London Hotel location

You can also look at the Ibis chain. The one I’m aware of is ibis Styles London Gloucester Road, it’s a couple blocks from the Gloucester Rd tube station. We always stay in that area since there are 3 lines that run through the station making it easy to get anywhere.

When are you going? How many of you? You want less than 300 US per night? I have previously stayed at Vincent House London Residence (Notting Hill area), and am staying again this summer. They specialize in long stays, but you can book shorter visits on Booking.com. It is not fancy but the rooms are clean, it has a decent hearty breakfast buffet, is in a quiet neighborhood, and has good access to two tube lines. For random 8 nights in September it was about $270 per night for two people (even lower price for me because I have genius status on Booking).

BTW when I searched I got a note that London properties are fully booked in the time frame I picked. It could very well be your dates overlap with events that are driving up prices.

@CL, oh crap, I hate when people ask for hotel suggestions and then leave out the details, and now I've done the same! I edited my post, we are going in September and hoping to stay under 180. One thing I do not know, is whether there are significant taxes like in the U.S.. I've become used to the rest of Europe, where there aren't taxes tacked on to the room price.

Welcome to one the world’s most visited city. It’s always been expensive. Been traveling to and staying there for decades but I travel off season to help curtail the expense. When working I’d always say “I’ll need 3 paychecks to cover this trip.“

Still think PI’s are your best bet. Check the Holborn PI, the Kensington PI Earls Court and the Blackfriars PI.

Or see if you can negotiate a great rate at the Royal Horseguards hotel.

Good Luck

$180 is about 140 GBP which is very low for London. September is still prime tourist season.

You might have to look outside of the center of London to places like Hammersmith or Earls Court. There is an Ibis in Earls Court but I don't know anything about the hotel.

Paddington is another area to look at.

Taxes for hotels in London will be included in the rate quoted.

No there are no taxes to add on. The rate you see is the rate you pay.

No worries julesm someone was going to ask :) You're probably going to have a challenge finding a close-in hotel for that price. For that same Booking dummy search I referenced in prior response, there were still quite a few options for under $200US per night with a "very good" or better rating. Many are apartments though and quite a few are not right in the thick of the action. One nice thing is you can put them on map view to see where they're located and if they're near tube stops. You don't have to reserve your hotel via that website but it does offer many filters and such to help narrow down choices. Best of luck!

Ok, changed my post for a higher dollar amount. We take 3 big trips a year, so we try to be a little frugal, but as my husband just said, it is what it is. I do have genius status on booking which is a little amusing because I mostly use them for searching and actively try to avoid using them to book. We took a trip to New Zealand a couple years ago and many of the accommodations only worked thru booking, thus genius status.

USD200 comes to about £150, which is still low for central London, including Premier Inns. If you can increase it to £200 you will find something.

If £150 is your limit, I can recommend the Mitre House hotel in Paddington. A warning, the rooms are tiny and Paddington is arguably not the most central location, but staff are helpful and Hyde Park is nearby and nice for walking. It comes to £150 a night in September.

My son and his fiancé stayed at Victoria premier Inn in your budget. I think it was like $135 a night in May. Now they reserved like 9 months out and Premier Inn is cheaper the further out you are. But maybe worth a look.

Beth, thank you, just looked it up. Looks promising. Do folks consider Victoria PI in a good location? I see its by Buckingham Palace, yes?

OP the Victoria area is perfectly fine but the PI you are referring to is actually in Pimlico. Again fine area and it is an easy walk to the Palace. If you’ve gotten a good rate go for it.

I’m no expert, but I stayed in Park Grand London Hyde Park last year and loved the location at Paddington Station. The reviews online were iffy and had me nervous before I stayed there. However, it turned out to be perfectly fine. Nice little breakfast every day.

Victoria Premier Inn is a very good location. It is walking distance to Buckingham Palace. It doesn’t seem to be reviewed quite as well as some other locations though. So you might read the reviews. We stayed in the County Hall location which is on other side of Thames. We liked the location a lot because we liked being able to walk along the river. It wasn’t as congested in that area. But isn’t quite as central and they were there for a just a night which is why I recommended Victoria location to them. They were very happy with it but, as I said, were not there long.

