Question about P I County Hall

Why do you want to change hotels? Given you are a budget traveler and London is already expensive and you have a very expensive trip next year, I personally see little reason to spend an extra $500 unless there is a very good reason.

If you're happy with your original hotel choice why would you change to Premier Inn County Hall for more money??

What would be your advantage?

Edited to add: save that $500 for emergency taxis and the £4 coffee.

I can answer one of your questions-
Yes, it is easy to cancel/modify PI reservations. You can do it very quickly online.

Thank you Barbara G

CL and jeanm

I am booked with Best Western Buckingham Palace Road very close to both Victoria Train and Victoria Coach.

I read the reviews before booking and I continue to read the reviews.

I could not read every single one in depth. The rating on booking.com is 7.9 which is lower than what I usually book but it seemed that the problem was noise from Victoria train station. Everything else seemed good.

However I do not know what caused me to read more reviews today and more in depth.

There were some issues with the room. Some guests said they were given a basement room without a window.

I do not mind the basement nor the lack of window but what happens if there is a fire or other disaster outside my door.

Then other persons said there was no lift to their room and they had to walk up the stairs with their luggage. There is a lift but it does not go to all the floors.

Some other persons said that their room was under (or over) the tube and they were unable to sleep all night because of the noise. Those persons suggested asking for a quiet room.

And other persons said that the hotel is four or five Georgian buildings. You might check in at the front desk but your room might be two buildings away or the one across the street.

I emailed my hotel requesting a quiet room and a room on a floor that has elevator access right to the floor. I requested a room with a window.

BW wrote back "We have noted all your requests. We will do our best to honour them based on availability."

So I could end up in a basement room with no window or a room that is under or over the tube or a room on a floor that does not have elevator access.

The hotel does not offer this information. You only find out when you read some of the reviews.

And yes, the extra $500 for P.I. or another hotel will hurt.

What would you do?

bp, what are your dates? And what is your preferred nightly budget?

That is unfortunate.

I am pretty sure there are many hotels in London that would suit your needs and not cost an extra $500. Plug in your dates to Booking and find a different place. Use the search function in the review section to look for those that mention the specific things you want (elevator, upper floor, etc.). If you are set on staying in that specific area, use the map view to find properties nearby. Good luck.

CL

I did do that when I first searched for a hotel but when I read the reviews, I did not look at "room" button as the room itself usually does not matter to me. Also "noise" is not usually something I look at or I should say that I do not spend a lot of time on these features but as it turned out, that is where most of the complaints were.

The more serious complaints were under "room" and "noise".

There were also many many guests happy with the room and not bothered by the noise. Comparatively speaking the complaints were very small when compared to those happy and satisfied.

I have a small standard room for one person and it seems that many of the persons complaining had the less expensive rooms. My memory is that the persons put in the basement were often those in the small standard room.

So when you look at the ratings, they were all pretty good for the features.

I

jeanm

I will be in London the third week of October. I am staying for 6 nights so that is going to add up.

The highest that I can go for 6 nights is less than $300.00, Maybe $250.00 is the highest but would prefer just over $200.00.

My total amount at BW is about $1,000.00 with breakfast which I had to pay for additionally. Breakfast included was never an option.

Looked at my invoice from Booking and in pounds, my total bill is 741.00 for 6 nights. . I do not know if that includes breakfast.

here is a con from one of the reviews, yet the guest gave the overall stay a 9.0 and labeled her review "wonderful"

"My room was a basement room and directly above the tube which is fine but I would have liked to have been told sooner so I could have made an informed decision or brought ear plugs!"

and other ones

"In a very dark room in basement with no windows"

"Asked for a quite room and got a room right above the train tracks with no view. All I could hear and FEEL was the trains going into and out of Victoria station. Did not sleep a wink."

"t was an hazard to go up and down the very narrow stairs. The room was shockingly small and there was an unbelievable continuous loud noise from trains that was not highlighted in the room description."

"lower ground floor bedroom, very narrow stairway and hallway ,couldn’t see any fire escape , no wardrobe only half a hanging length for clothes and very small area , Train track noise of running trains above ceiling of the bedroom . Window was very high and very small couldn’t see out and second window was an inside window it felt claustrophobic."

But this is a small number of unhappy guests compared to all those who were happy and very happy

£741 for 6 nights in central London in mid October is cheap especially if that is including breakfast.
What the Premier Inn is charging (£1200ish for 6 nights) is more what I would expect to pay and is still quite low.
That is not to say the Best Western is a poor hotel just that you will get what you pay for. Based on its location I would also absolutely expect it to be noisy.

