London hotel/neighborhood decisions

More info https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/another-london-hotel-post

Maybe take a look at the Resident Soho - on a back street but in the buzziest of buzzy neighbourhoods and very central (taking Trafalgar Square as pretty much the centre point of tourist London).

Or maybe something in Bloomsbury, where you can be pretty central while still getting a sense of a neighbourhood.

I like the Earls Court/South Ken area for neighbourhoodliness (made-up word) but you’re not right in the centre of things. Great for a second or third trip to London maybe?

"The Lime Tree (Pam): looks so charming! Worried the rooms might be a tad snug; trying to get a better sense of the restaurant/pub scene and the evening vibes around here."

OK, here are my thought in relation to The Lime Tree and the parameters you are looking for:

• It MIGHT be a tad snug. I'd go for the largest room size your budget will bear. I used to get the single room but honestly it's pretty small even for 1 person so I usually up it to one of the doubles. Their prices have increased drastically since Covid and their complete reno.

• Walkability: I find this location very walkable. I have even walked back there from the British Museum if I haven't exhausted myself there, lol. Pretty easy to walk to Westminster Abbey, Churchill War Rooms, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace. If I am arriving from the US I usually walk to the edge of Buckingham Palace, then depending on how energetic I feel I walk to the RAF Bomber Command Memorial across from Wellington Arch, back thru Green Park and St James's Park to the Horse Guards Parade. If I have a lot of energy, I'll walk to Cleopatra's Needle, then backtrack along the Thames to Westminster Pier, back by Westminster Abbey to Victoria Station and then "home". Other times I've walked out thru Hyde Park and looped back down.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/vgKt1PoY5Mwu3gWS8

• I don't know if there is a laundry in the area but it seems like there is one on Ebury St as you walk toward Grosvenor Gardens near Victoria Station. There is a Sainsbury's Local grocery store around the corner and an M&S in Victoria Station. Lots of restaurants and pubs around. There is a delicious bakery catty corner across the intersection but at 8GBP per cupcake I limit myself to one a visit, lol. The room does not include breakfast although they serve it. There is a TomTom coffee across the street for something not quite as restaurant-y. I'm not a breakfast eater so no personal experience.

• To me the Lime Tree is charming. It is a listed building, built in the 1830's so has the charm of a Georgian townhome. It also has the quirks of a London townhome too. No AC, no lift.

• Victoria Station has both the Victoria line plus the Circle and District lines.

You really can't go wrong with any of your varied choices. You'll be in London! You'll have a wonderful time!

I’ve stayed at two of your choices

The Bailey's in South Kensington (recommended by Christa!): the rooms look spacious and charming, but I'm not loving the Google street view. It's just RIGHT THERE on a very busy/public street.

By London standards, I really wouldn’t consider Gloucester Road to be that busy. Are you worried about noise? I stayed there multiple times (more than 10 years ago) and don’t really recall that being an issue. It is right next to the tube station so it is quite convenient. There are 2 grocery stores (Tesco Express and Waitrose) across the street.

The Resident Kensington (Frank II and someone else who's name I'm forgetting ... Laura?!): Definitely seems to check a lot of boxes, except for that walkability piece in the heart of the city/to the Thames.

If you are looking for a larger room, then I am not sure this will meet your size standards (unless you book one of the higher price rooms). Earls Court and South Kensington are walkable to the South Kensington museums or to Kensington Gardens. It is a tube ride to other sites, but often a direct ride since you are on the Piccadilly and District lines. I like the Resident Kensington and often stay there and it does have a neighborhood feel. I usually book a small double which would be too small for 2 people as the bed is pushed against the wall. A couple weeks ago, I made the mistake of booking a single which I won’t do again as it was tiny. Rooms are modern and efficient, but not charming.

I literally just booked at Sanctuary House for my Fall trip. Like 10 minutes ago. 😊 To me, this is the perfect location—steps from the tube, park, main sights, shopping, and restaurants.

I emailed them about a discount (I booked 12 nights) and they offered me 15% off. So, be sure ask about a discount.

