Portdane

Seniors looking for a hotel recommendation in London. Staying 21st - 23rd. I looked at hotels close to Parliament buildings but too expensive - looking for a hotel close to Parliament buildings around $200/night. We can take cabs/uber to local attractions like Tower of London and Churchill and a live show but we need to get to Southampton 23rd Saturday a.m, to board a Norwegian cruise ship. thank you - Karen

KTtravel

Have you tried the Premier Inns? I haven't stayed there but have seen them recommended on this website.

janisj

$200 is very low for central London. That is only about £155.

Several Premier Inns as mentioned above would fit in that budget (though rates can be very date specific) The closest PIs to Parliament (Country Hall etc) will likely be well above your number but there are Premier Inns all over central London so I'd plug your dates into their website.

https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hot...er-london.html

crellston

You are really going to struggle to find anything reasonable within that budget in that location even at Premier Inns. Either increase your budget (using public transport is easy and would save a considerable sum in transport costs which could go towards accommodation) or look further afield. Travelodges are a cheaper version of Premier Inns and anywhere around Kings Cross station would likely be within budget.
The Ibis chain is another budget option.
Also consider how you will get to your cruise. If Waterloo then somewhere near there may work well.

uktravelover

I’m a big Premier Inn fan, however in London they have one group of hotels called “the hub”, which seem to have very small bedrooms, so you may want to look at the Premier Inns or Premier plus, although the hubs are probably ok for a couple of nights depending on luggage.

Tulips

Go to booking.com and filter for your dates and budget. You will instantly see what's available. If in doubt post back here to ask opinions on specific hotels.

BrianE78

I recall visiting some time ago in London and staying in the Westminster neighbourhood, which is close to the Parliament buildings, and it was quite convenient for sightseeing. I'll get to the point now. I am a little worried about your budget. It took something like 150-180 range [2 yrs ago]. Consider staying in hotels in the Victoria or Pimlico areas, which offer a good range of accommodation options to fit your budget. More likely a 3-star, if that's okay. And you can get a cab to go to the Churchill War Rooms and the Tower of London. I hope this information was helpful.

AJPeabody

The combo of cheapish hotel and expensive-ish taxis seems penny wise and pound foolish. We stayed near Earl's Court station, which has no stairs required to use the Tube. What are your walking/stairs limits?

janisj

Yes -- Hub's are part of the Premier Inn group -- but their websites are very clear -- one would not book into a Hub 'by mistake' thinking it is a regular Premier Inn.

Out of curiosity, I ran a dummy booking for Travelodge -- some are quite nice some not so much. The these two decent ones are very well located and barely within your budget. There are a couple of others that are cheaper but I personally wouldn't recommend them.

• Covent garden
• Waterloo

The only Ibis/Mercure I found that is both central-ish and within your budget for your dates is Earls Court.

(I used 3 nights 9-21, 22, 23)

bilboburgler

Travel Lodge, mmh not really very nice compared to Premier or even Ibis.

Why do you want to be near Parliament, are you meeting someone?

janisj

Some TraveLodges are totally fine and some definitely not. The two I mentioned are both modern and nicer than typical TL's. Unfortunately most Ibis properties in central London are above the budget for their dates.

Most Premier Inns are a step up from most TraveLodges and quite a few will fit in their budget IF they pre-pay/non-refundable. But several will be far above the budget - for example PI County Hall is £202/$260 per night non-refundable and £231/$298 for a flex booking.

KayF

You don't get much for your money in London so if your room or location is important, you will need to pay more. I stayed recently in London and paid more than your budget and both rooms (two different hotels) were small and old/depressing/tired.

Also you seem to have very little time in London and may struggle to get to see the things on your list. You said 21 - 23 Sept, with a cruise starting 23rd?
Thursday 21 Sept - overnight London. You arrive and will (maybe, depends on flight arrival and jetlag) have some time that day to see something.
Friday 22 Sept - overnight London. You have all day Friday to do things on your list.
Saturday 23 Sept - leave early for train to Southampton (I guess?)

I've stayed in a Premier Inn twice, both rooms were modern, clean and a reasonable size. There are a zillion other hotels in London though. If it was me, I'd either stay close to the attractions you have high on your wish list so you don't need to spend a lot of time/money getting there. OR, stay close to the train station where you leave for Southampton so your last morning is a bit easier.

mjs

I agree with everyone else that your budget is low for London. Booking.com will be helpful. Why Parliament area? Cabs and Uber are expensive in London. Consider walking or taking the Tube or a bus and use the saved money on your lodging unless you have mobility issues. Might also consider hostels or University summer Lodging.

janisj

Oh jeeze Louise (!) -- I completely overlooked the cruise leaving on Saturday. So you are not staying in London Sept 21-23 -- you have to be in Southampton Sat. morning. (meaning I should have used two nights for the dummy booking)

If you arrive in London sometime on Thurs 9-21 you'll likely be jet lagged and not able to access your hotel room before mid-afternoon. So you have one usable full day in London Friday -- perhaps time enough to visit the Tower of London and the Cabinet War Rooms -- but it would be a pretty hectic day. Since your budget is so low and you really have very little time in London -- maybe consider only staying one night there (and up your budget by at least ⅓ - ½). That would net you a partial arrival day, and all day on Friday in central London - then after dinner and/or a show Fri. evening, take the train to Southampton. Accommodations are less expensive in Southampton and that will have you in town Sat morning and at most a short cab ride to the ship.

uktravelover

The reason for recommending a Premier Inn is that you know it will be clean, have a comfortable bed and coffee/tea making facilities in the room. Ibis are similar although I usually find their bed slightly firm. I think that the suggestion KayF made to decide what you want to see and then book the hotel is a good one. As said by others, you could then spend some of the money not spent on taxis on the hotel and meals as well as save time or use it on your cruise. There are a lot of mediocre/poor hotels in London within the lower budget range so be careful. Check reviews from several sites, not just booking.com.
I also think Janus’s suggestion of spending 1 night in Southampton could work for you.

janisj

"The reason for recommending a Premier Inn is that you know it will be clean, have a comfortable bed and coffee/tea making facilities in the room. Ibis are similar although I usually find their bed slightly firm"

Problem being -- Neither brand fits in the OP's budget - at least most of their central London properties won't.

AJPeabody

The problem is that the OP's desires are not available on the stated budget. Since the OP has not returned, I assume our advice is useless.

Portdane

no but thank you

Portdane

thx - I will check them out -

Portdane

I looked at the Marlin Waterloo - great location - you would not recommend it ? have you stsyed there ?