The County Hall PI location is in a much better location than Pimlico, being on the Thames and just across from the Houses of Parliament but is usually a bit more expensive because of that. Check the Southwark and Blackfriars locations as alternatives
. Also don’t be afraid to look further east in the Aldgate and Whitechapel areas. More multi cultural areas but still well located and often a bit cheaper.

Use the map view on the Premier Inn website. That way you can see all the different prices of the different locations. I’ve stayed in Ealing and Hammersmith at low prices previously. Both convenient for the tube.

Southwark is a good, more central, location that is often not too expensive. There are a few PIs in Southwark. I’ve stayed at the one near the Tate Modern and the one opposite Southwark tube station. Both are good and if you like walking you can walk to Covent Garden in half an hour.

‘Tourist season’ in London has only limited impact on hotel bookings. London is primarily a working city so peak holiday times are usually the cheapest times to book a hotel room. Last August I stayed at the PI Hammersmith for £35, for example, booked 6 days before I went.

Jules, a few thoughts to share. Check out the PI Paddington Station, too, when looking at PIs. We stayed there in October and found it to be very nicely located and clean as a pin. It was under 200 USD for us, but it was October, so…

The other suggestion I have is to look into the offerings for a small flat through the company we used in 2022. Ivy Lettings was really great to work with. www.ivylettings.com. We stayed in a small basement flat (I will link it below) in Knightsbridge called Ennismore Gardens. The location was wonderful. Our only complaint was it wasn’t air conditioned and the flat held heat- no windows to open. We went in June and a couple of the nights were rather uncomfortable. It is priced really well for that area. I think under 150 GBP. I would stay again if it were just two of us, just not in the warmer months.

The other one I was looking into is this one in Pimlico.
https://www.ivylettings.com/search-rentals/cam/

If you go on their website, you can sort/ filter by clicking “in ascending order” price and see what they have. Quite a few just over $200/night, but some may not be as central as a PI.

Here is the one we stayed in three years ago

https://www.ivylettings.com/search-rentals/ega/
Hope this helps! Best of luck as you narrow it down!

"No there are no taxes to add on. The rate you see is the rate you pay."

This may not always be the case, so make sure to read the fine print. I have a reservation at Locke at Broken Wharf next month for four nights averaging £225/night. However there is an additional £182 in taxes added to the total.

Here is my review of Darlington Hyde Park in Sussex Gardens near Paddington Station. There are several hotels on the same block that I imagine are very similar.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england-reviews/paddington-hotel-recommendation

Pride of Paddington is right across from Paddington Station, and if you don't mind a little music from the pub below, it's very reasonable indeed. We really enjoyed our stay there last May. And the pub food was great!

We have stayed at St Simeon Hotel, a 5-minute walk from Gloucester Road station. It was the smallest room we ever stayed in, but it was clean and quiet, and had a nice free breakfast, cooked to order. After the first day or two, the server remembered what we liked. Three lines run thru Gloucester station, so it was super easy coming and going to the airport, and getting to any other location in London. We were able to walk to Kensington Palace. We would definitely stay in this area again. Don’t miss the Victoria & Albert Museum, one station away at the South Kensington station.

Re taxes:

It’s against UK law for any price to be displayed exclusive of taxes. Your bill may show how much of your final cost is tax, but the advertised price must always include all applicable taxes.

I don’t know where Joann booked but that should not happen.

I walked past the Blackfriars PI several times and thought it well situated

Thanks for all the great tips. I was concerned about added taxes as I was searching on Booking. They give a total and then when customer gets to booking there is a large fee. I didn't run into that when I used them for New Zealand

OP always smart to book direct!

Great to hear!

Oh Claudia, I dislike Booking with a passion. I book direct whenever possible. Mostly I use booking to search for properties. But, I realized that the price that booking displays is not always the final price/

I'm finding possibilities! Anyone know about what I can expect to pay for breakfast at a Premier Inn?