If you need nice hotels for your other locations, in may I stayed at the grand hotel York (York obviously) and market street hotel (Edinburgh). If you book early, you can get great prices.

Good luck!

The Resident Kensington checks most of your boxes but as Laura pointed out the rooms can be small and it's not a quick walk to Westminster.

If you like the concept of the Resident Kensington, you could look at its sister hotels the Resident Victoria, the Resident Soho and the Resident Covent Garden.

BTW, the new Resident Edinburgh is scheduled to open during Q1 or Q2 of 2024.

We loved our stay at the Bailey's Kensington Hotel near the Gloucester Road tube. It is a lovely hotel with a great breakfast. It is walkable to the Victoria and Albert Museum and Kensington Gardens. The Hereford Arms is a great restaurant 2 blocks away and there are several other restaurants and bakeries nearby. It is so convenient to be by the Gloucester Road tube where you have easy access to other sites in London. We would highly recommend it.

You don’t say when in the fall you’re traveling - rates vary by month, for sure. It seems like you’ll get more value for your dollar in October vs. September, for example.

We’re just finishing up a weeklong stay. We’ve stayed out in the Earl’s Court area on a previous trip - too far out for us and not at all charming.

I stayed near Paddington Station this summer and that was okay.

But for this trip, I went right near Buckingham Palace and I’m sold on this location. We have walked everywhere - St. Paul’s, Westminster, Tate Modern, British Library, Trafalgar Square, Victoria and Albert.

Nothing on that list is over 2 miles from our hotel.

We’re at the Taj 51 - which is probably over your budget. But there are two Taj properties right here. And the Taj St. James Court has some pretty good deals in October and later - as low as 252 pounds per night. Even the smallest rooms are 250 square feet.

This duo of hotels is an incredible respite in a busy city - there is a lovely courtyard between the two hotels - full of greenery, flowers, cafe tables. The staff is here super friendly and the whole place has a really nice vibe - not snooty or anything, even though it’s a fancy place.

I love it here - it’s just my favorite place to stay in London now!!

https://www.stjamescourthotel.co.uk/

We stayed at The Bailey’s in early 2022. Our room faced Gloucester Rd. and we didn’t hear any noise. Other than 95% of its staff having turned over due to the pandemic and it still ironing things out with the new staff, it was fine. The breakfast staff was very efficient.

We normally stay at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Vanderbilt on Cromwell Rd. It too is by the Gloucester tube stop. We can’t hear the traffic at that hotel either. We’ll be staying there again in December now that it’s open for guests after the pandemic.

Over many visits to London we have stayed in a few of the neighbourhoods on your list. Early visits had us in the Bayswater area, Earl’s Court, and the Edwardian on Gloucester. All provided good access on the Tube and bus to sights and areas to eat within walking distance. On our more recent trips we have been closer to the Victoria Station area but a bit northwest near Sloane Square. We have found that area to be lively in the evening with eating places in close proximity ie Elizabeth Street. Most of our hotel rooms have been small for a variety of reasons including cost and size of the hotel in general. My preferences among your choices (for what it’s worth:) are South Kensington/Gloucester area and Victoria Station area.

Check out The Belgrave Hotel located in Pimlico. It's very close to Victoria and Tube.
walkable to Tate museum and Thames boats dock at near museum.#
# 24 bus is great and right outside hotel, takes you to many sites.
Breakfast is included, has lift and A/C.

Golden Girl I like neighborhoodliness! The word and meaning! 😂

Pam Thank you for all these thoughts! It looks like we could maybe swing the Comfy Double ... but it'd be the verrry top of our budget. And 160sq ft. I need to think on that. It's the charm that keeps pulling me in.

I'd also love to hear more about the restaurants and pubs in the area in the evening. We're definitely not looking for a whole scene (bars, drunken loudness), just some cozy spots with some sort of neighborhoodliness lol.

The map you included!!! Amazing! And pretty much exactly what I'm dreaming up. I am finding myself leaning further and further away from South Ken/Earls Court.

Laura Thank you! It's not so much noise as it is liking to be tucked away on a little street just off the bigger street, especially when we're going to be staying for a week or more. The Bailey's hotel and rooms themselves look charming; The Resident Kensington seems to have, if not charm, the neighborhoodliness.

