London Hotel

Define optimally located.

Have you been to London before?

London subway is called the Underground.

No, we have not been before. I am looking for some guidance to get started in our search/research.

(I do understand that there is different terminology/names for things, - subway, just being ‘general’ in my question)

Don't worry about the wording. Everyone understood what you were asking. I like the Premier Inn Chain. Several locations throughout London. My favorite is Premier Inn Waterloo followed by Premier Inn County Hall.

Different people have different ideas of what is the "best" area to stay in. I this area because of transportation links, the River to walk along, and many central London locations are walkable from here. Many restaurants nearby.

Thank you Carol!! I appreciate the time you took to answer me. I will definitely check those out! Much appreciated!

We have stayed seversl.times at the Hampton by Hilton Waterloo. Only block and half from.Waterloo station which is great for transportation. Awesome breakfast and they usually let us check in early if they are not full. I can't remember price but I know it was not expensive. Am sure it was well under $300 a night I think about $240 to $260.00.

Thank you Gail!

Hi there, how exciting to travel to London for the first time! I enjoy the neighborhood in Kensington and I can recommend the Copthorne Tara as a fine place to stay. It’s very close to High Street Kensington tube where the district and circle lines can take you to all the wonderful areas around London. There are also convenient bus stops on the high street. Have a wonderful trip!

https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/london/copthorne-tara-hotel-london-kensington/?cid=gplaces-copthorne-tara-london-kensington

We always stay in the Kensington/south Kensington area by the Gloucester tube stop. It’s easily accessible from Heathrow and three tube lines run it making it easy to get anywhere. It isn’t as close to the main tourist sights as some of the other hotels already mentioned, but we like it. We’ve stayed at the Ashburn, Radisson Blu Edwardian Vanderbilt, The Bailey’s, and Melia London Kensington.

I’d ask what the transportation arrangement is for getting to your cruise? That might influence my recommendation on where to stay.

London is a big city and the sites are spread out. So no one area is going to be perfect. Shops and restaurants are everywhere.

Luckily, London has an extensive public transit network and can get you anywhere fairly easily.

Depending on the time of year of your trip, $250 is not a lot. The suggestion of looking at Premiere Inns is a good idea. A budget oriented chain but clean and comfortable.

The closer you are to the center of town. The more expensive.

Take a look at some of the hotels mentioned in this thread to see what you can expect to pay pricewise for your travel days.

Have fun in London! I agree with the recommendations to check out the Premier Inns. They generally have good prices and consistent quality. We stayed recently at the Premier Inn Victoria and had a great experience. It was close to Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and the British Museum. If you are looking to save additional $$, don't book the Premier Inn breakfasts and eat somewhere else.

As noted Premier Inns are good option for your budget. The PI County Hall is popular as its next to Jubilee Park and the London Eye. Walk out the front door, turn left and take the steps up to Westminster Bridge. Easy peasy stroll across the bridge to Parliament Square.

Or the PI Victoria which is close to the Palace.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to find accommodation at either. If not check the PI Kensington. Further out from the city center but easy public transport to it.

another vote for the Premier Inn Chain. We stayed at the one just 100 yards or so from Trafalgar Square. Room was small but adequate, location made up for it. It was easily reached on the Picadilly line from Heathrow.

edit: the one we stayed at was what @DQ mentioned, a Premier Hub.

Premier Inn has a budget chain called Hub by Premier ... small (some would say tight) basic room ... haven't stayed but that's what I booked for next April ... haven't heard any negatives yet (except for being small) ... several located very close to Westminster Abbey.

"Premier Inn has a budget chain called Hub by Premier ... small (some would say tight) basic room".

I have not stayed in one but my sister (who lives in England) stayed in one (not sure which location) and she said it was way too tiny for her. She is usually not one to complain about small accommodation - so I can only imagine how small these places really are. You may want to stick to the standard Premier Hotel rooms.

I’ll echo what others said. We stayed at a Premier Inn near Aldgate East, I believe. A little bit further out than those more centrally located but within walking distance of Brick Lane/Ripper sites. Not too bad getting around either.

Thanks all!

So, I went to search for one of the Premier Inn’s and it appears that they are all sold out for the three days that we would want. I googled events in London in June and it appears that Harry Styles is playing three nights at Wembly. I mean, could that cause ALL their hotels to be booked up?? I put in different dates around the ones we need, before and after (site says you can book up to 12 months in advance) and they show availability…..so strange??!! I looked for an email address to inquire by, but they only list a phone number….I will continue to look!

No Harry Styles isn't the reason.

Keep checking your dates.

Otherwise look at the Vancouver Studio Apartments on Princes Square. For years was a go to accommodation. Was recommended by flight attention. I haven’t stayed there in years so have no up to date intel. No elevator if memory serves but clean, safe, comfortable and at the time, affordable. 3 block stroll to Bayswater tube station.

https://vancouverstudios.co.uk/

We are staying at Vancouver Studios in November. I stayed there about a million years ago and it's in the latest RS guidebook so I felt comfortable booking again.

We recently stayed at the Resident Hotel Victoria. The location was great. Would definitely stay there again.

I love the Earl's Court/Kensington area. I can usually find a good deal on hotels.com at the K+K George Hotel, fabulous location close to High Street Kensington, Kensington Palace, and tube stations are about a 1-2 minute walk from the front door. It's an upscale safe neighborhood with plenty of shops and restaurants just outside the door - plus the hotel has a garden just outside the rooms.

As Frank II and others have said, London attractions are very spread out and no place is truly “central”. There is no actual “downtown” area like most cities have. It is more like a series of villages pressed together, each with its own flavor (or flavour). Many different neighborhoods, each with advocates among the people here. And Tube stops are everywhere, so you can find a hotel within a short distance from a Tube stop almost anywhere within Zone 1.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stations_in_London_fare_zone_1

I personally loathe the Tube (noisy,crowded, and underground with no views), and we prefer to get around London on foot ( it is a great city for walking) or by bus or Thames boat. In some 15 trips to London, with stays ranging from 2 nights to a month, we have stayed all over. But lately we have stuck to our favorite areas: close to the river and the pedestrian Thames path for longer stays; near Paddington station for short stays of 2 nights because we use the Heathrow Express to travel to and from Heathrow.

I cannot recommend specific hotels within your budget, because we usually book apartments, or for short stays a Marriott property we can get for free. But the Premier Inn suggestion is a good one for your purposes. If they were not offering June reservations when you looked before, that is likely because the coronation date had not been set. Now that it has been set for May6, June reservations should be available.

If your cruise departs from Southampton, and you plan to travel there by train, note that the departure station is Waterloo, on the south side of the river. There are hotels close by, including a Premier Inn, and a good assortment of restaurants nearby along the Thames path.