Obviously people who have good stays in a hotel are much less likely to post a review than people who have something they want to complain about but a review score of 3.9 would raise a slight concern for me. But it does depend on whether the issues people are complaining about are things that really matter to you?

Also, and I promise this is not pedantry, it is important that you use the full/correct addresses for locations in London. It’s not Best Western Buckingham Road it’s Buckingham Palace Road. There are LOTS of places in London with very similar addresses. If you don’t use the proper address you are in danger of getting lost. And the ‘street’, ‘road’, ‘avenue’, ‘circus’ etc bit really matters as well.

I’ve always been curious why Americans, and it does just seem to be Americans, always shorten addresses.:-)

You are over thinking thus.

If you want to save a bit try another Premier Inn.

The Ealing Broadway PI has six nights for you dates from £569 GBP. A five minute walk to the Elizabeth Line so around 20 minutes to central London.

£761 for 6 nights is £126.83 per night.

That is cheap for central London, so you could well end up in a pokey room. So be prepared. If you can afford it, go for the Premier Inn as their rooms are much more predictable. If you can't afford Premier Inn, then manage your expectations for the Best Western.

London is expensive for accommodation, but balance that with the free museums, etc.

And yes - don't shorten street names.

If you don’t mind being a bit further out the Ealing Broadway Premier Inn mentioned above is in a good location surrounded by lots of shops and restaurants and with good transport links into town.
Ealing is a nice suburb and as safe as anywhere you are going to find in London.

Thank you Emma

Apologize for my typo but I only had about 3 or 4 hours sleep ... (insomnia)

On Booking.com, BW has a review score of 7.9. Where did you see 3.9? Did i make another typo? Still, I find 7.9 a little llow ...

ADDED. And I think BW's are good hotels. That is why I chose to book a room there.

Ealing Broadway is also at a terminus of the Circle and Central tube lines.

So there is direct District line service to Victoria, Westminster and Tower Hill, and direct Central line service to St Paul's Cathedral for instance.

And, when conversing direct with Americans privately about addresses in America, I too shorten place names in the US- missing off the road, avenue etc. And dear Google maps not infrequently gives incorrect street names in the US as I've found out to my peril.

Thanks to everyone for your input.

Appreciate the suggestions.

And I apologize for making a mistake re the B W street name. As I told Emma, I have only had a very few hours sleep due to insomnia and often make errors because of it.

But I now may have Buckingham Palace Road permanently in memory .... maybe ....

I like P I County Hall because of location.

Re my B W: I now know how to get there. I know how to get around. I have done a lot of research. I have asked a lot of questions and received a lot of answers. I felt like I had it all figured out.

I did not mind being near Victoria Train Station. I am not bothered by the sound or vibration of trains but I did not expect that rooms at B W were over or under the tube.

I stayed at PI Country Hall. It was one of my least favorite places I‘ve stayed in Europe — though that’s not a terrible thing — I usually love the places I pick (PI was picked by a buddy of mine). It’s in the price range I typically choose for lodging. Rooms are plain and a little dated (but certainly not terrible). The bathroom had a heavy, fire-exit like door on it. Rooms did feel clean. WiFi was well below expectations for a hotel, even when I switched to the paid „faster“ version. Breakfast had many choices — all of „meh“ quality and taste. Location was excellent.

It's not a bad place, just kind of mediocre; good for someone who just wants a clean place to sleep (typical for me). I’d give it a 3/5 on the Dave scale; a „3“ means I wouldn‘t choose to stay here again, but if I had a companion who wanted to stay here, I wouldn’t shoot it down.

Bostonphil, I think the 3.9 score is on Google. A hotel has to work really hard to get such a low Google score. To me, the 7.9 score on booking is borderline, but 3.9 on Google is below borderline.

If looking at Premier Inns, I stayed at the Premier Inn Covent Garden and highly recommend it. I guess it depends on what you’re interested in, but I think the location next to Trafalgar Square and tons of restaurants and lively streets is perfect.

I stayed at Premier Inn county hall. I liked it quite a bit. But I do not think it is as convenient as where you are staying now.

Maybe upgrade your room where you are instead, as you say the complaints are coming from those with the least expensive rooms.

Maybe upgrade your room where you are instead, as you say the
complaints are coming from those with the least expensive rooms.

This would also be my suggestion but it looks like they only offer one type of room on Booking.com, listed as "standard" and only the number of beds changing.