Carrie! My face when I saw your comment! Amazing!! The Sanctuary House continues to pique my interest. I'm going to do some more Google mapping of laundry, stores, pubs, etc.

And thank you for the York and Edinburgh hotel recs! I've got them bookmarked.

Frank II Oh thank you for all The Resident options -- including Edinburgh! If anyone's stayed at those other locations, I welcome input!

organizer8 Going into this, I really thought Bailey's was the clear front runner. I'm having doubts (mostly just as I think about what neighborhood I want to be in) but your recommendation of Bailey's is super helpful (in a confusing sort of way lol) as I try to figure this out.

Valerie Ohhhhh that hotel looks lovely ... It'd be at the verrry top of the budget but I love the size of the room, your description of the hotel, the photos I'm seeing on the website, and (more and more) the location of it. We'll be going the first week in October, and I came up with a rate of £288 ... I like your £252 better! I need to think on this, how much we're really willing to pay.

I also SUPER appreciate your input on the various neighborhoods. I could see us maybe going farther west for future trips but for this first one I think I want to right there in that same-ish 2 mile area.

Claire Thank you!! Do you have any particular favorite hotels in the Victoria/Sloane Square area?

Hannah, the last few visits we stayed at the Sloane Square Hotel. Not sure if it is within your budget with US$/£ exchange rate. In December 2019 we had a front facing room which was lovely for the Christmas lights but tiny. Previously we stayed on the quiet side, bigger room but no view. We take the bus more then the Tube and it is close to about 8 bus routes which is one reason we like it. King’s Road has small shops and cafes. Elizabeth Street, close to Victoria Station, has a group of Italian restaurants (same owners) and a gelato place that is delicious!

Hi,

Another vote for The Bailey's. I've been to London at least 15 times over many years and love the South Kensington area. It's away from the main crowded sites and yet is easily accessible by the Gloucester tube station (Piccadilly, District, and Circle lines) to all these areas. A bus also runs along Cromwell Road to Knightsbridge and beyond. The neighborhood is primarily "posh" residential with lovely homes and apartment buildings - think "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "Downton Abbey." After check-in on my first jet-lagged day, I want something familiar and head towards Kensington Garden or the Victoria and Albert Museum, depending on the weather.

I've stayed at The Bailey's, the Millenium Gloucester (not quite one block from The Bailey's), and the Vanderbilt Radisson Blu. The Bailey's has the most charm. The Millenium Gloucester is a bit tired but has large rooms and may be less expensive. I'm less enthusiastic about the Vanderbilt Radisson Blu because the rooms vary in size. I do travel solo and even though I booked a larger room, once the space was more than adequate but twice I was given a tiny ground-floor room with one of these having a single frosted window facing an alley. I therefore never knew what the weather was and felt very claustrophobic.

“I'd also love to hear more about the restaurants and pubs in the area in the evening. We're definitely not looking for a whole scene (bars, drunken loudness), just some cozy spots with some sort of neighborhoodliness lol.”

I’m not a big pub goer. I’ve been in the Thomas Cubitt Pub which I think is more of a gastropub. I thought the food was good. I was there early for dinner and was seated near where the wait staff were picking up drinks and was surprised they were so chatty with me. They were apparently tasting drinks off and on to determine the drink of the month or something. They kept giving me tastes (all awful but I’m not a big drinker).

https://www.cubitthouse.co.uk/the-thomas-cubitt-belgravia/

There is also an Italian place I usually eat at called Sicily. There is live music in there on some nights although I’m finished eating and out before they start. There are some Jamie Oliver restaurants in the area but they are pretty meat heavy so not to my liking.

The place called Eccleston Yards has been developed over the last few years but I’ve never walked back in there.

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

I also sometimes walk over to the east side of Victoria Station as there are lots of restaurants in that area. I ate at a Thai place last time over there. Or actually I’ll head in that direction if I take the tube back from sightseeing and it’s late enough for dinner service to have started.

