Peggy

This is our first visit to London. We're a couple in our 30s who would like a hotel where, at night, we could walk to some nightclubs/activities etc. During the day, we'd like to be convenient to sightseeing on our own and tours. We are very confused as to both distance and ambience of the many areas of London. We are thinking that maybe the Victoria/Westminster area might be the type of area we're looking for but we're very uncertain. Any other areas we should be checking? Hopefully we can find a nice hotel in the $150 price range. Any suggestions? We're going the end of March.

elaine

Hi
the most popular areas to stay in, around this board anyway, are, in no particular order, South Kensington, Bloomsbury, Victoria, and several other areas.

elaine

oops, I didn't mean to push Post.

I meant to add, there are fans of many neighborhoods, it depends on your budget and whether you like to walk as much as use the Tube or buses.

londontown.com is a good place to browse for hotels by price and neighborhood. You might come up with some candidates there, and then do a search on them here for past comments.
Also check the London hotel listings by clicking on Hotels at the top of this screenp-there are guest comments there, and also many comments at
tripadvisor.com

nytraveler

I like to stay in Knightsbridge - which is fairly central and has a lot of dining choices - from trendy restaurants to gourmet delis/markets. Also close to Harrods, several museum and Buckingham Palace. The Millenium Knightsbridge - a European 4* hotel - has a good location and often has 99L deals on their web site.

jeffy

NYTraveler not to butt into Peggy's thread but do you have any other Knightsbridge hotels to recommend. My favorite, The Mil. Knightsbridge is all booked up. Thanks. Sorry Peggy.

Grasshopper

jeffy, You probably know that Millenium Baileys is right next door. Also, closeby and in that price range the Radisson Eduardian Vanderbilt. The Grange Strathmore is said to be a 4star but I don't think it compares to either of the other two. For a more discount option try Hotel Montana. All of these are in one block of eachother.

ben_haines_london

The nightclubs and theatres tend to be in Soho and the West End, the area bounded by Regent Street, Oxford Street, Kingsway, and the Strand. This area is quite well supplied with hotels, especially just north of Oxford Street, on St Martin?s Lane, along the Strand, and at Charing Cross, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly. Westminster is ten minutes walk outside the area, Bloomsbury and Knightsbridge are twenty minutes walk, Victoria thirty minutes walk, and Kensington and South Kensington are beyond walking.

Tours leave from all the areas I have mentioned so far.

London developed over centuries from the City and Tower to Westminster to South Kensington, and the underground line that connects these is the District Line. The stretch where this line runs very near the West End and Soho is from Westminster via Embankment to Temple, that is to say 200 yards south of the Strand. So I suggest you start by thinking of the rather few hotels at Charing Cross and along the Strand. These are the Thistle Trafalgar Square, Thistle Charing Cross, Royal Albany (cheap), Strand Palace, Waldorf (expensive) and Savoy (very expensive). The best offers for Thistle hotels come through the various hotel brokers web sites.

These hotels are also handy for walking home from theatre and music at the South Bank, the other side of the Thames.

Please write if I can help further. Welcome to London.

Ben Haines

linda_j

Just a minor correction for "Grasshopper's" reply. The Millennium Bailey is right next door to the Millennium Gloucester Hotel. The Millennium Knightsbridge is on Sloane St.

Tulips

I too prefer the Knightsbridge area; easy access to anywhere on the tube, good shopping. Otherwise anywhere withing walking distance of South Kensington Station. Stayed in the Millenium Knightsbridge several times. There are lots of reviews on here about South Ken hotels.

ben_haines_london

It may be worth recalling the original request, A hotel where, at night, we could walk to some nightclubs/activities etc. Knightsbridge is twenty minutes walk, along traffic-filled streets, from most night clubs and theatres.

