Looking for input on the location of a hotel in London. We're going in June, out first time in the UK. I have the option to stay at no cost in a fairly upscale modern hotel located near Waterloo Station, about a block or two east of the bridge that spans the Thames at Big Ben/Westminster Palace. Looks like a pretty cool place to stay (especially for free...), within view of Big Ben, Westminster, The Eyesore, etc. However, I don't know the London neighborhoods well, and Rick seems to recommend staying in other parts of the city (of course, he is assuming that his readers have to actually pay money for their accommodations). From what I can tell, the hotel gets generally very positive reviews, but it sounds like there would be a bit of a walk to get to places where there are lots of restaurants, shops, etc. Folks say the area is nice for walking (we'll be there in June) but perhaps a bit quiet and away from the bustle of the middle of the city.
We typically go for places highly recommended in Rick's books, charming places in the center right in the areas of most interest (and that's what we'll probably stick to for the rest of our UK trip). But in this case, I'm tempted to give this more sterile, upscale place a shot (since it would basically let us skip paying for our London accommodations - which is appealing). My only misgivings are about how "isolated" we might feel in that location. It would obviously be great for accessing Big Ben, Parliament, Downing St, The Eye, etc. but less so for other London attraction.
Thoughts? Thanks for your input.