In the 80’s I used to always stay in South Kensington as my Aunt had a flat there. I’ve also stayed at the Radisson Blu Edwardian mentioned by others, twice on Road Scholar tours. If/When I get priced out of the Lime Tree I’ll probably go back to that neighborhood, but for right now I like the walking distances better in the Victoria area.

The Resident Victoria in Westminster should check the majority of your boxes. You are a short walk from Victoria Station. My wife and stayed there about two weeks ago for 6 days. We would stay there again if the opportunity arises.

Not meant as a criticism of anyone above, but just a small tip. Gloucester Road in London wouldn't generally be shortened to "Gloucester". In British English, you're immediately going to think of Gloucester, the town. It may cause minor confusion, but natives are probably going to know what you mean. It comes naturally to knock "street" or "road" off the end of place names in North America, but in the UK you'd usually say it all.

I'm so glad my 2 hotels have made your list! I love Baileys and The Caesar each for different reasons, and have found that reserving an executive or deluxe room and requesting it to be on an upper floor usually gets me something very nice indeed. Here's a bit more detail on the actual neighborhoods and how I felt about them:

In September I stayed at The Caesar for the 3rd time--it's a 10 to 15 minute walk to Paddington or Queensway, which is a High street and has numerous food & pub options as well as a Boots and small Tesco, plus the Bayswater and Queensway Underground stations--these took care of my transit needs perfectly. It's an area with a decent vibe, but not upscale by a long shot. The walks take you through mostly residential areas with other similar hotels and a pub and small shop or two. Also about 10 minutes into Hyde Park. I always enjoy the walk, imagining what it might be like to live there. People are out with children and dogs and it generally has a pleasant vibe. Even walking later in the evening I have felt perfectly fine--I travel solo. It's on Queen's Gardens, which has a lovely green space with trees in the middle. This does not seem to attract noisy or scary people, in fact I never see anyone in the area and it's quiet. This visit I had an Executive Double room that was spacious, and had a long corridor from the door into the actual room--closet area and armchair fit neatly in the extra space. Decor is modern, beds very comfy, no refrigerator which I really missed having.

Baileys remains my favorite--overall it's a much classier hotel, with a more classic style of decor throughout. The street it's on is not at all noisy, just one lane of traffic each way. Plenty of pub options and a couple of other restaurants, plus Starbucks, Burger King and a small Tesco. I liked being close to the V&A and Harrods for their wonderful food hall as well as streets a couple of blocks over off Cromwell Rd with several restaurants. The best part is being just across from Gloucester Rd Underground--I used it daily and went from and to Heathrow via the Piccadilly line directly from there. I had a Deluxe Double when I stayed for the 2nd time last April--enormous, bright room on an upper floor looking towards Cromwell Rd, very quiet (windows may be sound-proofed) sitting area, separate tub and shower, refrigerator and coffee maker. I stayed 8 days and loved coming back to that room every night. My first visit there was in 2011 and again it was a huge room, a Double, no sitting area and it did not have a street view. I didn't walk the neighborhood in the same way as with the Caesar, that had a much more residential makeup but felt safe to me.

Christa! Thank you SO much for all of this input. It is so helpful ... in a most confusing sort of way, as I figure this out.

I was pretty well narrowed down to Lime Tree and Sanctuary House, but I think I'm putting Bailey's back on the short list. It's definitely a matter of what trade-off I want to make ...

Sanctuary House is super pricey (for our budget), Lime Tree not far behind (for the size room we'd need there). But Sanctuary House is super walkable to those main attractions (and Lime Tree just a mile farther out), and I could see us developing a morning or evening routine of walking down toward and along the river. It's definitely missing any sort of neighborhood/local feel though.

Bailey's gets us a great-sized charming room in a charming hotel, but we would need to use the Tube much more. Which is okay, we do that in NYC staying on the Upper West Side, always hopping on the 2 train each morning and setting off, it's just not exactly what I was thinking for London for some reason.

If anyone who's stayed at The Bailey's can speak a little bit more to the neighborhood itself ... I'm definitely poking around on Google, but I'm wondering about coffee shops, local pubs, good restaurants (no chains), conveniences like a laundromat, Boots, M&S etc. And whether we'd get that real residential type experience there.

