I am travelling to London - I plan to walk a lot - visit museums and more walking and people watching....any suggestions as to which area would work well and if anyone has any suggestions about hotels.

thanks

What is your budget?

Areas:
around Trafalgar Sq (posters here like the Trafalgar Hilton);
Bloomsbury (Morgan Hotel)
South Kensington

There are many threads here about London hotels - do a search. Why does your heading mention solo travelers? Do you somehow think you need a different hotel if you're traveling solo? Do you think that couples don't walk?

Try Londontown.com for good deals on hotels. We particularly like Millenium Baileys . It is walking distance to V&A, Natural History museum and Kensington Palace and Gardens.There is good bus and tube transport. Gloucester Rd tube is right across the street to take you further afield. Lots of pubs cafes and services nearby

I don't know if you're younger/older and exactly what you're looking for, but the Ace Hotel in Kensington is great, and would be fun for someone traveling alone. More akin to a hostel, yet probably better categorized as a budget hotel, it's close to a tube stop, has a bar inside, garden outback, and a hot tub in the warmer months.

I've stayed here twice now, including once with my mom. We had a private room (albeit it had bunkbeds) with a bathroom inside, although another time, I shared a room with three friends and the bathroom was on the hall. In any event, poke around the website and see what you think: www.ace-hotel.co.uk.

There's absolutely no way to give you any useful advice w/o knowing your budget . . . .

I am a solo traveler and one thing you need to consider is that in many London (and for that matter most European) hotels single rooms are absolutely miniscule. If that is important to you, as it is to me, you might be happy with my favorite London Hotel which has spacious single rooms and I love the location. Dukes Hotel.

For one person I would do Priceline in Central London (Mayfair or Knightsbridge) and you're likely to get some great bargins.

I went solo in May. I booked a flight hotel deal via Expedia for a Thursady to Wednesday trip.

I picked The Academy in Bloomsbury since I liked the area, and the price seemed very reasonable. It turned out ot be a super deal, the hotel was upscale, housed in 4-story adjoining period houses. Easy walk to British Museum, pubs and restaurants nearby as well as tube. From hotel I walked to St Paul's, Covent Garden, National Gallery, The City, etc..

Area is nice, parks around, shopping,etc..

Also consider B&Bs. Bloomsbury has some good ones, such as Harlingford Hotel.

I agree re Priceline -- you will always get a double/twin but for less than the cost of a single. And you'll get a room w/ enough space to actually turn around.

Flight and hotel was $1500

I will second what Michel-Paris says about the Bloomsbury area. I haven't been to London for a few years, but in my previous solo trips there (4 trips of around 2 weeks each) I stayed at Blooms Hotel, adjacent to the British Museum, on Montague Street, and loved it. The hotel is a beautiful 18th Century townhouse with 26 rooms.
My room was tiny, but beautifully furnished and cosy - I loved coming back there after sightseeing all day. It was also convenient coming from Heathrow on the Tube. A short walk from Russell Sq. Tube station to hotel. Also, the Airport Bus was even closer, with a stop directly at Russell Square. The hotel is now called Grange Blooms's HOtel (I guess Grange bought it). Hope it hasn't changed, as I would surely want to stay there again.

By the way, London is a wonderful city for a "solo" traveler.

Try "Base2Stay" - South Kensington - Nearest tube Earls Court - about 400 meters.

They do single rooms.
compact yet bjou!


http://www.base2stay.com/



Earls Court and SouthKensington are particularly good for the big 3 Museums Science, Natural History and V&A

I agree with khunwilko. base2stay is direct on Tube for Heathrow and great for getting around London. Lots of museums within walking distance (V&A, Science, Natural History etc) and Knightsbridge and Kings Road are perfect for shopping and people watching. With flat screen TV, a/c, free WiFi, mini-kitchen and discount vouchers to lots of great local restaurants, it's more than the room price that makes a stay there great value.

The difference in price between Dukes Hotel and base2stay, never mind my favorite B&B on Gower St (55 GBP for a single incl. b'fast) or LSE's student halls of residence, merely underlines the fact that we don't have enough info to answer the OP's question.

well regardless of price the Base2stay has SINGLE rooms!

Yes, but if you can get a double room for cheaper than a single room, as you probably could with bidding on Priceline versus base2stay, that may not be an advantage.

I stayed for a week at the Academy Hotel in Bloomsbury last May. I got a great deal on Expedia. High end hotel, but at a good price.

From that location I walked to British Museum, St Paul's, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Sq., The City,etc.. Some good restaurants nearby, Tube a couple of blocks away.