Accomodation in Croydon?

Croydon is an entire borough, not a village. There are good bits and there are fairly dodgy bits. Croydon was the epicentre of the huge riots a few years ago and some parts have recovered better than others.

Because of its size it is impossible to give reasonable estimates of travel time. I can say that if you are very close to East Croydon station you will be able to get into Victoria in one bound with zero or one stops, quickly.

If you are near West Croydon the train will take an age because it will stop every few hundred metres for another stop, maybe 10 or 15 times.

The Croydon tramlink would be of little use to tourists.

Buses from Croydon into London would take an age.

Croydon has some nice areas and some not so nice areas. If you do choose a specific property, be sure to google street view it all the way from the train station/bus stop so you'll know what you're walking through at night.

You can save a lot of money by staying outside the central sightseeing zone, but do be aware of the additional cost for travelling plus the time involved. If you don't have an oyster, you're looking at potentially an additional £10 ($18) per person to take the train round trip from Croydon to Victoria each day. The good news is that you can get an offpeak zones 1-6 travelcard that will cover both the train and the tram (as well as buses and the underground in London) for about £9 each a day. But know that you're starting the day at 9:30, it'll be close to 11 by the time you arrive wherever you're going and its certainly not easy to pop home if you've forgotten something; once you're out for the day, that's it until the end.

You mention Kings Cross/St Pancras and Bloomsbury as other areas you've considered. Those are much more central areas and you'll find it easier and quicker to get to the sites you'll want to see. For an alternative, I recommend my home neighbourhood in the Paddington/Bayswater area as being centrally located, good value, and safe. The Lancaster Hall seems to be very popular, as well as EasyHotel, and Tune. There are loads of non chain hotels at all price points in postcode W2, and if you air BnB look for something close to Queensway/Lancaster Gate/Bayswater tube stations.

Drove through Croydon once and was glad I drove through, never again.

Croyden is #3 on this year's list of "unhappiest places to live in Britain." Along with East London, East Central London, Southeast London, and two more areas of London around the perimeter.

http://www.london24.com/news/london_unhappiest_place_to_live_in_britain_1_3609345

London is an expensive place to stay but it is well worth staying in the center rather than the edges to save money. You will spend a lot of time and money going back and forth, and you will not feel like you are in London.

Try the places offered by the London School of Economics, they have small,apartments that can be quite affordable. I think Booking.com will help you find something for your dates. You can search by price and neighborhood.

Thank You all for your replies. I decided to not go with Croydon and booked a hotel in Earls Court/St. Pancraas instead. It is called Hotel St. Athans at around 76 pounds per night. It seems like a good deal - lets see.

Arvind