In the meantime I'll be over here going round in circles! 🫠

If anyone who's stayed at The Bailey's can speak a little bit more to the neighborhood itself ... I'm definitely poking around on Google, but I'm wondering about coffee shops, local pubs, good restaurants (no chains), conveniences like a laundromat, Boots, M&S etc. And whether we'd get that real residential type experience there.

While I have not stayed at Baileys, I know the area as I occassionally shop at the Waitrose at the corner of Gloucester Road and Cromwell Rd. (Waitrose is a full size supermarket with freshly made sushi.)

There are both chain and non chain restaurants in the area. Most of the non-chain are a variety of ethnic restaurants. There are also two pubs. (The Hereford Arms is the better of the two.)

There's a Boots in the same arcade as Waitrose. A smaller grocery, Tesco Express, is across the street. No M & S. (The closest one is on Earls Court Road.)

For coffee you have Starbucks, Caffe Nero, Pret a Manger and Pauls (A French bakery chain.) All are less than a two minute walk from the hotel.

The closest laundromat that I know of is Bobo's Bubbles on Cromwell Road about a 5-10 minute walk from your hotel. (It's a couple of doors down from a very large Sainsubury's supermarket. They also have so sushi--although not as good as Waitrose--and are putting in a prepared hot foods section.)

Except for the high street (Gloucester Road), which is mostly shops, restaurants, etc, the area is basically residential with a few small boutique hotels here and there.

And whether we'd get that real residential type experience there.

Well, I used to live in a flat there, about a 5 minute walk from Gloucester Rd Station and the Bailey's Hotel. It felt pretty residential to me :-) Quiet, a nice little neighborhood park.

But I never did my shopping there. I shopped at the Waitrose near my office and brought it home on the tube. Hmmm, weird.

I enjoy Gloucester Road. It is very residential but with everything you'd need - as a good neighbourhood would.

And it has the Rumpole connections...

As well as the obvious confusion with the city if you just say Gloucester rather than Gloucester Road, there are also Gloucester Street, Gloucester Terrace, Gloucester Crescent and Gloucester Mews all in London. And maybe other variations too.

I like Gloucester Road too. Lots of very wealthy people live around there but it's not as "champagne and supercars" as Knightsbridge, Kings Road etc.

Frank II Thank you SO much for all this info. It's super helpful. And to everyone else who chimed in. I'm getting a much better sense of the area and have poked around on Google street view some more.

The Bailey's neighborhood (and honestly likely Earl's Court too) honestly looks exactly like what I'd typically want (being able to retreat away from the crowds and have a more local feel to a place) but there's this super surprising piece of me coming up for this trip to London specifically where I'm strongly entertaining the idea of just leaning into being a tourist, staying right there in Westminster, and walking to those main sites or along the river every day as part of a routine.

I'm sitting on this for a little while longer ... Hmmm ... Stay tuned!

It probably doesn't work for you but thinking back on my recent trip, we stayed in Mayfair and it was great to be so close to all the stuff we wanted to see and do. So I would suggest people defer to that part of the city, it's close to everything.

Hi, all! I can't begin to thank everyone enough for all their input on this. All these comments, as well as some incredibly kind and informative PMing, have been SUPER helpful!

Despite my flirtation with staying in Westminster (at Sanctuary House, which honestly seems so lovely), I've affirmed that my husband and I absolutely seek a tourist's experience within a local neighborhood vibe to begin and end the day. It's always been true for us in NYC (our favorite place; a soul home) and it's what we want for our experience of London, too.

And, so, South Kensington it is! We'll go with either The Bailey's or Resident Kensington, depending on what the rates are for our time there.

From everything I've come to know from all of you kind people, either hotel will give us a place to call our own that's amid homes that locals call their own; be able to develop routines with coffee shops in the mornings and independent restaurants and pubs in the evening; and be able to pop into laundromats and stores for toiletries and snacks that aren't only frequented by tourists (or the daytime worker crowd). And it's London, so it's going to have an energy to it, but not the tour-buses-lined-up-disembarking-sightseeing-tourists kind of energy.

