Where to stay in London
May 18th, 2012, 04:15 PM
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Where to stay in London
Hi all, I am traveling to Europe in Sept 15 2012. My first stop is London for a couple of nights. I have no idea where to start...what is the best area to stay, centric to the best sites, train, and safe? I would not like to spend more than $250 per night but all I have seen is very close to that and above.
May 18th, 2012, 04:29 PM
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Hotels in London are not cheap and budget places are often either quite unpleasant or at the end of hell and gone. Assuming you are a single person - or a couple who can share a double bed - your best bet is probably Priceline. For your budget - if you bid carefully you should be able to get something decent in a central location. (London is a large, spread out city - and you don;t want to be stuck an hour from the major sights.) I would look at Covent Garden, Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Bloomsbury and other central areas.
May 18th, 2012, 05:21 PM
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If you are only in London for a couple of nights, I recommend you stay someplace very central like Bloomsbury or Trafalgar Square/Covent Garden, if possible. Sept 15 is a weekend, so prices are usually lower.
If you type "London hotels" in the search box above, you will get a ton of suggestions.
If you feel comfortable bidding on Priceline, you can get a hotel well within your price range (although probably not near Trafalagar Square). Check biddingfortravel.com and betterbidding.com for bidding strategies.
Also check londontown.com. You can sort hotels by price. Wotif.com is showing the Strand Palace Hotel for 112 ($177) Sept 15 &16. It my favorite London hotel, and is in a great location one block from Covent Garden, and walking distance to Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, London Eye, and many other sites.
http://www.strandpalacehotel.co.uk/
Also take a look at The Morgan Hotel in Bloomsbury:
http://www.morganhotel.co.uk/index.html
The Ridgemount Hotel, Bloomsbury:
http://www.ridgemounthotel.co.uk/
Since you are only in London a couple of nights,if you need to be near St Pancras station, take a look at The Premier Inn:
http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/K...oss-st-pancras
You can check reviews of these and other hotels on tripadvisor.com
Good luck!
If you type "London hotels" in the search box above, you will get a ton of suggestions.
If you feel comfortable bidding on Priceline, you can get a hotel well within your price range (although probably not near Trafalagar Square). Check biddingfortravel.com and betterbidding.com for bidding strategies.
Also check londontown.com. You can sort hotels by price. Wotif.com is showing the Strand Palace Hotel for 112 ($177) Sept 15 &16. It my favorite London hotel, and is in a great location one block from Covent Garden, and walking distance to Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, London Eye, and many other sites.
http://www.strandpalacehotel.co.uk/
Also take a look at The Morgan Hotel in Bloomsbury:
http://www.morganhotel.co.uk/index.html
The Ridgemount Hotel, Bloomsbury:
http://www.ridgemounthotel.co.uk/
Since you are only in London a couple of nights,if you need to be near St Pancras station, take a look at The Premier Inn:
http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/K...oss-st-pancras
You can check reviews of these and other hotels on tripadvisor.com
Good luck!
May 18th, 2012, 05:36 PM
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The Holiday Inn in Bloomsbury is right near the Russell Square tube stop which is on the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow with no changes;about 40 minutes on the tube and Russell Square has lifts.You exit the station and walk less than 500 years and you are in the heart of Bloomsbury for everything(British museum,library and right across the street from Brunswick mall for Waitrose grocery (fabulous for take outs,etc.)Boots drug,Atm's etc. It is in a real neighborhood so you can go to all of the pubs and restaurants walking or take the tube anywhere in London without a hassle.My son went to grad school at UCL and lived in this area and it is a safe fun place to hang out in.
My other choice for you would be the Holiday Inn Kensington(can usually get it for around 100 pounds online with a fabulous breakfast included)which is right next to the Glouester Road tube station (again the Piccadilly Line straight shot from Heathrow too). You can walk to Harrods,Notting Hill area,the Natural history museum,V and A museum,etc. and is very safe with a 24 hour Tesco and tons of restaurants in the area. There is also a NH hotel and Millenium hotel right next to it so check the prices between each other.
My other choice for you would be the Holiday Inn Kensington(can usually get it for around 100 pounds online with a fabulous breakfast included)which is right next to the Glouester Road tube station (again the Piccadilly Line straight shot from Heathrow too). You can walk to Harrods,Notting Hill area,the Natural history museum,V and A museum,etc. and is very safe with a 24 hour Tesco and tons of restaurants in the area. There is also a NH hotel and Millenium hotel right next to it so check the prices between each other.
May 18th, 2012, 06:05 PM
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thank you all. My choices are narrowed down to the hotels mentioned. I really liked the Strand Palace, but the price is not $177 rather $277 per night. I think I will have to up my budget as I don't want to sacrifice location.
May 18th, 2012, 08:00 PM
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Last summer we stayed in the Covent Garden area at the Travel Lodge. It was very inexpensive as we got one of their good deals, but even without the special it is not expensive. The location was very good for getting around, etc and the room itself was fine. Basic, but clean and doable.
May 18th, 2012, 08:02 PM
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EricJoel, I would strongly recommend the STRAND PALACE. I stayed there for four nights, saw many museums/historical sites and only took one bus. There is so much within 1- 1 1/2 mile walking distance from the hotel.
They also provide a very hearty breakfast which should keep you going for a good part of the day.
Click on my name if you wish to see how far I ventured on foot from the Strand Palace.
