Does anyone have any recent information on the Park Plaza County Hall hotel in London? I have read mixed reviews but from a year ago. Have they gotten their act together since? How is the location for first-timers in London? Is it convenient? What is it like walking around that area? Can you walk to other areas of the city from there? Thanks.

Is this the place that is always spamming this forum with ads for their hotel?

Lee Ann

If you book there we'll have to ban you from Fodors

(So if you do stay there - don't tell us about it)

Even IF it was the best place in London, someone who works there is a real scum. S/he re-registers on here w/ a new screen name every few days and tries to slip in advertisements. The editors nuke them every time - but s/he just tries again.

My guess it is a flea infested flop house -- <b><font color="red">you have been warned</font></b>

The area it is in is very touristy, no charm.

Guy you can walk to other areas of the city from any area in London.

Seriously, that hotel is on &quot;our&quot; blacklist because of what Elendil and Janis have explained.

I thought you were looking for an apartment, anyway.

&quot;<i>Can you walk to other areas of the city from there?</i>&quot; As has been mentioned on some of your other threads - no single location is walking distance from more than a handful of major sites. That is, unless you plan on some very long walks.

London is a fine walking city, but it is also huge. The main tourist attractions stretch from Grennwich and the Tower of London to the east all the way beyond Kensington Gardens to the west and then on to Kew and Hampton Court Palace in the far west. And from Regents Park and Hampstead Heath to the north to the Imperial War museum south of the river.

You really will have to use public transport many times during your visit -- but it is good public transport that will get you anywhere.

The most central and convenient areas would be anywhere along the Piccadilly tube line from Gloucester Road to Russell Square. Places in the very center would be Covent Garden and Trafalgar Sq.

For convenience/accessibility and charm, probably the three best neighborhoods are South Kensington, Covent Garden, and Russell Sq/Holborn. Plus Victoria - which is convenient but lower on the &quot;charm scale&quot;

Knightsbridge and Mayfair are central too - but they tend to the very pricey end of things.

We stayed in this area a few years ago and it was actually tourist friendly - walking along the river, across the bridge, and the evening crowds around the London Eye, plus the access to Waterloo and the tour boats... We walked to the Imperial War Museum and a few other sights, and the tube stops were extremely close. The Globe is also walkable...so it might be touristy but it did have charm... It's pleasant to be able to go out in the evening and mingle with the crowds, take a stroll, have a bite and a drink, etc; and walk back to your hotel.

We stayed at the Union Jack since my husband is retired military but their 2009 prices are substantially higher than the other hotels in the area, and Park Plaza has really cheap rates... So objectively - what is a good hotel in the area??

That's the first time I've seen Waterloo described as &quot;very touristy&quot;

lyn, for a reasonably-priced option I've always liked the Premier Inn actually *in* County Hall.