Also, we honestly loooove public transportation (as people who live in a car-centric city), and so using the tube is great for us ... We won't mind a bit hopping on the tube and setting off to whatever neighborhood or site we're exploring that day.

It's gonna be great. So great. I'm super excited. Eleven months to go! (lol)

(Now moving on to narrowing down my short list even further for York and Edinburgh hotels!)

(Now moving on to narrowing down my short list even further for York and Edinburgh hotels!)

The fun never ends!

I should let you know that Earls Court Road, that has seen shops, banks and restaurants close during and since the pandemic, is abuzz with two chain openings....Starbucks opened earlier this month and Dunkin Donuts should open sometime soon.

Now if that doesn't lock in the neighborhood for a place to stay, what does? (Can you hear the sarcasm?)

Well, and I hope the Taco Bell is still there.

When my friend and I used to go to dinner, she'd ask whether I wanted to go for Indian food or if I needed my Taco Bell fast food fix at Earl's Court.

either hotel will give us a place to call our own that's amid homes that locals call their own.

Well, only extremely wealthy locals, just to add a slightly cynical note. South Ken and Earls Court are definitely full of cafes and restaurants and some people do live there, so I guess there are locals who call it their own… but take a look at the house prices while you’re there!

Golden Girl is right. Kensington is an extremely expensive place to live popular with very wealthy families from all around the world. It is a residential area but it is very, very far from typical. Really if you want a true ‘local’ experience you’d have to stay further out of central London.

London is a series of villages all squished together and has a lot of popular residential areas that would give a more local feel if that is a priority.

only extremely wealthy locals

Or not extremely wealthy locals, living in tiny garden level flats rented out by extremely wealthy absentee owners. I wonder what my little place would cost to rent now!

I actually know two people who live in South Kensington. I can’t wait to tell them they’re wealthy -they’ll be really shocked.

I actually know two people who live in South Kensington. I can’t wait to tell them they’re wealthy -they’ll be really shocked.

Well, there may be some people who’re able to live there one way or another, or we may have different interpretations of wealthy. I have friends who bought a house many many many years ago in Notting Hill and are now surrounded by millionaires - but I guess I was trying to make the point that many Londoners can only afford to live way outside the central area. And so when people want to live like locals… I felt it was worth pointing out that a lot of Londoners can’t and don’t live like that.

I mean, other than my Notting Hill friends, I know full-grown adults with actual jobs who can only afford to live in one room in house shares in Peckham or Crystal Palace or even further out.

Sorry, I feel like I brought a political edge to this, but anyway. London property prices are obscene. Earls Court used to be a cheap funky area full of students and visiting Australians and now it’s a really quite chichi desirable expensive place to live. But definitely a nice area to stay for a London holiday and certainly full of cafes and restaurants.

Out of interest, I had a quick look at the cost of a two-bed flat in Earls Court and the lowest seem to be about half-a-million quid.

Interesting. There's really no getting away from it. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is, with a few obvious exceptions (Grenfell?) a haven for the super rich. If you're not wealthy, you're probably spending 60-80% of your salary on rent [edit: for a small flat]. Lots of Londoners do that. Your neighbours in South Ken are just as like to be a Russian oligarch as a member of the the royal family (Qatari royal family that is) or a Malaysian tech entrepreneur. It's certainly a neighbourhood, but don't get too hung up on it being in some way "authentic neighbourhood London". I could suggest places that are, but I think on the whole South Kensington might be a good fit for your needs as a visitor.

Grenfell Tower is much more North Kensington

Frank II I'm lol'ing at the Starbucks and Dunkin'!

CWsocial That's so very cool that you once lived in the neighborhood. Honestly, you can't go with Indian or Taco Bell lol

Golden Girl, Helen, GerryM I totally understand your point. I am (unfortunately lol) very aware that if my husband and I were to live in Lonon, we would most definitely not be living in South Ken or Earl's Court, just like we (unfortunately) wouldn't be living on the Upper West Side, where we stay in NYC. And so your point about "real" local neighborhoods existing in London, but being much farther out, is well taken. But I also presume, and a quick glance at apartment rental sites confirms, that in central London, just like in Manhattan, there are plenty of people who are not anywhere near wealthy who are living in the SK/EC area by renting out small apartments for expensive prices (and that, yes, home ownership is reserved for the very wealthy).