They also provide a very hearty breakfast which should keep you going for a good part of the day.
Click on my name if you wish to see how far I ventured on foot from the Strand Palace.
May 18th, 2012, 08:15 PM
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Another alternative to Priceline is Hotwire. You don't bid on rooms, you just book them directly. You don't get the name of the hotel beforehand, but you get the "zone", amenities, and a few other bits of info. You can often figure out the name of hotel with the help of betterbidding.com.
http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showtopic=12693&
You very well might find a 4 or 5 star hotel in the Mayfair area for your budget.
http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showtopic=12693&
You very well might find a 4 or 5 star hotel in the Mayfair area for your budget.
May 18th, 2012, 11:35 PM
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e have been staying in South Kensington yearly for the last 40 years and love it. The last few years we have stayed at either of the 2 Millenium hotels, Bailey's or Gloucester. I always get them on Londontown.com for under 100 GBP. There are lots of cafes nearby so we usually don't bother having breakfast included. The transportation options are great. The tube is right across the street,and buses along Cfromell Rd ar 2 minutes walk . There is also the 49 which takes you to King's Rd where the 11 or 22 to just about anyplace in London can be picked up. V&A and Natural History are in walking distance. and Lots of good restaurants nearby! and pubs
May 18th, 2012, 11:43 PM
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EricJoel:
I think you incorrectly calculated the conversion rate. The Strand Palace is £112 per night for a single room Sept 15 & 16 on wotif.com. £112 is $177 US dollars.
http://goo.gl/WLZGV
It's even cheaper if you go to the Strand Palace website. A single bed with no view on Sept 15 & 16 is £156 for 2 nights. That's $248, or $124 US dollars per night.
A double bed or 2 twin beds, no view is £229 for 2 nights. That's $362 US, or $181 per night. A queen bed is £272 for 2 nights, which is $433, or $217 per night.
http://goo.gl/PXrLK
I think you incorrectly calculated the conversion rate. The Strand Palace is £112 per night for a single room Sept 15 & 16 on wotif.com. £112 is $177 US dollars.
http://goo.gl/WLZGV
It's even cheaper if you go to the Strand Palace website. A single bed with no view on Sept 15 & 16 is £156 for 2 nights. That's $248, or $124 US dollars per night.
A double bed or 2 twin beds, no view is £229 for 2 nights. That's $362 US, or $181 per night. A queen bed is £272 for 2 nights, which is $433, or $217 per night.
http://goo.gl/PXrLK
May 19th, 2012, 12:51 PM
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"walkabout" you were right on the prices, I was looking at the club room rates which appear first on the site. Great price for what seems to be a very central location and includes breakfast. I think I am going for it.
May 20th, 2012, 09:45 AM
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EricJoel, glad to hear that you settled on the STRAND PALACE. One caution - the rooms do not have AC. However, that was no problem last summer when the weather was particularly chilly.
Back home in New England the weather was around 100 degrees during the time I was in London.
What I liked about the location was being able to return to the hotel, drop off purchases, or just rest and freshen up before venturing out again. Have you ever been to London?
As I said above, you would be able to visit great museums/historical sites/ theaters/ churches without taking the tube in the few days that you will be there.
Please let us know how it works out….
Back home in New England the weather was around 100 degrees during the time I was in London.
What I liked about the location was being able to return to the hotel, drop off purchases, or just rest and freshen up before venturing out again. Have you ever been to London?
As I said above, you would be able to visit great museums/historical sites/ theaters/ churches without taking the tube in the few days that you will be there.
Please let us know how it works out….
May 20th, 2012, 11:44 AM
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Since you are staying the weekend at the Strand Palace, please note that they are currently running a special whereby you get a free 2-course roast dinner if you stay over a Sunday night. The dinner applies to all persons staying in the room, i.e., if you are traveling as a couple, both of you get free dinners.
When you make your online reservation, just note "Sunday Supplement" in the Comments box.
http://www.strandpalacehotel.co.uk/S...-Offers#sunday
When you make your online reservation, just note "Sunday Supplement" in the Comments box.
http://www.strandpalacehotel.co.uk/S...-Offers#sunday
May 21st, 2012, 08:50 AM
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Hope this help in your comparison, whenever I travel, I always compare my budget with http://gccstravel.com.
It have one of the all in one easy search travel available for hotel and flight comparison.
Have a great stay in London
It have one of the all in one easy search travel available for hotel and flight comparison.
Have a great stay in London
May 21st, 2012, 09:02 AM
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Not sure how committed you are to the Strand Palace, but I've gotten into St Martin's Lane in the $200-range. Modern, but I found the staff very friendly and the location is absolutely top-notch - even better than the Strand Palace, IMO.
May 21st, 2012, 12:17 PM
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The Sanctuary House is also a good hotel in a good location. A double room on Sept. 15 &16 is £127 ($200 USD).
http://www.fullershotels.com/rte.asp?id=14
It gets good reviews on tripadvisor: http://goo.gl/fQ7GI
http://www.fullershotels.com/rte.asp?id=14
It gets good reviews on tripadvisor: http://goo.gl/fQ7GI
May 21st, 2012, 01:20 PM
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good location in Bloomsbury, just three short blocks to Russell Station and bus stop. If I recall, the tariff was about $100 USD with very filling breakfast. The George Hotel on Cartwright Circle. Two very good pubs on the street leading to Russle Square...reasonable and good menus.