As noted your nightly budget for that part of London is pretty low. If cost is the main consideration than you may just have to hope for the best with your current selection. I know you prefer a fully cancelable reservation and breakfast included, but those two things make them the most expensive option on Booking. A quick search on a week in October showed plenty of options nearby that have better reviews and are not that much more expensive per night. Also consider using a different search than Booking, which will show more options.

And FWIW there is a Premier Inn in that area, PI London Victoria. It's very close to the Best Western.

I have reserved the single room before while my friend reserved the double room in the same hotel. Her room was much nicer than mine and I really regretted my choice.

This was in Greece but I assume it would be the same in London. The smallest rooms are sold as single rooms. You can however reserve for more money a double room and stay in it as a single person.

Thanks for all the replies.

I did book P I County Hall with Unlimited Continental Breakfast but I intend to keep BW for now. P I came to 1300 something pounds and it is out if budget but allowable.

I love that I will be overlooking the Thames and The Big Eye.

It would be hard for even me to get lost trying to find my way back to County Hall.

I can upgrade to a better room through my reservation for BW but what does that guarantee me. Does it mean that my room will not be under or over the tube. Does it mean that the elevator will go to my floor? Does it mean that I will not have to cross a busy street for breakfast or the front desk. And is it guaranteed that I will not end up in the basement with no window. But I will look into upgrading.

If I keep BW, i can show up and hope for the best.

I can cancel either of my reservations up until the day of or the day before.

But I will also check out other P I's

As far as food goes, I have Diabetes which is managed but more seriously is Chronic Kidney Disease and my diet is so limited.

So if I keep P I County Hall, I believe that I need to go to Waterloo Station and walk. Am I correct? And from Heathrow, how do I best get to Waterloo Station?

Bostonphil, I know the Premier Inn County Hall is frequently touted on the forum. Don't overlook other PI locations at lower price points.

The Premier Inn Victoria Hotel is about a 5 minute walk from the Best Western Buckingham Palace Road. So you could still take the same transportation from Heathrow that you have researched.

There are several other Premier Inn and Hub by Premier Inn that are less expensive and still well located.

To Waterloo the conventional route on the forum is Piccadilly/District line to Westminster, then walk over the bridge.

Personally in most circumstances my route would be TfL single deck bus route #490 from Terminal 5 to Feltham Station every 12 minutes then frequent mainline train to Waterloo. The train is within the TfL fare structure.
At Feltham it is level access from bus stop to train platform.

Then through the grand arch at Waterloo to County Hall. Six of one and half a dozen of the other as to which is the less walking and the fastest.

The C10 single deck bus takes you direct from opposite the front door of Victoria Coach Station to County Hall every 8 minutes.

just by the way, I think this is different than in the US, on this side of the ocean Best Western is a loose group of independent hotels who share common advertising and branding. They don't follow a cookie cutter room plan or standards, unlike Holiday Inn or Hampton Inn or Premier Inn.

I love that I will be overlooking the Thames and The Big Eye.

You will not be overlooking the Thames and the London Eye from your hotel. The Premier Inn is on the back side of County Hall so it does not have views.

the other hotel in the County Hall is the Marriott - that is the one with the views. But you are very close to the river, just walk all the way around the building (down a slope).

If your budget is a concern, there are grocery stores walkable to the PI you could use for breakfast. That's what I did.

Phil, Do I remember correctly that you have insomnia? Will the noise from the tube be any different than not being able to sleep due to insomnia? I apologize if I sound insensitive but I wonder if your tolerance for noise at night may be different than many other people who left poor reviews? Only you can decide if the extra $500 cost of the PI hotel is worth potential noise that may or may not impact your sleep. Wishing you the best for your stay in London!

This is a recent review that gave the hotel 3 out of 5 stars on Google

The staff were all very friendly, and the location was excellent, right next to Victoria.
Our room was quite noisy due to the constant passing trains.
We slept well at night, however, because the trains weren't running.
Comfortable beds, small but clean bathroom.
Good breakfast.

Another recent reviewer gave it 4/5 stars.

Was offered a basement room even though I had asked for one on the higher floors. Was given a room across front eh main hotel building on the 3 rd floor. Room was extremely noisy even when window was shut , train track was just around the corner and trains could be heard from 5.30 am to midnight. Impossible to get any sleep as at times the room felt like it shook too.
I opted for no breakfast so cannot comment . Staff was very helpful at all times .
Room was a single bed and very small but this is London !
If you don’t mind the train noise it is definitely a great location to stay at , only 10 minutes from Victoria station and a 5 minute walk from the coach station.