Yes. I was referring to the borough as a whole in the first bit.

South Kensington is a good place for the visitor to stay. The proximity to the museums is a huge bonus; you could spend multiple days in those without even leaving the neighbourhood. It's an easy walk to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. I like The Serpentine Gallery, which is down that end of Kensington Gardens. A nice alternative for modern and contemporary art. Sister gallery, The Serpentine North is special in so far as it's by one of London's greatest modern architects, the late Zaha Hadid and has one of her spectacular parametric forms as a roof.

The last time I visited South Kensington was when a friend and I decided to walk from Oxford Street at Marble Arch to the Ecuadorian Embassy, where Julian Assange was holed up a few years ago. I noticed the streets around there are spectacular architecturally, so many grand old buildings and it's immaculately kept.

Did someone mention Taco Bell? There is a Taco Bell on Earls Court Road. Also a KFC, McDonalds and Burger King.

KFC stands out on Christmas Day because it's open.

South Kensington is a good place for the visitor to stay.

We stayed just off Cromwell Rd maybe six years ago [Park City Grand Plaza]. It is a good place for the visitor due to the amazingly high concentration of hotels along the strip between the Tube stations. I don't think you can call an area "posh" that is anchored by a massive Sainsbury's - unless the wealthy residents own the hotels. I suspect the wealthy live beyond this highly commercial tourist strip. Easy to get to/from Heathrow, and not burdensome to get to the city center on the Tube. Bus also works. But I wouldn't call the area high energy - it's more of a respite from central London.

Earls Court used to be a cheap funky area full of students and visiting Australians and now it’s a really quite chichi desirable expensive place to live.

Golden Girl, did you ever read Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett? I've read it a number of times since I was a child, and I remember reading about Earl's Court, which was an area featured in the book. I just looked it up, and here is the description of it. Guess it's come up aways since then.

As to Earl's Court, it was a disgrace, with its dilapidated houses and miserable, careless, sickly people. When first Mrs. Errol went to the place, it made her shudder. Such ugliness and slovenliness and want seemed worse in a country place than in a city.

ETA; Well, now that I think of it, the Earl's Court in the book was a village, not a London neighborhood. 😊 So probably not the same place.

When I first ventured in Earls Court some thirty years ago, it was nicknamed "Kangaroo Court" because of all the cheap hostels catering to Australians. But I do remember a Waterstone's book shop at that time that is no longer there.

Since then, the area has changed. A three bedroom flat on Barkston Gardens recently sold for 1.5 millions GBP. Townhouses are going for multiple millions. Many are being converted into either aparthotels or used for AirB&B's.

As for Sainsbury's....it's been there forever. And recently, the nearby Waitrose has prices lower than Sainsburys. (I shop at both.)

We just completed an 11 night stay at the Lime tree. It is a lovely neighborhood, with a grocery store right across the street, plenty of pubs and restaurants. Tons of charm, great location. We had a larger room. It is a smaller, boutique hotel and there really is no good public area to hang out or bring your own cocktail or glass of wine to. The garden area out back is really for the on site restaurant. No AC or lift as Pam has mentioned. We sleep with our windows open and I would not describe the street below our windows as quiet. It might be fine if windows were closed.

Tammy! I read your trip report! Thanks so much for popping in here. The Lime Tree honestly seems thisclose to what we want ...! But it's definitely looking like The Bailey's is still firmly in the top seed. We'll definitely swing by Lime when in the area to scope it out for future trips. (Though admittedly the noise with windows open is not ideal!)

"Though admittedly the noise with windows open is not ideal!)"

I've had good luck with emailing them and asking for a room facing the back. I had some difficulty with booking on their website last year (it was showing every Monday as being unavailable which I knew could not possibly be true!) so emailed. We had a long conversation that ended with me asking if I could have a room that faced the garden. I had a choice of room types but not ALL room types are available on that side. YMMV!!