Prices for Premier Inn breakfast are on their website: https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/why/food/breakfast.html

I usually just go somewhere else for breakfast.

Currently looking at the Premier Inn, Waterloo (London Waterloo (Lambeth Road) It seems like its a choice/location?

I don't see how to contact the hotel, directly? The description says double bed or king size. Not sure what that means. I know in England King is the same as U.S. Queen, which is fine. Any smaller and we'll be divorced after 8 days!

Also assuming that meal choices can be made upon arrival?

I've jumping in here to recommend our favorite London hotel, the Celtic. Here's a link to my review, but do know that the price is higher this year. We're booked into the Celtic this September; an en suite double with breakfast for 2 is now ₤165.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england-reviews/the-celtic-hotel-in-london-comfort-and-convenience-at-145-per-night

I'll be staying at the PI Waterloo (Westminster Bridge)--be careful, the other PI Waterloo is in a far less convenient location--in early June, so I can't vouch for the size of its bed, but I've stayed in many PIs throughout England and Scotland, and the main bed in the room has always looked large to me.

One way PI offers such a well-priced product is by cutting back on the expense of customer contact. You'll have great difficulty getting an answer from the hotel if you don't have a direct email address. (And good luck finding one; I've tried in the past and given up.) They are notorious for either not answering their phone or for dumping you into a voice-response system with a message like "We're busy right now. Goodbye. " When you make a reservation, you'll receive a confirmation that includes an email address for that specific hotel. You will probably receive a response if you use that email address to ask about bed size.

This is the email address from my PI Waterloo (Westminster Bridge) confirmation:

LondonWaterlooWestminsterBridge.PI@PremierInnlcom

I have never eaten at a PI, and I don't ever intend to. There have been some positive comments on the forum about the breakfast, but others found it mediocre. No offense to the people who liked it, but I'm betting I'd agree with the folks who didn't. They feed children for free, so my money's on mediocrity--things like supermarket-grade bread products. (Yes, I'm a bread snob.)

I know there's a branch of the Gail's cafe chain not too far from that hotel. I've read some positive comments about it but have never eaten at Gail's. There's also an M&S Food Hall in the area if you aren't looking for a cooked breakfast.

Ok, so of course the PI I found is the inconvenient one. . . Celtic's website is under construction so I have an email into them. I have a few PIs that seem somewhat interesting. I found the Travelodge's more expensive than PI. We did stay in a Travelodge in Auckland and we were pleasantly surprised. We'd stayed in a Travelodge once in the U.S. and never again.

Open to additional suggestions.

jules m, our B&B in London, where we’ve stayed multiple times (and will be next month, too) is 122 Great Titchfield St.; the name is the same as the address. They have three rooms, and the small one, big enough for two, is $195/night at the current exchange rate. But if you stay six nights, the seventh one’s free, so you save $195 (£150). The medium-sized room is $227 at the moment, and both include Mike’s superior breakfast, cooked to order. Or also for $227 (£175) a night, the large room, a flat with kitchen, doesn’t come with breakfast.

It’s in Fitzrovia, with an abundance of great restaurants, walking distance to the British Museum and the Soho and Marylebone neighborhoods, and as I said, it’s become our go-to place to stay in London. But don’t take just my word for it; here’s another’s post on the Travel Forum: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england-reviews/122-great-titchfield-street-recent-stays-reviews-recommendations . No elevator, if that makes a difference, with a couple flights of stairs, and they want you to lock the door behind you when you go out. Mike and Wendy are wonderful hosts.

it’s down the street from the Fitzrovia Hotel and a Holiday Inn, both more expensive. Here’s the Website for the B&B: https://bb-london.co.uk/

@cyn, thank u for the recommendation. Titchfield was my first choice. Unfortunately, they are fully booked. Celtic has yet to reply. There are several PI and a Best Western that would work, but not exactly what I’m looking for, but they’d be fine. The BW is in a great location, but my guess is the room we are looking at has a small double bed. So, I continue to look.

jules, sorry that Great Titchfield is booked during your London time. I hope that Celtic comes back with good news. Have you considered (or would you?) an Airbnb apartment, with kitchen and central location?

