MiamiBeachMomma

I normally don't spin my wheels so much when it comes to hotels...:but since we need 2 rooms for 9 nights, it's a pretty big commitment. Our kids and 17 and 14.

The issue is everything is important to us...location, budget, and 4 or 5 star stay.

On location - we want to be able to walk to a few things as well as be close to the Tube. 17 years ago we started somewhere in Charring Cross and loved the area, but no idea where we stayed. Our budget would be at or below $300 usd per room per night. Also on location....we would like to be able to walk to cafes or a market to grab breakfast some mornings and for nights we are tired somewhere easy to get some dinner that isn't touristy yuck.

I have been looking at mayfair/ soho area and I'm wondering if there are other neighborhoods to check out that would meet our needs.

Been looking at the Sheraton Park Lane as they have some promos, it was recently renovated, and we r SPG gold.
It gets mixed feedback. How is this location? I've read very quiet and sleepy, true?

Any other favorite hotels? Any hotels that have great perks for Hilton, SPG, or Marriott Gold?


Thanks in advance!!

janisj

For that long a stay -- have you considered an apartment instead? For $350 or $400 a night you could get a very roomy two bedroom apartment.

The areas I personally like the most for location are Pimlico, Covent Garden, Belgravia, Bloomsbury/Russell Square, St. James's, a small slice of the South Bank, and parts of South Kensington (but almost any central area would be fine)

BigRuss

You need to refocus. For $600 per you could get a large flat centrally located that would house everyone. You could get a large flat for far less than that.

MiamiBeachMomma

Yes, Ilooked into the idea of an apartment but we decided against it. We want the amenities and housekeeping of a full service hotel.

Odin

The Sheraton Park Lane is a great location, walking distance to the tube at Piccadilly, there are lots of restaurants in the back streets including those in Shepherds Market. The area where the hotel is not quiet and sleepy.

janisj

There are aparthotels like Citadines and Fraser Suites that have apartments and hotel amenities. Also some of the posh hotels also have apartments under the same roof or in a next door bldg.

janisj

That was just an FYI -- not trying to talk you into one. It is just that for me - a stay of over 3 or 4 nights is almost always more comfortable in a flat simply because of the extra space to spread out. That plus having a washer/dryer

MiamiBeachMomma

Janisj- I do like the idea of the apartments with daily housekeeping.

We stayed in one in Barcelona and found it wonderful! Any idea how to find more of them, like ones adjancent to posh hotels as you mentioned above?

bvlenci

We (just my husband and I) stayed at a Fraser Suites hotel in Glasgow. It was very nice, but didn't have much room to spread out in the common area. There was no table, just a bar counter, but with no bar stools. The four-person suites may be roomier.

One advantage would be that you could stock up on something to eat on Christmas Day, if you'll be there then, as hardly anything in London is working that day. And not much more on the 26th.

janisj

I have no idea what the rates are (probably high) but here is one

https://www.jumeirah.com/en/hotels-r...-house-suites/

And this Fraser Suites offers two bedroom suites for £334/$420 per night

http://london-queensgate.frasershospitality.com/en

Tulips

Onefinestay.com also offers housekeeping, and a concierge service. They will fill your fridge for you in advance of your arrival, and provide an iphone for local use during your stay. Have a look at the properties on their site. We let a flat in London through them, and have used them as guests as well.

On Christmas day almost everything is closed, except for hotel restaurants.

For a stay that long, with teenagers, I would always opt for a flat.

For flats that are attached to a hotel, have a look at the Capital in Basil Street, and the Atheneum hotel on Piccadilly.

mjs

We have stayed at the Sheraton 3 or 4 times and it is well situated. Nice front desk too. Rooms of decent size. Have not stayed there since it has been renovated. We often rent houses or apartments too. Don't need housekeeping but do like a kitchen and washer/dryer. Citadines are fine. Staying in one in a few weeks in fact.

MiamiBeachMomma

How is the area near Shepards Busch? Would that be considered central? Looks like there is a shopping center near by which makes me think it's more suburban.

Odin

Westfield Shopping Centre is in Shepherd's Bush and yes, it is a great shopping centre but it's not an area I would recommend staying in as a tourist. If you start off asking about Mayfair/Soho and the Sheraton on Park Lane, I doubt Shepherd's Bush will be for you.

janisj

Shepherd's Bush (Not Busch) would not be at all central really. Certainly not 'suburban' in any way. You would have to be miles out to get to actual suburbs. But you can find much more convenient neighborhoods.

Dukey1

Take a look at the Amba Charing Cross

MiamiBeachMomma

Fraser Suites Queens Gate has no 2 bedrooms for my dates. There is availibiliy at the Kensington location. Any thoughts on this location or property? Again, mixed reviews on TA.

On the onefinestay site there is a lot of availability in the Chelsea area. Thoughts there?

janisj

Fraser Suites Kensington is very near the Gloucester Rd tube station, so while it is farther west than Queesgate -- it is still very convenient in from LHR and to other parts of central London.

As for Chelsea . . . in general a VERY upscale area. But parts have literally no tube service. The eastern and northern sides of Chelsea are near the Sloan Square and South Kensington tube stations respectively so would be great. But south and west from there you would need to take buses or cabs. So it very much depends on exactly which part(s) of Chelsea you are talking about.

Tulips

Chelsea is a very nice residential area - but some of it is a bit far from the tube. So it all depends on exactly where.

Ackislander

You are pretty thoughtful, so you probably did not miss the comment above about much being closed in London on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

If you stay in a hotel, you will want to make sure it has meals throughout the weekend, and you will want to make reservations right now for any meal you want to eat in a restaurant unless you are happy with an ethnic Christmas dinner. For that matter, I would let the hotel know that I was dining in.

If you rent a flat, you don't have to cook dinner from scratch. The small supermarket in Covent Garden sold guinea fowl prepped to go into the oven, complete with bacon, and supermarkets in upscale areas have what to me are astonishing chilled, frozen, and prepared foods that make Whole Foods look like Food Lion. The guinea came in an aluminum pan, for example, so you don't even have to wash a pan.