Need Advice London - Soho, Mayfair, Covent Garden Bloomsbury
 

Greetings,

I'll be in London for five nights/4 days late July/early August. I created a thread and received great information on some nice hotels, but I'm unclear about the scene/energy of these neighborhoods. The Nadler in Soho looks like a great place as does the Coventry Garden Hotel and a few in Bloomsbury and Mayfair. I'll be going to the major museums in the day, starting with the British Museum, a few theatre shows at night, and I enjoy staying in places with a neighborhood feel, that's artistic, has nice quality stores, and is less touristy and more London local. I do like to jog in the early mornings, and I join a local gym wherever I stay. I like to immerse myself in the neighborhood instead of living so much at the hotel. I don't mind some crowds, but I'm not keen on them 24/7. If anyone is familiar with Paris, I choose St. Germain over the 8th or Le Marais. If there is a similar type of neighborhood in London, I'd be interested in knowing.

Can anyone weigh in on these areas, the hotel choices I've listed, and perhaps offer suggestions?

I thank you all for your time and suggestions. I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Cheers!

I am almost certain you mean the Covent Garden hotel . . . not Coventry

Anyway, I think you have a 'fuzzy' understanding of what London is. It is a huge place w/ tourist attractions in just about ever single corner of the central city. Bloomsbury or South Kensington or Soho or Covent Garden or Mayfair (well maybe not Mayfair -- it is a very posh/expensive part of town) all have nice neighborhoods, and crazy busy streets packed w/ tourists.

And if you want a 'quite, local' sort of place -- it will be residential and there won't be hotels to speak of.

If you want to get away from 'tourists (I never truly understand that -- you will be a tourist yourself and will be staying in a hotel w/ other tourists -- no way to get around that)

No matter where you stay -- there will be a park either w/i a short walk or w/i a short tube or bus ride.

Paris is quite different IMO -- 75% or 80% of the major tourist attractions are w/i walking distance of each other. Not so in London. I'd just pick the hotel that looks the nicest to you and has availability in your price range.

Covent Garden is very central, Bloomsbury is central. If you want away from some of the attractions but still want to be central -- look in Pimlico or parts of Ftizrovia . . .

oops - that should say >> . . . And if you want a 'quiet, local' sort of place -- . . . <<

Hi Janisj,

I like your posts! I did mean Covent Garden. Thank you for the correction. You're right. I absolutely do have at best a fuzzy understanding of what London is, which is why I'm creating threads far more often than I usually do.

The tourist concept -- parts of the cities I know have some areas that draw far more tourists than others. Yes, I will indeed be a tourist, yet other parts of cities, while touristed, draw fewer and have a more local/neighborhood feel. I'm asking, then, if, emphasis on if, some neighborhoods in London have these qualities, I'd love to know the names.

I do like the hotels I listed in my OP, but I don't really know the neighborhoods at all. It might be that the Nadler is in the middle of an active bar scene, or it might be a little removed from it. It might be that the other hotels I listed are too rarefied, or perhaps not. That's the tricky part for me about London atm, and why I'd like to hear everyone's suggestions. I'll also look into Pimlico and Fitzrovia. And, if you know the neighborhood around the Nadler and Covent Garden hotel, please let me know your impressions.

Point taken about a "quieter" area in London. My concept of quiet is usually parks and a few side streets that are not heavily trafficked with areas around them that can have high traffic. If I understand your post, though, that'd mean residential, which isn't where I'm looking to stay.

Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.

Speaking of neighbourhoods, I came across this website that may be helpful to you: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/london/666798

I have never stayed in Maida Vale, but have driven through it. It seemed like a pleasant neighbourhood in which to stay if there are good hotels. I am sure there is good tube or bus transportation connections to the places you want to visit.

The less trafficked parts of London (which has a huge population) will generally not be near many of the sights but in the outer areas - and mean you will have to pend more time on the tube to get to sights.

We prefer always to tay a centrally as possible - so we can just walk out the door and into sights.

I think you may well find the hotels you are looking at to be in areas you find too touristy.

Caveat: We are New Yorkers living on the upper west side and like busy cities - not looking for residential areas with few sights.

I think you might like Bloomsbury. That is where the British Museum is, it is within walking distance of theaters, and there are small parks. There is also Oxford Street that is jammed with tourists and shoppers, but you only have to cross it if you don't want to participate.

Look at the Morgan Hotel, too.

Hi nytraveler and carolyn --

@nytraveler @carolyn Thank you for the suggestions. I, too, live in a very busy area in one of the most heavily trafficked and clubby scenes in Los Angeles. The upper west side is close to many things, but there is a difference, to me at least when I last lived there and still visit regularly, between it and, say, the village. Central Park, the large museums, the Egyptian Room at the Met... I'm glad you brought up New York because to me, the upper west side is very close to my definition of a quieter area, and what I'd look for in London. Whether or not that's possible, or even desirable, is another story which is why I'm asking so many questions. And, I do apologize for imposing upon your good natures and time by doing so. If The Nadler is like Tribeca, I'll be very happy! I'll check out Morgan Hotel too.