Currently looking at the Premier Inn, Waterloo (London Waterloo (Lambeth Road) It seems like its a choice/location?
I don't see how to contact the hotel, directly

It's very hard to find a way to contact a PI, usually. It's one of the ways they keep costs down.

Travelodge in the UK is not related to chains using the same name in the US and in Australia.
As far as I know the beds in any Premier Inn are always the same size, so those in the Anytown PI are the same as those in the Much Rumbling by the Marsh PI.

Likewise at any Travelodge.

I agree with Stuart. I’ve stayed at a number of PI’s in England and Scotland and the beds have always been the same size.

Also, Jules, keep in mind that the PI Waterloo is just up the street from the PI County Hall. The only difference is that the PI Waterloo is a little bit smaller, I think. I also think it’s a little bit less expensive than County Hall.

I stayed at the County Hall and liked it but this past trip, I stayed at The Resident Victoria and loved that location. Unfortunately, I think that’s a bit above your budget. I splurged on this trip since I had my grandkids with me.

Thank you so much for all the ideas. I've narrowed down to PIs and BW Victoria Station and possibly Celtic with no breakfast. I've looked at Titchfield (no vacancy) and Cherry Court. PIs become quite expensive when a flexible rate is selected. Since we are staying 8 nights, that becomes quite a chunk of change.

Travelodge and Ibis were, in general, more than PIs, and had similar reservation terms.

Celtic breakfast for two is 30 pounds/day, which to me, seems like a lot, though it does look like a nice breakfast.

I've reserved the BW since that can be cancelled up until the day before, but considering the Celtic without breakfast.

Often I'll have yogurt and coffee for breakfast which is more difficult with hotels without refrigerators. I could put yogurt on ice the night before, but I'm guessing ice machines are not available in England similar to the rest of Europe?

If what you want for breakfast is likely to be a yogurt and coffee then it will be very easy just to step out of where you stay every morning and buy them for much less than a hotel breakfast. No need to buy the night before.

Yes, John, I do agree that is an option. It does work best for us, more efficient, to just have coffee/tea in our room and something light before heading off for a museum or other sight seeing. Especially when sharing a bathroom, etc.

The PI premier plus rooms have a fridge and a coffee maker. Sometimes they aren’t much more than the standard room. I never book the flexible rate at PI; their standard rate is often significantly cheaper and you can amend the check-in date.

If you just want yogurt and coffee, look on the map to see if there is a Pret or Caffe Nero or Costa Coffee or virtually any other coffee shop close to your hotel. I have yet to stay at a hotel in London where there isn’t a coffee place within 2 blocks of the hotel.

PIs become quite expensive when a flexible rate is selected. Since we are staying 8 nights, that becomes quite a chunk of change.

I never book flexible rates. I book the non-refundable rate and pay for it with my Chase Sapphire Preferred card, which covers the cost in case I can't make the trip. And as Laura mentioned, you can amend the dates if needed.

The Premier Plus rooms not only have have mini-fridges, but they also have Nespresso coffee makers and you get the premium wifi. My PP room at the PI County Hall didn't cost much more than the standard room. But check it out ahead of time, as not all PIs offer Premier Plus rooms.

“I never book flexible rates. I book the non-refundable rate and pay for it with my Chase Sapphire Preferred card, which covers the cost in case I can't make the trip.”

Mardee- thanks for that tip. I booked at the PI County Hall with their advance rate. I used my Chase Sapphire Preferred as payment. Next time I’ll book non-refundable.

OP- Good luck with your hotel search and enjoy your time in London!

Stacie, you're welcome! I learned about it on this forum, so I'm just passing it along. :-)

Anyone know if I choose the PI advance rate if they charge the card at the 28 day point? Can I reserve on one card and then change to another card prior to 28 days? I'm trying to time when to acquire the Chase card in order to take advantage of the promotion.