Another recent reviewer gave it 4/5 stars

Stayed here 8 nights, 2 people. Rooms were decent size and comfortable. Usual things like a desk, dresser and a tea kettle. Proximity to Victoria station makes it easy to get around to other areas in London. Other reviews mention that it’s too close to the train tracks, and was noisy and affected their sleep. We had no such issues. You can hear the trains a bit, but it wasn’t overpowering. If you live in a big city you’re used to it and can easily tune it out. If you’re visiting from a smaller or rural town, yeah I guess it’ll seem loud to you.

Another review with 4/5 stars

After reading reviews on trust pilot I was a little concerned before my stay but it was excellent. There was a small amount of noise from the underground but most hotels in Central London are located near or above a station of some kind. The usual hotel room door banging was more significant!
Rooms were small but perfectly formed. Plenty of storage and super clean. Complimentary tea and coffee in reception and an ice machine too for refills for your water bottle.
Staff couldn't do enough for you to make your stay comfortable so if you find you do have a problem, speak to them first rather than leave a rubbish review once you have left!
Can't comment on breakfast as we didn't have it but the location is fantastic, few minutes walk to Victoria Station.

Mary from Massachusetts

Thank you for all your hard work for me.

Most of the reviewers on booking talk about how nice the staff is at BW and how beautiful the rooms are no matter how unhappy they might be with other things.

I am going to have to think about what I am going to do. (even pray on it)

Tomorrow I will be speaking with a friend who has stayed at P I County Hall.

Yes, my insomnia is very strange and it is hard to describe. Some noises tht would bother the normal sleeper can lull me to sleep. Same with lights. I can sometimes sleep better in the daytime than at night.

But I think a room over or under the trains would disturb me.

I think I would also be very concerned about a room without a window in the basement. Chances are there would never be an emergency like a fire but still ..... that would concern me.

to everyone

I plan to get back with this discussion later as I have been at the doctors all day preparing for cataract surgery. Now I want to get out in nature while it is still light.

it is amazing.

sometimes I post something expecting a lot of responses and I am lucky if I get two.

Other times I post something hoping that someone will answer and there are so many responses that I can not keep up with them.

One thing to consider is that the PI County Hall is one of the more expensive Premier inns. You might consider checking out the Premier Inn Waterloo, which is just up the street from the County Hall location and is usually less expensive because it’s not as new. It’s also a bit smaller as opposed to the County Hall PI, which is quite large.

You also might try the PI Victoria as I believe that is less expensive as well, and it’s in a good location.

Hi Nigel

I stayed at a Best Western many years ago off of the Las Vegas Strip. This was during a very severe recession and the place had a very desperate and depressing feel to it.

I have never tried to stay at a Best Western since until now.

I think many if not all are franchises. The one I am booked with says something about being independently owned.

To everyone

one concern that I have about my BW is that they do not inform guests in advance that they might be in a basement without any window

I have been shopping around and other hotels note when a room is in the basement and or has no window. Most guests at BW do not realize they will be in the basement or without window until they check in unless they read specific reviews.

Thank you everyone

I appreciate the input and am glad to say that there are so many, I do not believe that I can answer all of them individually. But I am reading every single one.

Hi Mardee
I watched youtube videos on Premier Inn Waterloo. Love it and loved that it was right across the street from Waterloo Station.

But the cost of the room was the exact same as Premier County Hall.

In the UK Best Western is basically an association for independent hotels, more details here if you want to get into the weeds.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_Western_GB
https://www.bestwestern.co.uk/company/about-us

When I travelled for work I tended to avoid them. In my experience, and it is a generalisation, they tended to be at the cheaper end of the market and I wanted to avoid the ‘quirks’ of independent hotels. Chains like Premier Inn aren’t exciting but they are reliable and you know what you are, and aren’t, getting.

Regarding requesting a room that isn’t in the basement, maybe you will get lucky but I wouldn’t bet on it. Rooms will be allocated on the day and there will be any number of variables influencing who gets what room. In my experience if a hotel is busy, single travellers tend to get the less good rooms.
As has been said the Best Western is a cheaper hotel in an expensive city, you tend to get what you pay for.

I’ve just googled and apparently there are ‘around 68’ Premier Inns and Premier Inn Hub hotels in London if you did decide to go down that route. You aren’t just limited to the ones in Waterloo.

i
isn31c

Will I be able to pick up the Piccadilly/District line at Heathrow? It is the tube, correct? Can I pick it up at terminal 5?