In my experience, in London the main streets/roads are often crowded and noisy, while just one street back is residential and more quiet, and this applies to many neighborhoods. So I usually pick a neighborhood for transportation convenience and then look for a place to stay (hotel or apartment) just a block or two off the main thoroughfare.
I don't think there is any neighborhood that is totally quiet and non-touristy, but there are many lovely neighborhoods with great places to stay just back from the main road.

@cynthia -- Nice point! Thank you.

I know The Nadler - it's in a very quiet little street however at the moment it's not far from the Grwat Portland estates construction of the new Tottenham court Road station entrance etc. there are cranes and construction everywhere around many areas of London however we stayed in Soho an d never heard noise .
There are lots of bars, restaurants and clubs around the area but away from the Nadler. There's a small park - soho Square but not big enough for jogging . You would have to go to hyde Park . Oxford street is very close . We love the area and have stayed there for over 30 years. Short walk along the back way to Libery and Carnaby Street.
Maida Vale is very residential- at least the parts I Know - a lovely area .

I think the Nadler is far enough away from the Tottenham Court Road construction. That looks like a good location for what you are looking for. A bit far from a park for jogging, maybe.

Look at Chiltern Firehouse; in a quiet residential street near Marylebone High Street, and not far from Regents Park.

Fitzrovia would be good too.

>>if you want a 'quiet, local' sort of place -<<

I'd second the comments above about Bloomsbury, or at least parts of it (say, around Red Lion St and the Brunswick centre). cynthia_booker has put it well: some streets are one-way traffic rat-runs, but not so far away you will get semi-villagey enclaves, even if only for a street or two. That's why it's important to go by postcodes rather than generic names for neighbourhoods.

Tulips the Nadler is 150 feet from the back of the TCR construction site - certainly there are buildings in between . The construction workers sit in Carlisle Street !

OK, didn't realise it was that close on that side.

In Mayfair, we recently had dinner at the Beaumont. Beautiful new hotel from the people who run The Wolseley and other restaurants. It has an art-deco feel.
It's in a quiet street, but very central.

Just notice this is for summer: i would rather stay somewhere a bit more green and leafy (as opposed to soho). Notting Hill is nice in summer, and not touristy (if you move away from Portobello Road market on Saturday). But there are no great hotels there. Maybe the Portobello Hotel.

I stayed at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street Hotel 2 weeks ago. and the location was perfect for me.

The hotel is in Covent Garden, right at Seven Dials, which is a terrific neighborhood filled with small shops, restaurants, and coffee houses. While the immediate neighborhood of the hotel is relatively low-key, it's a really easy walk to Leicester Square, Soho, and the West End theatres.

The hotel is fairly small and comfortable, but not luxurious by any means. The hotel is relatively modern, but it's one of those older buildings with all sorts of quirky nooks and corners, resulting in a pretty wide range of room sizes. If you stay here, I'd avoid the lowest category of rooms.

We enjoy the Covent Garden area, especially as Don noted around around Seven Dials - a great location easy walking to many sites we're interested in visiting and convenient access to tube stops for trips further afield. Good restaurants to select from, and a short walk back to the hotel after an evening at the theatre, which is one of the main reasons we go to London. Yes, it can be crowded during the day, but so are most of the more popular areas in London.

>>Yes, it can be crowded during the day<< and just as crowded in the evenings.

I'd personally <B>LOVE</B> staying in Covent Garden -- vibrant, VERY central, many restaurants, theatres, shops, Neal's Yard Dairy, The Opera House, near lots of sites . . . But it is also tourist central so doesn't really fit the OP's brief. That is why I suggested her criteria for London might be a bit unrealistic.

I like staying in the Covent Garden/Soho area and have been generally happy with St. Martin's Lane and the W. The Covent Garden Hotel (as well as all of the Firmdale hotels) has an excellent reputation and would be a fine choice.

If you wanted something more quiet and a bit removed, you might consider somewhere like the Cartwright Gardens area. The hotels there, though, tend toward the budget end of the spectrum. But it is a nice Georgian crescent and near transport.

Hi Travelers,

I see that London is an interesting, vibrant city, so I'm fine now that I know many parts will be highly trafficked :) Thank you for clearing up how I understood the city. I didn't understand it at all which is why I thought I'd better ask those who do! :) I like the looks of The Nadler and, of course, the Covent Garden Hotel is just grand.

@northie and @tulips re: The Nadler. You seem to know this hotel and location quite well. I'll be there at the end of July. Is the construction going to be a serious issue? If not, I'm fine with the hotel because it is very close to many things.

Thank you all again!