Folks,<BR>I'll be going to London this summer and have read many good things about two smaller hotels in London-Jenkins and The Morgan. We are two adults and a child staying 5 days. Although the Morgan is supposed be low priced, the offer I got for a triple room is 140 pounds per night (Jenkins is 105). The Morgan has triple apartments for 175 pounds per night.<BR>Which property would you choose for your stay and why?<BR>Mark

Mark<BR>I have stayed at the Morgan many times. I have never stayed at the Jenkins but have been in their lobby/foyer. Jenkins looks very nice. It is not quite as convenient as the Morgan, since it is a bit further north. But it is still good location. I love the Morgan, and I know that you would enjoy the hotel and the owners, but, you are talking 35 pounds more per night for 5 nights which adds up to quite a bit. That would buy you lots of food and/or entrance fees. Both hotels serve breakfast. Although I am a Morgan bigot, I think I would have to advise you to save the 35 pounds, use the Jenkins (which has a good reputation), and enjoy your visit to one of the greatest cities in the world (and one of the most expensive, sadly).

Hi, <BR>I stayed at the Jenkins hotel about two years and I definitely wouldn't stay there again. The rooms (I got a twin room) were very small, clean but a bit drab. The major annoyance for me was that the rooms seemed to have been partitioned- you could hear noise from upstairs and on either side. Also, I was furious when I arrived. I had asked for an ensuite and they didn't have one, but they said that the bathroom was &quot;next door&quot;. Apparently, their definition of next door was two flights of stairs down, walking past the main entrance (a glass door, so everyone had the questionable pleasure of seeing guests in their nightwear!) and the standing around waiting to get into the bathroom. Horrible!<BR>Have you tried Londontown.com? You might be able to get a better place than the Jenkins. I haven't seen the triple room, but would imagine it would be small. I would rate the Jenkins as a two star- mediocre. The only good thing about the place were the two lovely dogs...

I hope all those people who posted on the recent threads about not having a private bathroom, saying it was no inconvenience, and only a fool would pay for a private bath are reading this.

I stayed at the Jenkins ten years ago, when it was still reasonably priced. In those good good old days I paid less than 40 pounds for a single room (w/o bath)! Sad to see that their prices have skyrocketed and that the quality might have gone down. The youngish couple who owned it seemed quite pleasant, however. Bloomsbury is a nice area to stay in - it is close to both the British Museum and the new British Library as well as Kings Cross Station and the Russell Square tube stop. <BR><BR>As much as I love London, I have yet to find a B&amp;B or hotel that I can call &quot;my London home away from home&quot;. <BR><BR>Mark, I hope you and your family have a great time!

Thanks for the reply. How much further away from the sites is the Jenkins? Is Jenkins minutes from the Morgan? 35 pounds difference will translate into roughly $225 over the time of my stay. Not much in the grand scheme. From what I've read, is the Morgan that good, especially when combined with the excellent location, as I've read as well?<BR>Mark

Hi,<BR>AS far as I remember, the Jenkins was withing easy walking distance from the Tube. Rebecka is right- the Jenkins is in a good area, it's just the hotel is mediocre. Have you tried any of hotels in the Jurys Group? I sometimes stay in the Inn in Islington and usually paid around 75GBP per room (but the prices might have gone up since I last stayed there two years ago). It's not as central as Bloomsbury but it's about 5mins' walk from Angel tube station. It's not a bad place to stay- the rooms are big and often have two double beds in them. And they're ensuite and fairly spacious. There's also a bar there and I think a restaurant too. The last time I stayed there there was a single bed and a double bed, which might suit you and your family. You might look up their website (www.jurys-doyle.com) and see what kind of deals they have. They also have a hotel in Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, but it is usually more expensive. Anyway, it's just a suggestion - you may want to stay in a more personal, smaller hotel...<BR>Have a nice stay..

Mark, I checked londontown.com for mid June (Small luxury hotels) and found several triple rooms less than the prices you quoted. <BR><BR>The Rathbone - 118 pounds<BR>Euston Plaza - 101<BR>Mornington - 110<BR><BR>I found the following info on the Rathbone in Fodors: It's a charming hotel in a very central but in a quiet street, close to lots of good restaurants on Charlotte St and shopping on Oxford Street. Tottenham Ct Rd Tube is about a 7 min walk, Goodge St is about 4 mins. It is a realtively small (if I recall about 70 rooms), but all are nicely furnished. I think all rooms have air-con. <BR><BR>Anyway, it might be worth it to check londontown.com for your exact travel dates as you can sometimes find some very good deals there. As you get closer to your departure, I would also check laterooms.com. You might find something even better.

Hello Mark,<BR>I am one of the Morgan Hotel's many fans, I have stayed there my past 6 times in London.<BR>So why do I keep returning to the Morgan?<BR>I stay in one of the flats . I have room to spread out , my trips there are generally for 3 weeks.<BR>I have a sitting room, a bedroom, a kitchen , a room with a bathtub and sink { the bathtub is an important feature for me } and there is another room with a hand basin, small shower, and the toilet.<BR>The sitting room has a bookcase filled with books, a sofa, a wingback chair, TV, and a desk and straight back chair.<BR>I have friends in London and I like having a place to invite them for a drink before we go to the theater. It would be inconvenient for me to invite my friends in if there were no place to sit except on the bed.<BR>The location is great, the hotel is a 3 minute walk from the Tottenham Court Road Tube.<BR>There is a Boots, a Sainsbury grocery, and an internet cafe within a 5 minute walk. <BR>I can walk to many of the West End theaters.<BR>Oxford Street shops are nearby, I usually walk up Oxford but take the Tube back if I have packages.<BR>All the Soho and Covent Garden restaurants are walkable or are a short Tube ride away.<BR>The Morgan's owners , the Ward family, are also hands-on managers. They cook breakfast, they clean the rooms. They take pride in their hotel and they make me feel welcome ...and when I arrive after that long Trans-Atlantic flight and walk into 'my' flat, I feel I am in my London home.<BR>

Starspinners--I liked your message.<BR>Knowing a grocery store is nearby makes me think more about reserving the flat (or apartment/suite in NY'ese) thanks.<BR>Bettyk--thanks for the websites.<BR>I booked the hotel (the triple room) for now. At least I'm in, and I still have quite awhile to shop hotels and rates, and improve on the Morgan, if such is possible at the rates.<BR>Got to love this forum.<BR>There's no substitute for experience.<BR>Mark