"Personally in most circumstances my route would be TfL single deck bus route #490 from Terminal 5 to Feltham Station every 12 minutes then frequent mainline train to Waterloo. The train is within the TfL fare structure.
At Feltham it is level access from bus stop to train platform.

why do you prefer the above way?

Have you looked at the Premier Inn Victoria.?

It's about 5 minutes from the Best Western. It would be less expensive than the PI County Hall.

The big plus is you have already researched the area. You already know your transportation options from Heathrow Airport. Your previous research will be useful.

I would also add that you might consider PI Victoria. We stayed there in July and would recommend it. Just a couple minute walk to Victoria Coach station (and train station as well). I remember you already researched the coach to and from Heathrow:)

jeanm

you are right.

I have spent hours and hours researching the area which includes watching a lot of youtube videos.

I even watched a walking video which included walking by BW and I could see Victoria Coach from BW. It was like down the street.

I might check out P I Victoria.

Or I might end up taking my chances with my BW. It gets high ratings even from guests who are not real happy about some of the features.

Barbara G

Thank you

Yes, I feel I know the area and how to get from and to Heathrow.

Is it easy to walk from Victoria Coach to P I Victoria?

It is very easy to walk from Victoria CoachStation to the Victoria Premier Inn.
The hotel is on Gillingham Street just the other side of Eccleston Square.

it's always called Victoria Coach Station not Victoria coach

bp. Have you stayed in an inside cabin on any of your cruises? I'm okay with an inside cabin on SOME cruise ships. With proper lighting, it can be fine, especially if it is the same cabin layout as an outside cabin.

That said, I would be very upset to be assigned a windowless basement room upon check-in.

It's one thing to knowingly choose a windowless room at time of booking. But, to be arbitrarily assigned a windowless basement room upon check-in when others paying the same price were given better located rooms with windows would not go over well with me.

Please be comfortable with whatever decision you make.

Hi jeanm

Most of my cruises are inside cabins with no window. I have never experienced claustrophobia nor experienced concern about a fire.

But for some reason, I feel uneasy about a hotel that puts you in a basement and has no window.

I think most guests who choose the single standard room for one are put in the basement without window but you are not told about it until you get there. So when you choose the least expensive or cheapest single room on the booking site, you are going to get a room in the basement without any window.

That goes for the double standard room sometimes. I do not know about all the time.

ramblin on

Thank you but for some reason, I believe that I have seen Victoria Coach Station referred to as just Victoria Coach. I can not tell you where but if I find those instances, I will get back with you.

If I go looking, I will not be able to find examples.

I am not going back to all the times I have not used station but I do think I have also seen other station without the Station at the end such as Waterloo Station.

Maybe it is just me???? Hey I think this should be a new thread!

Emma

Thank you. I have been doing research and I do like the P I Victoria.

Thank you for all the information and your opinions Re BW. Pretty certain that I am going to cancel.

If I were you, I'd bypass prepaying for breakfast at any PI.
You can can go elsewhere and eat breakfast for similar cost and also control your nutritional options rather than settling for what PI breakfast offers.
You might find better ways to spend £10.99 (or less) each morning.

And if you want to breakfast at PI one morning, you can just pay for that (those) times individually and not be stuck with having already paid.

Thank you Tim in Kentucky

Some members have said that the breakfast at PI is not very good but others seem satisfied.

The Unlimited Continental is now 12.99 pounds at the PI's I have looked at.

A Hub was only 7 pounds but the room costs more than the PI's

We had a great 8 night stay at PI County Hall a year ago. Our room did have a partial view of the London Eye. We had breakfast at Gayle’s 2 blocks away or bought fruit and yogurt for the room. The PI breakfast is mediocre—we had it once for convenience.

Thank you Barbara

I booked and then cancelled PI County Hall but think that I am going to book PI Victoria. I need to make a decision soon.

Why were you unhappy woth the breakfast?

I love that there are so many diverse opinions on this site.

Hi bostonphil, probably too late to help you but I will be at the Premier Inn London County Hall in September for 2 nights and could report back if you are still undecided. We selected it because it was very central to what we wanted to do - we are only there for 2 days after coming off a cruise. But our rooms were only about $200/night (Sun-Tues), which makes me wonder if something is going on for your dates in October.

Good luck with the cataract surgery - I had mine done 8 years ago and the difference was amazing!