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Aster House prices...

...for those who have stayed there...is it worth it? $260 USD is very steep. (that includes all the discounts I could get)

I want to be more economical, but the girlfriend wants the Aster House.

Posted by
9096 posts

In general London is a very expensive city for hotels. So $260 isn't that bad. There are cheaper lodgings around but are not typically in charming areas. Rick wouldn't have featured it in his TV show if it were a dump. Plus they have an ice machine which is a bit of a novelty in Europe.

Posted by
79 posts

Thanks for responding Emma,
I should have mentioned I would be there for 8 nights in mid to late May.

I did find the Premier Inn near the Hanger Lane tube station. Since its in Zone 3, I do believe that would only be an extra 4 or 5 pounds for a 7-day tube pass. It's half the price of the Aster House for the entire stay. It gets good ratings. Just not convenient.

Posted by
79 posts

Actually, I'll heavily consider the Waterloo Premier Inn. The Aster House is certainly more convenient in terms of the availability of breakfast and the blue line from Heathrow. Looks like I need to way things out. I could just take the bullet and stay at Aster this time and next time be a little more frugal.

Posted by
79 posts

LOL, Sorry Michael, I didn't see your reply until a later refresh of my browser. Some of my replies aren't even getting through at times. My bad!! :)

Posted by
9096 posts

@ Mike in VT
No worries Mike. Been to London about 20 times. At first I stayed at places like Aster House, but now when I choose a hotel these days I go for convenience/price. I prefer the area around the Euston/St Pancras Chunnel /King Cross stations. It's a busy area but most all the tube lines pass through these stations. Your GF might hate you but you'll save big bucks at the Ibis Euston (my favorite) and the Premier Inns in the area.

Posted by
79 posts

Wow, didn't see Ibis before. 112.00/night GBP looks pretty good for the place includes breakfast. Looks fairly new too.

thanks for that recommendation!

Posted by
9096 posts

Sign up for Ibis's email list. They often have excellent last minute pre-pay rates that will go down to $100USD per night. The hotel has different wings that are newer than others. If you want a room in the newest wing request a room with shower only when you check-in.

Posted by
107 posts

Our favorite is the Darlington Hyde Park, which is highly rated on TripAdvisor, located three blocks from the Paddington Station, relatively inexpensive, safe, and also graced with a stellar breakfast room, staff, and full breakfast. You can read more about it on TripAdvisor. A typical night's stay next May will be $174. For more detailed room rates and choices, go to the hotel's web site, which shows prices in British pounds.

Enjoy your trip to London. May should be perfect.

Posted by
79 posts

@Michael

Room with shower only? meaning in lieu of a full tub?

Thanks Bodo, i'll check it out.

Posted by
32437 posts

That Ibis mentioned above at Euston (just across the road from platform 17 at Euston station) is probably one of a very few places that both Michael Schneider and I have both stayed at - and we both have a similar comment.

The old wings and the new wings are like two different hotels. I would definitely punt for the new one with only the shower cubicle. Prices should be the same. The desk staff can get very busy because a lot of groups stay there, and sometimes it is difficult to use the lifts because they, too, get busy.

My experience is that the breakfast room is quite pleasant, with windows looking south, and if you get there towards the beginning of breakfast time the groups will still be drifting in, but if you are there a bit later it can get a bit crowded.

That hotel is convenient because across the street in the station you have the Victoria and the Northern Line, both the Northern Line Bank Branch and the Northern Line Charing Cross Branch; and just down the street is the Euston Square Underground with another 3 lines - the Metropolitan, the Hammersmith and City, and the Circle Line.

Just a 7 to 10 minute walk (or 1 bus stop) east is Kings Cross / St Pancras adding the Piccadilly Line and a lot of train lines including the ever helpful Thameslink, the high speed lines, services to Cambridge and Gatwick, and the London terminus of the Eurostar trains which go to Paris, Brussels, Disneyland, and later in 2015, Amsterdam and Provence.

You're an easy walk from Bloomsbury.

Posted by
9096 posts

@Nigel

Eurostar trains which go to Paris, Brussels, Disneyland, and later in
2015, Amsterdam and Provence.

Chunnel train service to Amsterdam isn't won't start-up until December 2016 at the earliest. 2017 is a safer bet.

Posted by
32437 posts

I'm sure you have better information than I do.

Posted by
2023 posts

I would not pay that rate for Aster. I think it has no elevator and the rooms look basic. We used to stay at the Rembrandt which was renovated a few years ago but it got a bit pricey so our new favorite is Millineum Gloucester. We got it through a booking service and the rate was less than AH. The location is good and we like South Kensington. If you are willing to take a chance on location you can find something on Priceline. It is a bit tricky on bidding for your preferred location but we got Harrington Hall once for $110.00--nothing fancy but a favorite with the airline crew.