Where to stay in London???
 

My husband, 2 teenage daughters and I are planning our first trip to London this July, hoping to stay for 7 to 10 days. Where can we stay? I am kind of fussy about where I sleep(I usually prefer 4* or better) and we would really like to have seperate bedrooms. But I don't want to blow the whole budget on rooms. Am I asking too much??? We need help. Thanks Ptm

What is the budget? Two, four star rooms, convenient location in London coupled with the weak dollar could easily put you into the 6-800 dollar range. Is that reasonable?

fmpden posted: "could easily put you into the 6-800 dollar range". I'd say that this would be reasonably cheap for TWO 4* rooms. This would mean each of them would go for 150-200GBP. In July, I would imagine that rates could well be closer to 250-300GBP, which would mean spend on the order of $1000-1200.

Yikes! Best, Dave

Hi
a lovely hotel is the landmark hotel-4 star just next to Marylebone railway station.http://www.landmarklondon.co.uk/
A really good a restaurant about 5 mins walk away is the Orrery http://www.conran-restaurants.co.uk/ They do a very reasonable set lunch. If you book now you may be able to get a reservation at one of the Gordon Ramsey restaurants-again they do a set lunch at reasonable prices. The best value lunch in london is without doubt at Le Gavroche http://www.conran-restaurants.co.uk/ of Roux brothers fame.
Would you consider renting an apartment
http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/greater-london/
and
http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/lon...fa/find.squery
Good luck
Anne

Dave, on reflection your numbers are probably better than mine. That is the problem with a quick response and doing the math while typing. We have paid around $200 for a B&B in the Victoria Station area that we like. But have no experience with four or five stars in the London area so don't know who our B&B would compare with an upscale hotel. Your right -- it could be more than double.

Wonder what "fussy" means to ptm?

Hi and Thanks.....I am not sure what our hotel budget should be. I thought I would start with the hotel then I would look at what the cost of flights, meals etc. Of course with two daughters there is the cost of shopping and sightseeing for the four of us.

Hi...fussy means I like my room to be very clean and a comfortable bed. Run down hotels freak me out. Hope this helps.Ptm

Whoa !!!! Annesouness may be the market rep for Landmark. It looks like a terrific 4 Star Hotel and you pay. Least expensive room is over $800/night. That would blow my budget

fmpden you might be right! I would certainly be interested in looking at B&B's or renting apartments. Thanks for the websites, annesouness...they look great. The Landmark looks great if I win the lottery....Thanks

PTM -- Unfortunately that didn't help a lot. Run down, comfortable bed, etc. are all personal perceptions. We have spent a total of about 30 days in London over past ten years or so. If we are in bound to London will always stay in the Victoria Station area. Not as upscale as some other area but very convenient for transportation and walking. We use two different B&Bs in the area which met our criteria for clean and decent breakfast. Are the bed comfortable ?? Not as good as home but better than some high end hotels in the US. With two sons maybe we are not as fussy. So it is really hard to advise you because it mostly personal preference. While I have no problem recommending the B&Bs we have used, might not met you standards.

Keep in mind that London ranks at or near the top of most expensive city in the world. And with the pound near the $2 mark it will be expensive.

If out bound we stay in the Paddington station area for the convenience of the Paddington Express. Nothing wrong with the area just not very attractive. It i full of many 2 and 3 star that are adequate but not terrific.

Good luck with your search.
Frank

Ptm - I'm an American ex-pat living in West London. European hotels in general are much smaller than American hotels. So when you say 4*, you probably mean 5*, which as other posters have warned is costly in London, esp with the weak dollar. I have similar hotel standards, so sympathise. I traveled here with my family a few years ago and we stayed in B&Bs, which are much cheaper. The standards certainly aren't 4*, but they are clean and you will be able to focus on a good location rather than price. London is a big city; stay central (West/West End/West London near Hyde Park) and use the Tube and buses. You won't be spending much time in your hotel room in July anyway - great weather then so you'll want to be outside! Rick Steve's puts out a great guide book and his B&B recommendations are very good. Also 7-10 days in London is a lot of time. You can sufficiently see everything in 3 days. Take side trips. Edinburgh, Scotland (train or fly - flying might be cheaper). The Cotswalds, Wales/Cardiff, the coast (Poole is fun and there are good beaches), Lake District if you like hiking and the New Forest for outdoorsy things, great pubs, and access to Aisle of White (where they have the annual Cowes yacht race). EuroStar to Paris too. Pick up an A-Z guide for walking around when you arrive (any bookstore or Boots, which is like a Walgreens). Have fun!

