Taking 2 13 year old granddaughters March. looking at Thistle Charing Cross or Selfridge. $250 -$300 per night including vat & breakfast. Is Strand good location?
welcome other suggestions. Any Kennsington hotels? They will want to do theater, sights, Harrods, Tea, Tower of london, ferris wheel etc.

Thistle Charing Cross is very conveniently located. No comment on the service or the interior as I haven't stayed there. It's literally next to Charing X station. Very convenient for theatres and restaurants in the Covent Garden area.

I know someone who stayed at Selfridge (which is also a Thistle chain hotel). Her opinion is the place is in dire need of refurbishment, threadbare carpet and tatty bathroom. Dunno what the official rating is, but more like 2.5 stars. It's equidistance from Marble Arch/Bond St.

I think that's a great location because you'll be able to walk to a lot of things. Did you look on http://www.tripadvisor.com? Key in London Forum and you will see hundreds of hotel reviews that will be very helpful. It will take some work, but you'll find a very good hotel for $300.

I stayed at the Charing Cross Thistle once and it is a very good location. It is usually priced higher than what I like to pay for a London hotel so I have not been back. Many more things are within walking distance than Kennsington but no matter where you stay you will need to use buses or the Underground sometime.

Stayed Thistle Charing Cross several years ago and found it to be excellent. I would return. Rooms are modern, international style, with large bath -- not very English, do you care? Location is really very convenient,with the Underground and some rail lines at your doorstep and lots of bus lines converging on Trafalgar Square, just a block or so away. But then there's alot within walking distance, too.

The hotel is at Charing Cross Station - a large number of tourist sites are including the "ferris wheel" are walkable from it as this map shows

www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/centlond.pdf

Just to remind people - there is no one best location in London - the tourists sights aren't in one place and some travel by public transport will be required wherever you stay.

We also liked the Thistle Charing Cross which we got through the discounter Londontown.com

It is very close to at least two different Tube stops, within easy walking distance of many sights.

The buffet breakfast was extensive and our room was certainly large enough with a decent-sized bath; excellent air conditioning.