Booked Premier Inn in London (UPDATED)

Book at 63 Bayswater.

Breakfast included in price, 15 minute stroll from Paddington, across the road from the Hyde Park
at Lancaster Gate entrance. Lancaster Tube station 1/2 block away. Clean and safe. Has an elevator.

I’ve stayed at Premier Inn Waterloo before and really enjoyed the location. I like the proximity to Westminster (easy walk across bridge), the proximity to multiple tube lines and the train station (3 minute walk), and the ease of a walk on the riverbank with multiple restaurants nearby. A small grocery is two blocks away. I felt very comfortable in the area as a solo woman traveler.

County Hall is just two blocks away. It is closer to Westminster Bridge and a little farther from Waterloo. I think that either location would work well.

I haven’t stayed at the others on your list.

In London I have only stayed at the P I Victoria. The hotel itself was in a good location close to Victoria Station and several bus lines. The room was clean. My only problem is the hotel is actually 2 buildings that have been joined to make the hotel. Each 'bldg' has it's own elevator. There are 2 elevators, but the one that went to my room was not in service my entire stay. They did not tell me when I checked in and I only learned as I exited the elevator and had to climb some very steep steps with my bags to get to the correct floor. So if I ever stay there again I will ask if the elevator that goes all the way to my floor is working,. Lesson learned. A couple trips ago I took the London Walks to Greenwich and really enjoyed the 'cruise' to Greenwich. You are free to catch your way back after the tour so you could see other things in addition to what the 'walk' covered.

Mardee, like Carol, I stayed at the PI Waterloo and echo all of her thoughts about the location: excellent for where I went. At the time of my stay in September, their restaurant was undergoing renovation and was closed to guests. Pretty sure by now, the restaurant would be open. if that means a lot to you, I would check with the property. I had difficulty getting the air conditioner to generate cool air. Over all, I enjoyed my stay at this location.

Seems like a number of your potential "to-dos" may be most easily reached from County Hall/Waterloo. I have stayed at County Hall a number of times. Very convenient location. I am glad to hear favorable comments about Waterloo. It seems just around the block from County Hall.

I stayed in Premier Inn County Hall and liked it very much. I went accidentally to Waterloo first and it is very close. The lobby at least seemed nicer at County Hall than Waterloo if that matters.

It’s been several years, but we were very satisfied with our stay at PI County Hall. As others have said, the location is excellent and in checking MapQuest there are several restaurants in the area. When we stayed, there was a small convenience store across the street and there is a Starbucks close by.The staff was always cheerful and attentive. The bedding was excellent and we slept well. The only odd thing in our room was the lack of a closet - there were wall hooks and hangers. We paid for internet upgrade and found their internet worked better than the one at Hilton Paddington.

Oddly, our taxi dropped us at PI Waterloo and since it was late we didn’t realize it until we were in the lobby and the staff told us we were at the wrong hotel. It was a short walk to the right place.

As of 2019 there was an M&S Food Hall within a very few blocks of the PI County Hall.

No one has mentioned it but I would rule out Olympia - it's too far west for me. I also don't personally like Victoria as an area to stay in.

I haven't stayed in any PI in London except Southwark as my son lives there but as you say they tend to be pretty consistent in quality.

The only real variable is the building they are in and in Central London they primarily have been fitted into existing buildings originally built for something else rather than new build.

Southwark is in a fine location, as are Waterloo and County Hall.

To confuse matters I would add Blackfriars to your list. It gets a lot of recommendations from locals and visitors alike and is in an excellent location by Blackfriars station so with access to District and Circle lines and Thameslink trains.

Claudia, I did check that hotel and it's around £150 more than the Premier Inns I have been checking. But thank you for the recommendation! I will keep in in mind.

Carol NR, thank you! That is good to know about your feelings as a solo traveler. Waterloo and County Hall are both on the top of my list - in fact, I think I added the Waterloo one based on an earlier rec from you that I found in my searches.

Laurie Beth, thanks so much. Good to know about the elevator - and thank you for the info on Greenwich! I didn't even think about checking London Walks (which I love) for Greenwich tours, so definitely will. I didn't make it there last time and I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Linda, thanks so much for the Waterloo info. Air conditioning should not be an issue for me as I will be there in late March. :) Glad to know you enjoyed your stay!

Debbie, it's good to know that those two are a convenient location! Thanks so much!

BethFL, thanks for your thoughts on both places! Nice to know that about the lobby.

