don't worry about being out later than the tube runs. The night buses are easy to use . . . . .

I don't really know the night buses. I know it's not hard, but in the past I've resorted to walking late at night (so I stick to hotels where I think I can find some interesting nightlife).

It's not looking good for Priceline. I tried 4* Mayfair 125-140 and both bids were rejected. There are no longer any counteroffers.

I guess I'll think about it tonight and probably stick to one of the chains.

Hotwire has some pretty good offers for your dates - maybe it is a last-minute thing.

Thanks! I'll take a look. Can you be more specific?

The only one that looks interesting is the 4* City for $113. Does this include taxes? I need to check BB for what this hotel could be.

No, but taxes and fees are usually less than for Priceline.

Oh, if it's the Hilton Islington (not sure, but possible), I'd say that location is probably not what you want.

Don't know if this has already been mentioned as I just skimmed through the above responses, but you might want to check out the following:

http://www.laterooms.com/en/r100_hotels-in-uk.aspx

http://tinyurl.com/2e8gf4

has www.londontown.com been mentioned? or
www.booking.com
www.gtahotels.com

Thanks for the suggestions. Londontown has come up before, but I've not used it.

I'm intrigued by the lastminute.com hotels. Is there a list maintained somewhere?

The hotel below is 60 pounds for a single.... Sounds really good, no?

Example: Stylish hotel 5 minutes from Covent Garden - 4* - London

This centrally located hotel is just a stroll away from Oxford Street, Soho and Covent Garden. Offering delightful guestrooms and excellent facilities, this hotel is the perfect choice for business and leisure travellers alike. *The hotel is currently completing enabling refurbishment works, due to commence in January 2008. All work is being carried out between 08.00hrs - 16.00hrs daily with minimal disturbance to in-house residents*

When I click to the next page, I see that the Glass Restaurant & Bar is near this "secret" hotel. And this is in Radisson Marlborough. Maybe that's the hotel? (The webpage says 0.12 km away though.)

Interesting....

Oh, are there taxes on lastminute.com?

Never mind -- webpage says VAT included. Thanks! Let me see if I can figure out this hotel....

My guess is that it's the Novotel St. Pancras (formerly Novotel Euston). The reason is that the description refers to a mirrored restaurant, and guess what the Novotel has.

If you go for this, you may as well bid 4* Bloomsbury, because this is the most remote (not that it is remote) hotel in the zone, so far as I can see. (Actually maybe Holiday Inn Kings Cross, which is unaccountably a 4*, is about the same?).

Where do you see the mirrored restaurant description, WillTravel?

How about this one? It's 63 pounds.

"Perfectly located for all London's major attractions and within easy reach of the city’s business district, this wonderful 4 star property provides everything you need for a stay to remember. The hotel’s traditional, elegant guestrooms enjoy some stunning panoramic views of London's Hyde Park, are all fully air conditioned and feature high speed internet access"

I think the other one is near Bayswater/Paddington, whatever it is. So that's out for me. But the 60 pounds a night one sounds intriguing, if it's really near British Museum.

I need to start packing and planning the rest of the trip, I think. I'm not really so obsessed about the hotel, but it's an interesting learning experience.

Hopefully this URL will work:
http://hotels.lastminute.com/hotels/selectCategoryHotel.do?CATID=4&accommCode=2101 36-1-2-EXT:988$v1v$

It has the same description you gave, plus the following (and a few other things):
Restaurant and Bar: Contemporary restaurant with wooden floors and an interesting selection of individual mirrors on the walls. Serving modern british dishes using fresh herbs and spices. A great venue for a pre theatre drink and dinner with warm service, it also features the salon for small private dinners, and has an area that can be rented privately for up to 30 diners.

The Hyde Park one I would guess to be Darlington Hyde Park, although I can't remember why.

Oh, I had to scroll down on that page. Talk about details.