obxgirl

Oops. You said Regent's Park in your first post. I stayed at the Melia White House which is on the south east side of the park. The neighborhood was perfectly fine though not very interesting. It's not as close to some of the major sights as some of the other neighborhoods mentioned on this thread but it's not "out there" by any stretch.

SandyBrit

Wesch:

Try www.smoothound.co.uk
Lots of B&B's, Guest Houses and Hotels. Many have a family room and include breakfast.

Good luck.

Sandy

MelJ

I like using www.hotel-assist.com, not only because they offer good prices, but because you can see pics of the hotels, maps, etc.

jame

My favorite neighborhood to stay in is Bloomsbury. We got a great deal at the Royal National Hotel (through British Airways) last time we were there. It's not a charming hotel by any stretch of the imagination, but we found it to be clean and incredibly convenient.

WillTravel

Wesch, I would be reluctant to use Priceline given you have a 2-year-old also.

Rosemary1

While we're on the subject; we'll be staying at the Thistle Marlbe Arch for two free nights pre-cruise. Have never been to London and have no idea what to expect. All I know is that it is very near Hyde park.

Any thoughts?

Rosemary1

Sorry, should have "proof-read" that's Thistle Marble Arch. Thanks!

Mushed

Caught sight of m_kingdom's comment that Mayfair (aka Westminster) has the lowest council tax in London and therefore it isn't an expensive. This was hilarious for several reasons a) because it's totally untrue - many other boroughs have much lower rates (and, historically, Westminster only managed to keep its rate relatively low due to a convicted Council Head, Shirley Porter, who acted illegally to keep the rate down and who's now hiding in Israel in order to avoid paying a £20 million-plus fine) and b) because the council tax is not a measure of an area's affluence but the council's efficiency and pressures (Richmond has one of the lowest rates but is one of the richest/most expensive boroughs).

Maybe m_kingdom is Shirley Porter? Which, if you've seen a picture of this woman, wouldn't leave us any the wiser about whether m_k is a man or woman.

In terms of best areas to stay for your price bracket, I haven't a clue as I live in London (!), but suspect somewhere like Bloomsbury (British Museum territory) is probably more in the 50-60 quid a night bracket. Very central too. Haggle!

SusieQQ

How about the County Hall on the South Bank. Good location and inexpensive. By the way, I always stay in Mayfair.

BoulderCO

We always stay in South Kensington, near either the S. Ken or Gloucester Road tube station. Three lines run though both stations including the Picadilly which means you can get anywhere in London quickly including Heathrow. S.Ken has a nice neighborhood feel with great little restaurants and shops. We have always found Mayfair a bit sterile with all the embassies, banks, huge hotels, etc.

Wesch

Does anyone have any experience with the Oxford Hotel in Hyde Park?

It got 3 really good reviews on tripadvisor. It is a 3 star, in an area I want to be in, and it includes breakfast.

Pls let me know your thoughts.

thanks!
Mindy

wealthy_backpacker

http://www.findaproperty.com/cgi-bin...l?storyid=5164

I think this says it all about how cheap and affordable Mayfair is for the masses such as M_K.

Tulips

Wesch, 50-60 pounds does not really go far in London. I can't imagine you will find a hotel in Mayfair, South Kensington, Knightsbridge for that. Less expensive, but still central areas are Bayswater (north of Hyde Park), Earls Court, and maybe Pimlico/Victoria. These are still central, close to the tube.

Wesch

This is a very interesting and useful website - I have learned a lot in my few days here. Thanks to all who have posted.

HOWEVER - please don't use my post to debate about this m_k person, where they live, if it's a man or woman....

Frankly, who cares!? I need to plan a trip here!!

Thanks!

Wesch

I am now looking at the Oxford Hotel in Hyde Park for 60GBP sun-thurs, 65GBP fri-sat. It got great reviews and includes breakfast. Location looks great! One discount site says it is all booked, so I'm hoping the others don't come back with that. Waiting for hubby to take a look.
: ) Mindy

Wesch

We have booked the Oxford Hotel for the rates mentioned above. I am really excited...I think it will be great! Thanks to all for your help!!
Mindy

mclegal

The Oxford: latest review from TripAdvisor on March 1


We thought we would be staying at a basic but clean hotel, but we were VERY wrong. The rooms were dirty, with stained bedding. I have only seen bathrooms this small in cruise ship staterooms, and the shower was covered with hair. The lobby of the "hotel" smelled strongly of body odor. The staff was incredibly rude, and we were refused the name of the manager. This was my thrid trip to London, and I travel frequently. This is, by far, is the worst place I have ever stayed. We left after one night and had to find another hotel. This hotel also fraudulently charged my credit card for a full week's stay when their cancellation policy is 24 hours. They are currently being investigated by Mastercard.

sandykins

I would not put too much credence in one bad review taken out of context. Rather, I would weigh the one bad review against considerations such as how many reviews there are in total and what ALL the other reviewers have said.

It seems that every hotel or restaurant, even the best, has at least one bad review somewhere out there on the Internet. It's as if you're nobody until somebody hates you. Sometimes it is that a customer actually had a bad experience; that happens even at the best places. Other times, it's that the reviewer is one of those malcontents who always find something to be displeased with. Sometimes the reviewer is just a troll, a malicious spoiler of a good rating.

In short, I take on-line customer reviews with a grain of salt.

Wesch

Thanks Sandykins. I won't let this spoil my excitement about going to London. You are right...it is hard to find a hotel without something negative in one of the reviews.
Thanks,
Mindy

sandykins

You're welcome, Mindy. Planning my trip to London in early April, I have read positive and negative things about almost every place on my itinerary, so I have to take it all in and not let the isolated negative comment get to me.

Enjoy your trip-planning (more than half the fun, yes?), and have a terrific time in London!