We are a family of 4 (kids ages 5 & 9) traveling to London at the end of November. Which Travel Inn would you recommend: Euston, Kensington or County Hall?

We plan to spend 4 nights in London and then head north to York via a train departing from Kings Cross. We are looking for a centrally located hotel close to tourist attractions, restaurants etc... Thanks!

Hi CathyF,

My first choice would be the County Hall TI. It's a central location on the Thames and within walking distance of the London Eye, the aquarium (both adjacent), Westminster Abbey, and Parliament. There's a small playground next to the London Eye and easy access to a couple of different tube lines. The area isn't overrun with great restaurants but there are a few good ones for families. I recall Yo Sushi (the one with the conveyer belts), Fish! and Ned's Noodle Bar. I thought the hotel restaurant looked like nothing special but there were a lot of families dining there.

Otherwise I'd say it's a toss up between the other two. The TI Euston is near the very pleasant Bloomsbury neighborhood. It's in the heart of central London and will be a shorter trip to the Kings Cross station.

The TI in Kensington is actually closer to Earl's Court, an area with lots of tourist class hotels and restaurants. It's slightly out of the loop for many of London's attractions but it is near some things the kids will probably enjoy (Diana Memorial Playground, Science Museum, and Museum of Natural History).

County Hall - Hands Down! The reason it costs a little more and is frequently totally booked up is because it is in the very best location of any budget hotel in London. obxgirl described its location well - but really need to stress it is just STEPS from the river, the Eye and the aquarium. And a VERY short walk from Big Ben/Parliament, Westminster Abbey, a couple of tube/rail stations.

The other two hotels will have identical rooms - but a thousand percent less desirable location. Neither is scary or anything but the neighborhoods are not nearly as convenient or close to major sites.

But County hall often needs to be booked far ahead so get on it ASAP. If it is already full, then choose Kensington. it is no IN Kensington but is close enough for argument's sake. Euston is close to the British Library but is not in as good a location for families.

Much as we like to whinge about London's transport system, it works. So these three are all really about as handy to wherever you want to be as each other (Kings Cross is London's best connected station, seldom more than 10 mins by tube from anywhere a visitor would want to be).

It comes down to two fundamentals:
- the rates you can deal
- the fact that the views - not necessarily from your bedroom, but certainly from an early morning stroll - at County Hall are simply among the best urban views on the planet. Only really NYC and Hong Kong compare. Or Sydney, if there's a budget hotel with a Harbour Bridge view(and if there is, please let me know)

Unless there's a real price argument, or someone tells you the front desk abducts your young and turns them into meat pies, go for County Hall.

Mind you, with some of my friends' kids, meat pies would be a terrific (if inedible) alternative. And, given the standard of many London front desks, a little light child abduction would probably put them in the top 50% for service.

County Hall is a great location for kids. We haven't stayed at the Travel Inn but we love that location.

GJ40

CathyF (and everyone else here), has anyone looked into the new City Inn Westminster? I saw a blurb about it on BBC 1 and it looked interesting. Supposedly it also has a great view of the Thames. Very modern decor, free Internet access in every room (or so I heard on TV). Anyway, they seem to be running some very good introductory special rates.

No contest!,it has to be County Hall,location,location,location, plus easy accesss to Waterloo Mainline & Underground stations(for Kings X)Westminster Underground Station for District & Circle lines,NearWhitehall for buses into Oxford Steet etc...