I am hoping for recommendations on what area to stay in for our visit during the May coronation? I know prices are high but we wanted to be positioned in the right area and don’t know London. Any suggestions of hotels or areas/neighborhoods are welcome. Not sure what celebrations are planned and where is a good area to base ourselves. We stayed at St. Ermins before but they are booked.
Thank you,
Caroline
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
2792 posts
You might just with the options are you can afford. Because that’s going be the biggest driver for most of us.
To be centrally located to the festivities you want to be in the Westminster area but that may be hard to do- those hotels probably have sold out pretty quickly
I’m staying in the South Kensington/ Earls court area. it’s a long walk to where all the stuff is going to be happening but I know I can do it because I’ve done it before. my plan is to use public transport but I did want to stay somewhere where I could at least walk
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14822 posts
Have you looked at The Lime Tree on Ebury Street? I'm staying there the week before the coronation and when I booked in Sept there was plenty of availability but that was before the date was announced. I also have not looked to see if they've raised their rates. I've walked from there to Westminster Abbey before.
One advantage to The Lime Tree is if you are landing at Heathrow you can take the National Express Coach to the Victoria Coach station and it is literally 1/2 a block and around the corner to the hotel.
Posted by
Washington DC
28247 posts
The Premier Inn website shows all its London hotels sold out; folks may have reserved things prospectively, planning to cancel later if they decide not to go. I don't know whether you'll find a similar pattern with some other well-known chains, but you could consider options across the river in the area around Waterloo Station. It's an easy walk to the Westminster area across the Waterloo Bridge. However, I don't know whether there's anything over there in the same quality range as St. Ermin's. I suspect you'll find more places to your liking west of the river; the question is whether they'll have rooms available, and at what price.
I do think it's smart to choose a place within walking distance of the areas you want to go. The Underground may not be fully functioning when you need it.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33997 posts
It would be a good idea to plan out just what you want to accomplish around the Coronation. Do some research as to the timings and the routes to be taken on the way to the Abbey and the way back - it will be published, maybe already is. I'd tell you the details if I knew them but we use the TV coverage and watch pomp at our own speed. The last place I would want to be is in the crowds.
If you could arrange how you would get where you want to be then you will know your hotel choices.
If you can't get anything close you may need to plan to stay a little further out. Bus? Coach? Train? Tube? Or settle for a hotel of a different style than you expect...
There will be, I expect, thousands camping out on the route so they get the front row. If viewing the procession is important to you you need to work out where you can do that and still see something.
The date has been been known for some time now, so the best stuff will have been hoovered up by now.
Good luck. I hope you get what you're after.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
2792 posts
I have accepted that I won’t be on the front row or really able to see much. I’m hoping they put some viewing screens up in the parks or something for people to watch the coronation but I still think it’ll be fun just to soak in the atmosphere and that’s what I’m going for. if I can’t see anything I’ll watch the replay on television and in 20 years in my mind I will believe I was on the front row 😂
Posted by
Missouri, USA and Essex, UK.
1055 posts
Carol,
I have some experience with the crowds in London having recently attended the Queen's funeral. I don't think the exact details of the procession through London have been confirmed yet. To view part of the procession, you must get in place around 4:00 AM to get a good spot. There will be people camping out the night before, but tents and chairs have to be put up around 7:00 AM, which makes for a little more room. If you work it right, you could get pretty close. We got to the very front in Whitehall (just down from 10 Downing Street). I think this is a better spot than the Mall because that is generally really crowded. If you wait for the morning trains/underground, then you will be competing with all the train traffic, so a hotel within walking distance would be ideal but of course expensive. If you are OK with watching from the screens then you will be fine with catching the underground in. The crowds are managed well in London. Porta potties are located in many locations. It is a great atmosphere and if I was in town in May, I would certainly not want to miss it.
Margaret