23 Hour Layover in London - question on hotel we'd like to stay at

It isn’t easy to get from Paddington to the Intercontinental Hotel by public transport. You’d probably want to get a taxi. Depending on how many there are in your party, it might be easier and not a lot more expensive to get a taxi directly from the airport. You could get the Piccadilly Line underground (subway) train to Hyde Park Corner (the closest station to the Intercontinental) but from memory this is a small station and not necessarily the easiest to cart baggage around. You also need to check where the stations exits are relative to Park Lane.

Changing of the Guard ceremonies don’t normally take place on Tuesdays at Buckingham Palace. In view of this, I’d suggest looking to stay elsewhere. You might want to consider getting into London on the Elizabeth Line rather than using the Heathrow Express.

Few questions for clarity?

First time London?

Your flight arrives at 18:40 meaning 6:40pm?

Intercontinental Park Lane meaning the hotel close to Wellington Arch?

Are you walkers?

Will you use public transport?

Why do your think your return to Heathrow is easier if you stay “ on the other side of Hyde Park?

IMHO the Changing of the Guards is overrated and will take up valuable time.

Been enjoying London stays for over 50 years. Have stayed in countless neighborhoods, often at 63 Bayswater. It is a 15 minute stroll from Paddington Station where you can take the Elizabeth Line to and from Heathrow.

Yes you can take the Heathrow Express as well but to get the cheaper cost you need to book at least a month in advance, if not more.

Research: https://tfl.gov.uk/

Lastly the Houses of Parliament with Elizabeth’s Tower which houses the Big Ben bell and Westminster Abbey are nearly adjacent to one another and at night all lit up is a site to behold.

Guessing you have a long flight back, so will need to get to LHR around 1400. In effect leaving central London by about 1330. So, you have a (long) morning for sightseeing.

Is there any one thing you really want to see, or would you rather see a number of the sights quickly and without going inside (or going inside only briefly)?

Your hotel is very close to the Hyde Park Corner tube stop which is on the Piccadilly line which is direct from Heathrow. If it were me, I’d skip the Heathrow Express and just take the tube. It will be just as fast as going to Paddington and then transferring to either a taxi or the tube. While the Heathrow Express only takes 15 minutes, it is less frequent than the tube. You also have to transfer at Paddington and either wait in the taxi queue or take the tube which will require multiple transfers to Hyde Park Corner.

Thank you both for responding! Great information on Changing of the Guard...I just booked the flights and the opportunity to have a long layover in London was not planned so I'm just starting on the research aspect of it. And thank you for the link around transport!

To answer questions-
First time London? Yes

Your flight arrives at 18:40 meaning 6:40pm? Yes

Intercontinental Park Lane meaning the hotel close to Wellington Arch? Yes

Are you walkers? Yes, we regularly clock 8-10 miles a day on big sight seeing days

Will you use public transport? We are open to any form of transport. If public transport is faster, we are open to that. If a taxi is better, we don't mind spending the money on it.

Why do your think your return to Heathrow is easier if you stay “ on the other side of Hyde Park? Closer to Paddington Station to catch the Express train. When I looked as transport option, the Express train looked faster than getting a taxi.

Long flight back? Yes, transatlantic so will need to be there when you mentioned.

Is there any one thing you really want to see, or would you rather see a number of the sights quickly and without going inside (or going inside only briefly)? I don't necessarily need to go inside or if we do, I don't need to go inside for long. I'd like to see Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben...open to other suggestions too as I haven't done a ton of research. I felt like that hotel placed us in good spot to see some of the most touristy things whether that night or the following morning.

Unfortunately, Buckingham Palace is only open in the summer months, and not October.

Here’s an idea. Stay very close to Paddington. On Tuesday morning have a full English breakfast (as you might find it hard to fit in lunch) then get the underground to Westminster (change from Bakerloo line to Jubilee Line at Baker St). See Parliament Sq and Big Ben etc and then visit Westminster Abbey at it opens at 0930.

Then get a number 26 bus showing Hackney Wick as its destination (not Victoria). Go upstairs and if you can’t sit at the front, sit on the left and see Downing Street, Trafalgar Sq, St Paul’s etc. get off at Liverpool St and get the train back to Paddington.

Or you could catch a #36 bus from Paddington (headed for New Cross Gate) as far as Victoria then either walk down Victoria Street to Westminster or a free transfer to one of the several routes to Westminster, then as above.

Don’t forget planning what to do with any bags you have. Even if just carry on you probably won’t want to carry them around with you all morning. No doubt you can leave them at the hotel but then you need to plan to go back there to collect them.

Couple of things about my suggested itinerary - you won't see Buckingham Palace or the Tower of London. Possible fixes:

BP - Walk from Parliament Sq to Trafalgar Sq and walk through Admiralty Arch and see BP at the end of the Mall. Good view and nicely famed, but you are still some way away. Then get the bus. OR - Get the Jubilee Line to Green Park, walk through the Park to BP to see it through the railings and then walk from there to Parliament Sq.through St James's Park which is quite pretty . Not a long walk, you'd just need to allow a bit of time. NB: buses do not go past the front of BP.

The Tower- get off the bus at Bank Station and walk past the Monument down towards the river and then you'll see the Tower. and beyond it it Tower Bridge. To get back to Paddington - I'd walk north from the Tower to Aldgate tube station and get the first train. Get off at the first stop (Liverpool St) and wait on the same platform for a Hammersmith and City train and take this to Paddington; they come every 3-4 mins. (You could get the (yellow) Circle Line from Tower Hill to Paddington going the other way around the circle, but it's slow and there aren't many Circle Line Trains in Service, so you could have a bit of a wat).

Don’t forget planning what to do with any bags you have. Even if just carry on you probably won’t want to carry them around with you all morning. No doubt you can leave them at the hotel but then you need to plan to go back there to collect them.

I would suggest leaving your carry-on bags at Heathrow in storage, then just bringing your personal bags with a change of clothing, toiletries and so on. It's a bit pricey but worth it considering the alternative. https://www.heathrow.com/at-the-airport/airport-services/left-luggage

Thanks all! These are great suggestions. I have some planning ahead of me for sure to decide what we want to see and will definitely use your ideas. I very much appreciate the transport recommendations - saves me a lot of time looking those things up. We will definitely leave our bags with left luggage so that we can move about the city lightly.