Patty, thank you so for that information; especially the restaurants, convenience store and even more especially the Starbucks! 😊 Very good to know about the internet. That's one pet peeve of mine about the PI, but I usually upgrade to the better internet. It looks like they are now offering the better internet with their Premier Plus rooms (also a Nespresso machine). So I may spring for that depending on the price.

acraven, thanks so much! I love M&S Food Halls and that's really nice that there is one close by! Yum!

Johnnew52, thank you very much for the info about Olympia - I think that was a last minute addition and I was on the fence about it anyway, so that is good to know. I will check out Blackfriars also. Thanks again!

I appreciate the update on which hotel you ended up booking.

I’m taking notes for my London 2024 trip. It seems as if selecting the hotel will be the most difficult decision.

Carrie, how fun! Yes, the hotel choices make it hard to narrow it down to just one. :) But I'm glad I booked early. I was surprised at how low the cost was. I think my average cost wound up being around £140 per night. And I could have gotten it lower if I'd gone for the standard room. But I'm also there in late March, which makes a difference I think.

Are you going to keep your choice secret Mardee? And I'm fairly sure that you didn't pay in euros, or at least I hope you didn't!

County Hall is a great location, close to the river and the pedestrian Thames Path. We saw Witness for the Prosecution there last March—-highly recommended if they are still showing it.

One bit of advice—-we will go out of our way to avoid walking across Westminster Bridge. It is way too crowded, with the shell game scammers and onlookers blocking the sidewalk, which is not separated from the traffic. If you must use that bridge, the upriver side (on the right as you face the river) is better.

But we much prefer to use the Golden Jubilee pedestrian bridges, which are attached to Hungerford Bridge but separated from it. This is the next bridge downriver from the Westminster Bridge. From County Hall, turn left out of the Premier Inn and walk through the Jubilee Gardens to the bridge. For Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden, just keep going straight after the bridge. For Westminster Abbey, Parliament, etc. take a left and walk down Whitehall Court and Whitehall. For Buckingham Palace, , Hyde Park, Kensington etc., cross Whitehall and walk through the Horseguards museum and across the Parade grounds to St. James Park.

It is all easy to see on a map.

John, ha, nope, hit the wrong keystrokes. I've changed it to pounds. :) And my choice is mentioned above in the update to my original post - see details above.

Lola, thanks for the bridge info. I actually have the map open now so will check it out.

Excellent choice. That was my “first” Premier Inn, many years ago.

If you’re looking for easy places to eat, walk along the Thames Path towards the Royal Festival Hall and there’s a bunch of (chain, but decent) places and a Pret.

Also Waterloo Station has an M&S Simply Food and a lot of takeaway places if you need to grab something simple close to your hotel. As a solo traveller, I’m a big fan of an M&S room picnic in a Premier Inn after a tiring day when I can’t face a restaurant. And having a fridge and a Nespresso is a luxury indeed!

Golden Girl, thanks! I love Pret A Manger and M&S food halls! And I admit that the fridge and Nespresso were deal clinchers for me. I also love picnics in my room, and there's nothing like a nice cup of steaming Nespresso coffee. I'm getting way too excited too early, lol!

Mardee, I was researching London hotels last night and I swear there was a note on the Premier Inn County Hall website about refurbishment and construction noise after 8 am. But when I went to copy the link to post here, I can’t find it now. Maybe whatever it was is finished. And hopefully whatever it was would have been completed by March, but I wanted to mention it anyway.

Carrie, I saw that when I first booked it. I went back and looked and the notice says: Due to refurbishment work at this hotel, our rooms will have restricted views from the windows as there is scaffolding to the exterior of the building. We also expect some noise from construction work from 8am. We're sorry for any inconvenience this may cause during your stay. (Note: you have to go to the booking site to see it)

That doesn't really bother me, as I am an early riser and will not be there too much during the day. And yes, hopefully it will be completed by the time I get there. But thank you very much for the warning!

I just have to pop in here and say how inspiring you solo women travelers are to me! I have never traveled on my own, but your stories and plans are really giving me a great deal of thought. I have a wonderful husband who does not enjoy traveling by air and my kids are obviously not as flexible as I am with their work/vacation time. I am beginning to see that I could spread my solo wings and follow your lead in the years ahead. Thank you for sharing your encouraging experiences!

