We've stayed by Marble Arch (Thistle), Covent Garden (Waldorf Hilton on Aldwych) and South Kensington (Millennium Bailey's). Though the Waldorf Hilton was the most central location (especially nice for first-timers), you can easily get all over by tube or bus.

I'm a huge fan of Priceline for London. You have plenty of time to study the hotel FAQ's at Biddingfortravel.com and watch for winning bids for your approximate dates. You could also request bidding assistance.

Though, I highly recommend checking out the Priceline packages (you can select your flights and hotel before booking).

We stayed at the HOLIDAY INN Kensington for five l-o-n-g hot nights. The room was an adequate size with two double beds. We did NOT enjoy our stay. We were there in early August and the temperatures were in the 80's. The website stated there was A/C in all the rooms and that is why I booked it. (This has changed now..the website says A/C in public areas.....there was NO A/C in public areas when we were there either.) We reported the problem to the management daily but the A/C was NEVER repaired during our stay. We would have left the hotel, but we had PREPAID our stay. Holday Inn stated policy is : if there is a problem they will reimburse you for that part of the stay. I wrote the management explaining the lack of A/C (ice machine on floor didn't work)and I received a surly note stating "AMERICANS expect too much"...and I was NOT reimbursed for the five days. Check out Tripadvisor.com for other reviews of this hotel. Seems like HEATING in the winter is a problem, too. Good luck in your quest to find a decent London hotel for a decent $$$$.

We booked thru british airways a room at the Rembrandt at Thanksgiving for $144 USD a night including taxes that includes breakfast. Found good solid reviews on trip advisor and the location is suppose to be very good as it is across the street from V& A museum close to tube stop South Kensington and very near the big bus tour stop.

If I ever had to stay in a hotel in London again I would get a last minute hotel like I did on some of these ones.

Quality Hotel Westminster.

We got staff rates so it was very worthwhile. Not the best 3* I?ve stayed in, but not bad at all. They are busy redoing the rooms so should all be nice a bright and shiny soon. Great location, just 2 minutes walk from Victoria coach and Victoria train stations. Huge supermarket next door. Great fish restaurant on Walton St, around the corner.
Tea, coffee, hot chocolate and biscuits in the room.
TV in room.
Basic buffet style breakfast.
http://www.hotels-westminster.com/


Berjaya Eden Park Hotel

http://www.berjayaedenparkhotel.co.uk/

I loved this hotel. I was alone when I stayed here and was given a very nice single room. Very clean.
New bathroom with lovely toiletries.
TV in room.
Very good buffet style breakfast. Lovely breakfast room.
The hotel was built in 1860 but is actually a string of terrace houses joined together, so expect lots of steps because everything is on different levels. There is a lift but you may have to also walk up and down a couple of steps- lots of character.
Tea, coffee, hot chocolate and biscuits in the room.
Great Location, 2 minutes from Bayswater AND Queenspark tube stations. Just around the corner from Kensington Palace. Lots of shops and restaurants just around the corner too.
I got a great Rate on this one on
http://last-minute.hotels-london.co.uk/


Comfort Inn Nottinghill
http://www.londonby.com/comfortnottinghill/

Not bad for the price. I had a single room here and got a very small room. Very clean. Nice modern small bathroom. Tea andCoffee in the room. TV in room.
I didn?t like the breakfast room in the basement, and there was not much variety.
Good location, just a minute from Nottinghill tube station.
I would stay here again if I couldn?t get a room where I really wanted elsewhere.


22 York Street.
http://www.myrtle-cottage.co.uk/callis.htm

My husband stayed here and loved it.


The Sherlock Holmes Hotel
http://www.londonby.com/sholmes/index.html

A friend stayed here for one night, then transferred to the Copthorne Tara where we were staying, because he was given a single room that looked more like servants quarters than a guest room. Awful, I saw it!


the Copthorne Tara Hotel
http://www.millenniumhotels.com/MCIL.nsf/lu_hoteldoc/43$$hotelDescription?opendocument

Great hotel, great location around the corner from High Street Kensington tube.
Great breakfast. Great restaurants. I can?t fault this hotel except that the back rooms face the train line, but they do have double glazing on the windows. I would insist on a front room.
This is a wonderful location to stay.


President Hotel
http://www.londonhotels.ndirect.co.uk/presiden.htm

We stayed here many years ago and didn?t really like it. Things may have changed by now, but it was rather run down then.


April is a great time in London, hope you have a wonderful trip :-)

Here is another strong vote for the Radisson Hotel in the Kensington neighborhood-I believe it was the Radisson Vanderbilt. Check it out on their website. The people there were very friendly, our room was very nice and a breakfast buffet was included. It was an older building that had been refurbished-so a lot of the charm still existed. We had a room that overlooked the street it was located near
a tube stop was just across the street from us plus a grocery store and a couple wonderful pubs. I think you would be very happy here.

Another vote for Priceline which I have used many times in London and always paid under $100 per night for a nice room in a 4* hotel. As someone has noted a regular London price will start at 100 GBP, which is like $200.

I also second the observation that small cheap hotels in London can be disgusting, I would only use one that was highly recommended by someone I knew.

April is great for Priceline as you do not have the air conditioning problem. I would not use it in a hot month, and I would not use it if travelling with someone I did not wish to share a bed with, as you can't be sure requests will be met.

(That said - I have had requests met at hotels booked on Priceline - for early check-in, and for room changes when I didn't like noise, view, small, whatever.)

..In the 150 price range I will be the umpteenth person to recommend priceline. There are 2 other alternatives-1. look at the airfare hotel packages. some are excellent value but be sure you cross check the hotel on trip advisor. 2. book something that you can cancel with no or minimal penalty and then try laterooms.com or ratestogo (laterooms probably better for london). You can sometimes luck out with a great bargain but be sure to have a back up plan...As others have said, when you budget for the trip figure out what you'd pay in dollars for adinner or hotel in a us city. Then assume it will be that cost in pounds (and I am not talking converting into pounds!) ie the 50 dinner will be 50 pounds.

We went to London over Thanksgiving with 2 kids and booked a room through British Airways at what I though was a very good price. $150 American dollars including tax (which is 17% on top of the pounds price you are sometimes quoted) Whe did a lot of research on all of the BA prices/choices and ended up with the Rembrandt which was fabulous especially for the 150 rate which included breakfast. Great location across from the V & A museum, Science Museum, History Museum and 2 blocks from the South Kensington Tube station and about 3 blocks down from Harrods and all the fancy shopping. Perfect in every way.

Here's another vote for Priceline in London. In June 2002 we stayed for 4 nights at the Dolphin Square hotel. We had an adorable 3-room (living/bedroom, kitchen, bathroom) apartment. RT airfare and the 4 nights hotel for 2=$976. Unfortunately, you can no longer bid on vacation packages, but you're sure to find a good deal. I also second the suggestion to visit biddingfortravel.com before bidding.

Sorry for butting in, but I am reading posters' comments that small hotels can be really dives in London. I've currently booked the Hyde Park Radnor-- a "luxury B&B" , with four-stars, across from Hyde Park, near Paddington Station-- for our family this May. Anyone have any personal experience with it? Several good reviews on tripadvisor.com. I've never used priceline, and am reluctant to give it a try.