Hotel location

I am with your Mom---I will take a bus in London rather than the tube whenever I can---if it is too far to walk.

How much does your Mom enjoy walking? And what in particular do you wish to see?

The Leicester Square location is right in the thick of the theatre district, and provides easy access to bus routes to take you elsewhere---east to St. Paul's or west to Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, etc. it is also close enough to the river you might use a river bus for a trip to Greenwich or the Tower of London.

The Ibis looks nice and is quite close to a Tube stop ( Earl's Court). For buses, you could catch a 74 right on Cromwell Road, but you would have to change to a 9 or other bus at Hyde Park Corner to get most anywhere in the tourist sites. If you like to walk you could go to the museums just south of Hyde Park, such as the Victoria and Albert, Natural History Museum, and Science Museum. We ended up going to that area 3 or 4 times when we were in London for three weeks.

Here is a schematic bus map (like the Tube maps, not representative of distances):

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/key-bus-routes-in-central-london.pdf

My mom is not a big walker. I have given her books on London but she says she is happy with what I decide. i lived in London for a summer in university more years ago than I want to remember, I assume we will do the big sites plus day trips to Windsor, bath and Liverpool. I realize Bath and Liverpool are long days but think she will do better with one hotel.

Hopefully others will come along and weigh in.

On my last trip to London (2 years ago) I found the tube to difficult for my elderly mother. Not many of the stations we were using had functioning lifts/escalators. If mobility is an issue, go to the Transport for London web site and search for their accessibility page - it lists tube stations with lifts/escalators. Otherwise, plan to use the bus as much as possible.

I've stayed in Ibis hotels in both cities, and they both serve continental breakfast, so if you like something heartier, I would not get the breakfast option. I do like the Ibis chain, though.
What's your budget for hotels? It can be easier to recommend places if we know how much you have to spend.

Just my opinion, but I'd always chose a Premier Inn over an Ibis.

Thanks for the information I would like to keep it under $175 US a night on average. The Ibis is around $200 Canadian so in my budget Premier Inn is more but I can swing it for the location if it's worth it. We don't need to stay in one of these chains but they seem to have what we need
As well I can only book nine nights in line for Premier Inn we need 10. Any reason we could not book 9 and 1

Premier Inn hotels vary in expense from one location to another. The Premier Inn you priced at Leicester Square may be higher than other PI's around London, simply because of its prime location. Look at some other Premier Inns around London to see if they would suit your needs and price range.

Premier Inn London St Pancras is at 88 Euston Rd, Kings Cross, London. The price that comes up on their website is $111. per night, right now, but you can research it for July. (You know your exact dates; I don't.)
Another time I looked at their own website, the price quoted was "Price from £77.00".
http://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-st-pancras.html
Phone:+44 871 527 9492
The website says:
"This hotel is a 5 minute walk from King's Cross St Pancras station, and a 7 minute walk from Euston station. The British Library is 2 minutes' walk away. Bright, airy rooms have casual decor with modern furnishings. They come with en suite bathrooms, flat-screen TVs, work desks, and tea and coffeemaking equipment. After an initial free period, WiFi is available at extra charge. The on-site restaurant serves cooked breakfast, as well as classic pub grub and a children's menu throughout the day and evening."

I will tell you, from my experience, this area is served by many bus lines going past it on Euston Road. It is walking distance to the British Museum, south several blocks.

Nearby is the Hilton London Euston--$105.

There was no Ibis at King's Cross St Pancras.

This area would be convenient for sightseeing in London and for leaving on Eurostar to France.

To answer your question, "I can only book nine nights in line for Premier Inn we need 10. Any reason we could not book 9 and 1?" I would research the prices for the period you want to stay, and then call and make a reservation by phone. That way, you can book the whole 10 days at one time. You can also tell them the price you found online was "X", and can they do better than that since you are staying with them for 10 days. You may also send an email enquiry to the manager and ask the same.

I prefer Premier Inn hotels to Ibis.

I like both Ibis and Premier Inns in London. I personally would not stay near Leicester Sq. unless you are planning to see a West End play. This area is very congested and touristy (reminded me of Times Sq. in NYC). I was there a month ago...
The Premier Inn at County Hall (across the Thames from the houses of Parliament) is a fantastic location. Try to get a room on the outside rather than interior courtyard. The one at St. Pancras/King's cross is good also, particularly if you are taking the Eurostar to Paris, but if not I would chose another location.
Last month I stayed at the Citadines apartment / hotel on Gloucester Rd. in South Kensington and I highly recommend it. Not sure if the price will be Ok for you, but each room has refrigerator and cook-top and all necessary utensils and there are f=grocery stores, and several restaurants, a pub, a Starbucks very close by. Hotel is located 2 blocks from Tube station and 2 blocks from Kensington Garden -- which is a lovely place to stroll. The area is upscale residential, surrounded by lovely apartments -- not a big commercial area, just a street with shops and restaurants catering to locals. From stop outside the garden I took #9 bus across town to get to the Trafalgar Sq. / Covent Garden area -- very convenient for many sights in London. Taking buses in London is easy and fun. I never take the tube anymore. Be sure to get an Oyster Card, which is necessary - you cannot pay cash. The Rick Steves London guidebook gives good information on how to deal with the buses. And it has good directions for going to Windsor Castle -- which I really recommend.

I also like the Citadines, but the Holborn location is my favorite. If you sign up for their club, you can get discounted prices.
I just checked multiple 10-day date ranges for July and they appear to be booked up.

The location of the Ibis is just a few blocks from me. There is a Premier Inn one block from the Ibis. Why don't you check out the prices there.

It's only one block from the Earl's Court tube station where you can get the #74 bus into central London. However, the Earl's Court tube station is easy to use and can be step free.

I was hoping to piggyback on Wendy's question. Coincidentally, I am also taking my mother to London but in February. Not my my first choice for time of the year but she wants to see Jonas Kaufman concert (who hopefully won't cancel but that is a different topic).

My mom's friend recommended Cranley Hotel in South Kensington. It looks charming but my concern is that on the map it seems a bit off the path for sight seeing. Is it? Mom is fine with taking the bus (or taxi) but less enthralled by the Tube. Any suggestions I would greatly appreciate.

Thanks!

The Victoria & Albert Museum is about 3/4 mile away. That's one, anyway.

While I have never stayed at the Cranley, I know where it is.

About a 5 minute walk to the Gloucester Rd. tube statoin. There is also a bus stop about two blocks from the Cranley. The C1 bus stops there (I was on it today) and it takes you to the V&A museums, Harrods and on to Victoria Station. From there you can grab another bus or a taxi to get to your destination. (If you could convince your mother to use the tube, it would make travel around London so much easier.)

The area is quiet and residential but there are shops, restaurants, pubs, etc, within a few blocks.

I can echo Frank's comment above about the Earl's Court tube station being very accessible.