[email protected]

judybarnes

Ben, I am also going at the end of March and am looking at the area you suggest. But where are the hotel bargains? $158 per room per day at the Thistle Trafalgar Square seems high to me, especially since I need two rooms for at least three nights. Now I'm thinking that priceline IS the best option if I want to get something for close to $90 per room per night, but then I won't be assured of a hotel in Soho, as the priceline area includes Mayfair.

SusanP

My mother and I stayed at the Thistle Trafalgar Square in Sept. It was very convenient for theatre, very close to Leicester Square if you want to try for half-price tickets. Lots of restaurants nearby. If you're interested in taking the bus, it's as close as you can get to the many bus lines that stop at Trafalgar Square. I actually got the best price from Thistle's own website after checking several of the discount websites.

Grasshopper

Linda is exactly right. I'm sorry for misspeaking!

JoeG

Judy,
Why don't you check out Londontown.com before trying Priceline. they seem to have a good choice and decent discounts. Plus you actually book direct through the hotel and you don't pay until you check-out.
JoeG

pdxgirl

Anyone have any thoughts on the Bayswater/Queensway area? There are some good hotel deals there and we are considering it for our March trip. Our preferences are similar to Peggy's, but we're hoping to spend closer to $125 per night.

tropicaldan

I stayed at the Strand Palace Hotel for one week last month, a large comfortable hotel but nothing special, though the internet rate I got was a bargain at 90 pounds a night because the location is unbeatable!
Just behind is Covent Garden, right next door is the Adlephi Theatre (saw Chicago), just along the road is Trafalgar Square and then Picadilly and Soho - all within walking distance !

Worth a look if you can get a deal on the normal rates.

ben_haines_london

Dear Ms Barnes,

I agree: none of the hotels along the Strand is cheap. You might look at the web page for the Royal Adelphi Hotel. Single with facilities 68 pounds or 114 dollars, Double/twin with facilities 90 pounds or 150 dollars, Triple with facilities 125 pounds or 209 dollars. A drawback is that you take stairs to the first floor, but from there on you have a lift. The sites http://www.londonhotelscentre.com/adelphra.htm
www.coventgardenlife.com/places.asp?PlaceID=194
and www.explore-london.co.uk/hotel.html all give these rates, and you can book with the hotel at [email protected] telephone: + 44 (0) 20 7930 8764 fax: + 44 (0) 20 7930 8735.

In fact, Mayfair is not bad. As you see, I included it for walking to theatres and shopping, but it is on the Piccadilly line, a little off the District Line which is more useful for going sightseeing. The Piccadilly line does give you the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Royal Academy, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, Sir John Soan s Museum, the British Museum, and the British Library, so as I say it is not too bad. And everywhere else is one change of train away.

Please write if I can help further. Welcome to London

[email protected]

judybarnes

Thanks Susan, Joe, and Ben. Joe, I am watching Londontown and it's where I saw the Thistle price that wasn't so hot. But I'm not giving up. Ben, the Royal Adelphi still ends up being about $252 per night for two rooms without breakfast. People get 4 and 5 star hotels on priceline for that.

JudyC

To Judy B,last May I stayed at Thistle Trafalgar Square for 76 pounds (Breakfast inc). booked through Londontown.com. Usually you could find better deals closer to the date, and better prices when booking in the middle of the week (weekend usually the highest). I just booked Thistle Charing Cross for about 90 pounds for this December.

Another choice at the same area is Citadines Trafalgar Square,at the foot of Hungerford Footbridge,within couple minutes walk of Enbankment. The apartment hotel was renovated last year, it is quite nice and clean,about 76 pounds per night the last time I checked. Last December I got a last minute rate for about 50 pounds from Laterooms.com.
Another Judy

judybarnes

Thanks, JudyC!
I just looked more closely at the Thistle website and got quite confused--had to e-mail them for clarification. But it looks as though the Trafalgar Square might be less through them than through Londontown. Plus, they guaranty the lowest price, with a 10 percent discount if a website advertises lower than they do, or something like that.

I'll let you know what I hear back from Thistle. I might go ahead and book knowing I can cancel if I find something else.