacy and laundry on Marchmont (and a pub!) Easy access to Euston or Russell Square tube. Ate at chinese restaurant on Marchmont and italian restaurant on Southampton Row, just south of Russell Square. Can walk from hotel to Covent Garden. Easy walk to British Museum
I ramble...but I hope this helps
Mike

Thanks Mike,

It seem like a good location just worried a bit about the rooms being small.

The last visit we stayed at the Ruebens at the Palace, the sister hotel of the Montague on the Gardens. It was very nice, but luxury hotels are a bit to attentive for my taste.
A good B&B leave you alone.

Thanks for the info,
Greg

Also stayed at Crescent and Mentone in that area, as well as 'real' hotels St Giles and Royal National...

Found the B&Bs good enough for me, the hotels were a bit large and impersonal, definitely not upscale. St Giles was well located but I found street noise a bit annoying at night. Royal National is used by a lot of tour groups.

There are other B&Bs that I have read about in that vicinity, I'm digging around to see what I have. I knwo there was one acorss the street from the British Museum (not the Academy...)..something on Montague..

I've stayed at the Harlingford twice.

The first time my husband and I had a large room with two beds at the back of the hotel. It was wonderfully quiet. We stayed there a week.

The second time (in 2000) we had a very small room at the front of the hotel. We stayed there two nights. I am a light sleeper and even with earplugs I found the traffic noise problematic. It's on the corner of two fairly small streets, but there are constantly taxis driving past on one of those streets and those diesel engines can be noisy.

So, if you're a light sleeper, ask for a room at the back of the hotel. All you'll hear is a church bell in the far distance.

The staff are friendly, the breakfasts good, and there is a pleasant sitting room on the ground floor. Assuming that I could get a quiet room at the back of the hotel, I'd willingly stay there again.

As Michel_Paris mentions, there's a shopping centre a few blocks away, with a large Safeway.

I have no experience of the Montague.

On my first visit to London 10 years ago we stayed at the Ruskin Hotel on Montague Street right across the street from the British Museum (maybe this is the one Michel_Paris was thinking of). It was very nice and I wouldn't mind staying there again - good location, reasonable price & nice size rooms for London, steps from the Brit Museum, and it has a lift.

We've stayed at the Bonnington of Bloomsbury a couple of times and really liked it. It's located on Southampton Row - 1/2 way between the Holborn and Russell Square tube stations. It is about a two minute walk from the British Museum.

It's a nice tourist class hotel and they have a really nice breakfast buffet. Rooms are good size (for London) and staff is friendly and helpful.

On this hotel, you generally can get better rates booking through Travelocity or Expedia rather than directly from the Bonnington.

There is also a good Italian restaurant called Il Fornello close by on Southampton Row (between the Bonnington and Russell Sqaure.)