I hate to be pedantic, but it's the Isle of Wight (the Aisle of White sounds like a posh shop for fridges).

Ptm - regarding your comment on entry fees for the sites for four people, definitely buy a London Pass, which for one price gets you entry into a majority of the tourist sites: http://www.londonpass.com/. That will make it cheaper. For side trips, also consider Windsor for the day. And side trips to the country may make things cheaper as rates are better out of London.

I promise this is my last post, i'm bored at work. Don't let Fmpdm's comment on Paddington scare you away. I live in nearby Bayswater, which neighbors Notting Hill and it's ironically one of the better areas in London. Close to Oxford shopping, Hyde Park, great Tube lines and the incredible Portobello Rd market in Notting Hill. We stayed at a B&B near Paddington station years ago (The Cardiff). Like I said, small to be sure. But clean enough. Location location location. Sorry, Fmpdm, had to defend the neighborhood. :) sgm

PatrickLondon - I'm sure Ptm will appreciate the correction. She may have ended up in Surrey.

Sgm -- I didn't mean to degrade the Paddington station area with regard to safety or security. I just said it was uninteresting and in my opinion there are other areas of the city that is more interesting and attractive. It would not be an area that I would want to spend 7 -10 days.

Your comments about being in the city for 7 - 10 days is reasonable and they should look at some day trips out of the city just for a little change. London is very intense. However, to suggest that you can see the city in three day is a little brief. You can get a good overview in three days but we have spent about 30 days in London, and, In our opinion we still haven't seen everything. We always look forward to returning because there is always a couple more items on the list to see.

A very kind Fodorite recommended I check www.londonguestsuites.com It is a great site with several flats which might suit your needs and budget. Happy travels.

SGM, noticed your are posting from Londan around at 1730. It must be a boring day or just started the evening shift..

I stayed at the Standard by Westminster Abbey. Very reasonably priced for the area. The rooms were very clean and comfortable.

You should seriously consider an apartment. More space for your money. And they're available for fewer than 7 days if necessary. Lots of info at www.slowtrav.com, including reviews of individual rentals and rental agencies.

My mistake, not the Standary, the hotel was called The Sanctuary House Hotel.

Thank you very much. I value all of your comments and I am thrilled to have such great advice. I am definitely looking into the BB's. Rightly so, I don't think we will be spending much time in our rooms so location does sound like a good idea. I love the advice of where to stay and how to travel around. We have not traveled to Europe so this is very exciting for all of us. We need all the help we can get....Thanks Ptm

Try Sloane Apartments, off Sloane Square; www.sloaneapartments.com. We liked it very much, loved the location.

The following was posted on the Sloane apartments website
Sloane Apartments has now closed its doors. The Management & Staff would like to thank all the guests who've stayed with us over the past 15 years, it's been a pleasure to serve you.

Our first trip to London was 6 full days, and we never had time for a day trip out of the city - there's just so much to do! We went with one teenaged daughter, and we stayed at the Holiday Inn Mayfair; quite a nice hotel, with 2 double beds. Worked for 3 of us, but I don't know about 4. The rates are a bit higher in the middle of the week, and lower on the weekend, but average to 135 pounds/night. The area of town is fantastic, and the hotel is 1/2 block from the tube. I am about to visit for my third time, and will again stay at this hotel for part of our visit.

For the length of time that you will be visiting, most people will recommend apartment rentals. Also Priceline is good for London, and I believe you can do it for 2 rooms.

I would do the apt route. As an alternative, try priceline though you must real biddingfortravel first.

&quot;<i>You can sufficiently see everything in 3 days</i>&quot; Is just about the <u>most</u> ridiculous statement I've ever seen on Fodors (well not THE most but pretty darn close).

You may live in London but you seem to know very little about the UK. Aisle of Wight?? the Cotswalds?? And to suggest the Lake District as a day trip from London??

