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-   -   Novotel London West Hotel?? (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/novotel-london-west-hotel-568658/)

Flying_Mom Nov 3rd, 2005 03:39 PM

Novotel London West Hotel??
 
Hello to you all,
Have any of you stayed at the "Novotel London West"? This hotel is located in hammersmith near Hyde Park.

Is this hotel in a good location for the sites of London? Are there any restaurants near by this hotel?

Thanks for your help.... we are traveling the 16th of November to London and have booked a room at this hotel.

Travelnick Nov 4th, 2005 07:18 AM

Hammersmith is not really close to Hyde Park -on the Picadilly Line and a few stops away but a pretty long walk.
Hotel is located above the Tube station, overlooking motorway flyovers and is a pretty soulless affair - even by Novotel standards. Hammersmith has enough restaurants nearby - especially down Chiswick Rd, and the river side is nice enough (about 15 minutes walk) although there are better stretches of river like Richmond. If I was a tourist I would, however not be choosing the location. There is little for the tourist in the immediate vicinity and if I were picking a suburban location, I would choose Richmond - (best hotel there is Petersham Hotel which has stunning views) with riverside, Richmond Park, stately homes (Ham House, Marble and Kew Gardens within walking area. Bit further on tube but much nicer suburb. Otherwise I would go for more central location like South Kensington.

Barbara_in_CT Nov 4th, 2005 08:17 AM

Hammersmith is 'out there' for the walker. Travel Inn County Hall is an inexpensive (but soul-less) and well located hotel. It is directly across the river from Big Ben and within easy walking distance to Westminster Abbey, Houses of Pariliament, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, St. Martin's in the Fields etc. Tube stops for Westminster and Waterloo are within 2-3 blocks. If you wish to spend more, the Marriott is in the same building.

crefloors Nov 4th, 2005 08:27 AM

I don't know if there is more than one Novatel in Hammersmith, but the one I stayed at was NOT over a tube stop. The tube was several blocks away, you walked through a shopping center..THAT was good. (: It IS on the Picadilly Line so there is good access to the more central areas. I didn't choose Hammersmith, we stayed there on a tour. When I went back to London, I stayed in a more central location. I believe the Novatel has been remodled since I was there (1999). There are a couple of restaurants in the hotel. There is a great pub called the Queens Head in Hammersmith. It has really good food. It's about a 10 minute walk from the hotel..I can't remember how to get there but I'm sure someone in the hotel could tell you. I don't know what your situation is and why this hotel especially..if you are locked into it, it's not bad actually. You could do a lot worse.

janisj Nov 4th, 2005 10:28 AM

Near Hyde Park? Hammersmith is not near Hyde Park - it is nearly 2 miles from Kensington Gardens and farther to Hyde Park. By that logic one could say the British Museum is near Hyde Park.

I hate it when hotels mislead folks like that - sort of like Earls Court hotels saying they are in South Kensington.

carolyn Nov 4th, 2005 11:11 AM

Also, Hammersmith is outside Zone 1 tube travel, so your tube pass would cost more.

Try a Priceline hotel bid instead.

julia_t Nov 4th, 2005 11:34 AM

Or try

www.lastminute.com

You will be able to get a 4* hotel in a good location for less than 100 GBP. If you are happy with 3* then expect to pay less accordingly.

Have a good trip - but try to avoid Hammersmith! Oh, I see you've already booked - are you able to cancel without too great a penalty? I would if I were you, you won't have a problem getting somewhere more central at this time of year. Let us know what happens or what you decide to do though!


Flying_Mom Nov 5th, 2005 12:24 PM

Thanks for all of your responses... We have gotten a rate of 63 pounds for the Novotel West... the other hotels were much more if they even had rooms available for 4 people (2 adults and 2 kids ages 9 and 11)

If we decided to stick with our reservations at this hotel how do we purchase subway tickets? Someone said it was outside the zone 1 tube area.

crefloors Nov 5th, 2005 12:51 PM

I just got my tickets at the tube station in Hammersmith. The people there were very helpful. On that trip I only was in London three days and only used the tube 4 times I think and it wasn't very expensive. I don't even know what zone Hammersmith is in, and that was my first trip to London so I didn't even know there were zones. LOL Also, I'm sure someone at the hotel can tell you which to buy, OR, if you are taking the tube from the airport to Hammersmith, the people at the station at the airport will be most helpful I'll bet. Don't forget to go to the Queens Head..it is a very old pub, from the 1700's as I recall, and the food was really good. I ordered fish and chips and they brought this HUGE whole fish laying over a huge pile of chips, so good. YUM!!!

david_west Nov 6th, 2005 02:12 AM

Hammersmith is in zone 2. The tube station is also a bus station so you can get anywhere you want from there. It's also on he piccadilly and district lines.

Hammersmith itself is a bit crap. However it's near some nice places. If you go up King St (the main street) toward Ravenscourt Park, you will soon hit a long street of bars and restaurants - some of which are very good indeed. The Salutation is a nice old pub - my ex local when I worked for the council there.

I would also recommend the Lower Mall -which is the other side of Hammersmith Bridge and is a riverfront terrace of old pubs.


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