Mustlovedogs, oh, you definitely should! It's easy for me to say since I've been traveling solo for so long, but it is one of the most enriching experiences you can have. I love that I can go where I want and when I want. And I have never ever felt unsafe or inconvenienced by solo travel. In fact, in some respects I think you may be safer as a solo traveler, as many people will think you are a local (I can't tell you how many times I get asked for directions, lol!) and pickpockets tend to target people in groups who are more easily distracted (imo).

You seem like you are a person who would be comfortable traveling by yourself, too. You could start off with an "easy" country like the UK or the Netherlands, etc. and then branch out from there. 😊

I know some people have mentioned safety on Westminster Bridge, but it had never occurred to me. Yes, it's a hive of those folks playing the shell game.

The traffic separation system is a bit of a nightmare at the moment, so people are all over the road and cycle lane.

My advice with the shell game people is not to linger and watch. The crowd is full of people working with them. They're easy to spot if you do choose to linger a moment.

Westminster Bridge and its surrounds is probably one of the most heavily surveilled areas in the world in CCTV terms. When the shell game people are working someone is probably watching them. I've heard it said the Met Police tolerate them on Westminster Bridge because it keeps them in one place, rather than all over town pickpocketing etc. It may well be the exact same people you saw last year in Barcelona, Rome, Madrid, etc.

I called the police on 101 (non emergency) about them at Bankside a few years ago. They were getting on my nerves when I would see them a few days in a row.

Gerry, good points - thanks! I'll make sure and avoid them if I cross the bridge. I don't envision being caught up, though - I'm not a big gambler (or even a small one). :-)

OP Ignore the shell game players on the bridge.

No need to stop and watch.

Glad you made your accommodation choice. Well
done!

I’ve traveled solo for decades. Wholeheartedly appreciate the ability to make decisions for myself.

Austria, Belfast, Copenhagen, Denmark, Florence, Geneva, Havana, Ireland, London, Luxembourg, Milan, Munich, Nuremberg, Paris, Rome, Vatican City, Venice and Zurich.

States in the US: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Oregon, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Massachusetts, S Dakota, Texas, Virginia, W Virginia, Washington, Wyoming,

Sites: Channel islands, Lake Tahoe, Washington DC, Grand Canyon, Arches, The Badlands, Mt Rushmore, Cape Canaveral, Chaco Canyon, The Alamo, Florida Everglades, Big Sur, Seattle Space Needle, Sears Tower Chicago, Mt St Helens, Washington Monument, St Louis Arch, Mt Whitney, Death Valley, Kennedy’s Grave Arlington, Statue of Liberty, USS Arizona, World Trade Center, Empire State Building, Dealey Plaza Dallas, Lincoln Memorial ( stood on the steps during Obama’s first inaugural), Las Vegas, Golden Gate Bridge, Napa, Sonoma, Valley of the Moon, Alcatraz, Mesa Verde, Roswell, and Yosemite.

Been to a Wimbledon final, a Super Bowl and a World Series.

I view travel as a privilege never taking it for granted and blessed to be able to afford it.

There’s still so much to explore. Want to see the Northern Lights, the Pyramids, Machu Picchu, Petra, Montreal, Scotland, etc., etc., etc.

I'm not a big gambler (or even a small one). :-)

Me neither. Isn't it like one of the oldest games of all time? Like, at least Egyptian times or something?

Gerry, here is a history according to Wikipedia (got curious and had to look this up):

Gambling dates back at least to the Paleolithic period, before written history. In Mesopotamia the earliest six-sided dice date to about 3000 BCE. However, they were based on astragali dating back thousands of years earlier. In China, gambling houses were widespread in the first millennium BCE, and betting on fighting animals was common. Lotto games and dominoes (precursors of Pai Gow) appeared in China as early as the 10th century.

The shell game dates back at least to Ancient Greece. It can be seen in several paintings of the European Middle Ages. Later, walnut shells were used, and today the use of bottle caps or matchboxes is common. The game has also been called "thimblerig" as it could be played using sewing thimbles. The first recorded use of the term "thimblerig" is in 1826.

Wikipedia then goes on to mention that shell games are still prevalent in many heavily touristed areas of the world, including, of course, Westminster Bridge.😊

We stayed there in June and had a really good time. The hotel was quiet (at least our room was), clean, staff friendly, and the location perfect. My only complaint was how busy walking across Westminster Bridge was, but once you made it across that it was fine on both sides. I never felt unsafe walking around London.

lindy, thanks! Yes, I've never felt unsafe in London and am really looking forward to this trip. Thanks for letting me know how your stay was!