For 7-10 day trip I would look into renting an apartment. It will be a much more comfortable stay and be less expensive as well.
I have your daughters start saving for their shopping money too!

What a pity about Sloane Apartments; I didn't know. We were there for a week in November, and they didn't mention closing.

I'm with Janis! I have six full days in London coming up and I had to cut out half the things I wanted to see! And we're just planning one day trip out of the city.

Holiday Inns are a good suggestion as you can get two double beds in a room. The Holiday Inn Kensington can be had for about 120 GBP with AAA for June - didn't check July. And people get this and the HI Kensington Forum for about $85. per night pretty often on Priceline. For two rooms, this might be the way to go.

My family of three is spending three nights at Renaissance Chancery Court and three nights at Royal Horseguards because we were able to stay under 150 GBP per night by moving - and I don't mind staying in two different areas... Just having one young daughter, we didn't have to weigh the benefits of two rooms vs. an apartment. We just don't have the luxury or expense of privacy yet...LOL!

I think HI Mayfair sounds great as noe suggested. And londontown.com is also a good site to peruse for hotel deals. So don't despair, fellow &quot;weak dollar&quot; Americans!

Thanks for all the great info. Yes, both my daughters have been saving for this trip. They take great pride in being able to buy their own stuff. Not that I anticipate they will be doing much shopping but they are prepared and understand the exchange rates. Should be interesting to see the look on their faces when we exchange our money. Thanks for all the help. Ptm

Take your daughters to Top Shop, they will find something!

Another vote for the Holiday Inn Mayfair! Stayed there Nov 2005 and paid &pound;70 through Priceline. It has to be the most fantastic location in London - close to shopping and nightlife. We walked everywhere and did not use the tube at all on that visit. They also had computers in the bar and foyer which were free to guests.
Hope you have a great time in London!

Yes, do take them to Topshop, at Oxford Circus! Very reasonable prices (for London anyway).

Regarding London hotels, I've had good luck with:

www.lastminute.com

The computers in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Mayfair are not free anymore. The rate was high enough to discourage us from even using it for a short while (can't remember the actual rate).

As for shopping, here is a thread with some info on London shopping with teens:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34761253
The Oxford Circus Top Shop is huge and an absolute madhouse. In fact Oxford Street itself was packed with people and not the best experience.

My daughter and I love going to Liberty - beautiful old store (neo-Tudor) lovely designer handbags and clothes to look at and a whole floor of Liberty cotton fabric. It is located near Oxford St.

The Covent Garden area has many of the high street shops in a more enjoyable atmosphere, and I have heard that Kensington High Street has nice shopping.

We really enjoyed shopping on King's Road, starting at Sloane Square. We found some nice things at Jigsaw and LK Bennett, and there's a great second hand store down a bit (we rode the bus) called Steinberg and Tolkein.

Here's a link to my trip report for our first London trip with our 17 year old:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34771547
It might have something of interest.

Try this link for apartments:
http://www.astons-apartments.com/
My family and I enjoyed them a few years ago.

FWIW, we got two rooms at the Milennium Gloucester in South Kensington for approx. $500/nite total -- looks like a nice place, we have not been

You'll like the M. Gloucester. It is a nice hotel and so convenient to the tube stop, and there is a Paul's across from the tube with heavenly macaroons as well as croissants, etc., for breakfast or snacks.

South Kensington is my favorite area to stay in London. Walking area to K. park, the V&amp;A, Harrods, Partridge's Grocery, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and ASK in the small shopping area above the tube station.

Check out Kand K George in Knesington. It is really inEarls Court but on apretty residential quiet street with a lovely large back garden. It is a small German chain. We have stayed at many hotels in London as well as very nice vacation homes. This fits everything, free internet and computer, great breakfast, two blocks from Tube, 5 blocks to Holland Park. Check it out. Rooms are newly contemporary renovated, small of course. Our children stayed in the room across from us.

As far as shopping, Topshop is like Forever 21 or Express. Another suggestion for the girls shopping is Sloan Square and down Kings Road (Chelsea), they have fun boutiques as well as Chain Stores like Topshop and sadly The Gap! Great Restaurants too!