What area to stay in London

Do you mean this December or December 2018? If this year a lot will be booked up already. Which attractions do you mean? Just after Christmas you need to check carefully what will be open and hours of opening. Have you been to London before? Used the tube? Everything is very spread out and you won't find one location that is close to all "major" attractions. You need to focus on being somewhere near good transport links. What is your budget, some areas more expensive than others. We need more information to help you better.

Nowhere in London is close to all the "major attractions". It is too spread out. It has however a good transport system (tube and buses) so you can get from anywhere to anywhere in the centre.
As long as you are near a tube station, and somewhere within or on the circle line, that should be OK.

Note that you are going there between Christmas and the New Year. This a strange quiet period. Many people take the full week off between Christmas and the new year, returning to work on the 2nd Jan. Boxing Day (26th Dec) is a Public Holiday. Be prepared for some places to be closed or limited opening during this week.

This bus map: https://tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/images/visitors-guide-map.jpg
This guide: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-visitor-guide.pdf
and the world famous tube map: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf
may help you.

We were in London last month and stayed at the Marriott County Hall. Location could not be beat! Big Ben and the London Eye were literally right outside our hotel window. We were able to take a river cruise just steps from the hotel and that was a fabulous way to see the city! I would highly recommend it!

I just looked and it’s 200 pounds per night for your timeframe. Smoking deal!

In 2017. Our budget is less than $250/night. Would prefer a hotel that has double beds since we will have kids with us. Yes, I have heard that we need to choose a hotel near a tube. We are flying into Heathrow so I'm assuming the Piccadilly line is what we need to be close to?

Changing lines on the Underground isn't too bad, I wouldn't restrict yourself to hotels near the Piccadilly. My recommendation would be to go by hotel quality and not worry much about the neighbourhood, as long as you're in central London.

If you're looking for a room with two double or queen beds, you'll find that much harder to come by in London than in many American cities (though I suspect it's tough in NYC, too). Hotel rooms tend to be much smaller there and quads are pretty rare. Your price range also adds to the difficulty. London hotel rates are among the highest in Europe; your money doesn't go very far in that city. Have reasonable expectations: You need to think of this as a search for a place without serious problems, not a search for a place that will be lovely/charming/etc.

I suggest using a website like booking.com and setting the price and location (central London) filters. Then you can sort by price or distance from the center. Look at the ratings. I like to stick to places with ratings over 7.0 (other people have higher standards, but you pay extra for charm). Read the reviews and look at the photos. Make a list of places that might be possible.

Note that some hostels have family rooms. They may well have 4 single beds, but perhaps that would work for you. I cannot tell you what you might encounter in a hostel, noise-wise, however. If noise is a frequent problem, it normally shows up in hotel reviews.

Edited to add: Be sure your room has a private (en suite) bathroom.

If you end up needing to take two rooms, be aware that there's a very good chance they will not be adjoining--possibly not even on the same floor. So clear that up with the lodging before committing.

When you have some possibilities identified, post again and the people who know London well (I am not one of them) will be able to help you make a choice.

Being very near the Piccadilly Line would be great, but that may be a high hurdle with all of your other requirements. I would definitely choose a location near the center over a non-central location on the Piccadilly line.

It might be worth checking out Vincent House, where I stayed this September. It is about one longish block from the Notting Hill Gate tube station (Circle Line and Central Line) and within walking distance of Portobello Road Market. It provides accommodations for students but may have space over the holidays. Most of its rooms are singles, but you might get lucky and score two twin rooms or a double and a twin. I'm sure they don't have quads. There's a reasonable chance this would be in your price range. The included breakfast is filling, there's an elevator, it is clean and the Wi-Fi works. You could do far, far worse.

We used vrbo and had a great apartment this summer on the southbank. I highly recommend the area. Our kids are 11 and 9. We walked a lot but the apartment was also really close to a couple of tube stations. It was nice to have the extra space after a long day of sightseeing. There were also a ton of great family friendly restaurants ( wagamama, pizza express etc) close by.

Take a look at the Jesmond Dene on Argyle St. It is a little over a block from Kings Cross and St. Pancras stations. Nice neighborhood.... it is more like a B&B, full English Breakfast is available .
I always stay here when I am in London because of the great location. They have a Quad room on the top floor (no elevator) and it has 2 full beds.

So we ended up booking at Park Plaza Westminster as it was close to our budget and had room available for 4 of us. Is that a good choice?

I think you mean the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, which is on the south bank right across the bridge from the Westminster area. Last year we stayed across the street at the Park Plaza County Hall, and it was fine, Both hotels are modern and charmless but I'm sure will be comfortable for your family. Three tube lines meet at nearby Waterloo Station to get you anywhere. You can walk across Westminster Bridge (maybe not so fun in late December) to lots of sights, or along the south bank. The London Eye is quite close. I can't think of a better location for anything near your price.

Take the Piccadilly line from Heathrow to Green Park, and change to the Jubilee line (in the direction of Stratford) to Waterloo. Or take the Heathrow Connect or Heathrow Express (not expensive if you buy your tickets well ahead, they apply to the day not a particular train) to Paddington, then the Bakerloo line (toward Elephant & Castle) to Baker Street, then the Jubilee line to Waterloo. It's about three blocks to the hotel, get directions from them or their website. Or follow the advice of our London-based friends when they wake up in a few hours.

I have had good results with the Belgravia / Pimlico area, right near Victoria Station.

The Park Plaza Westminster Bridge is an extremely good choice. Close to two tube stations (Westminster and Waterloo), lots of bus routes, easy walk to lots of attractions, nice area.

Second VS's comments. We always stay (habit 'cause we know the area from previous trips) in the Victoria Station area. V Station is a major transit hub so it is convenient to most other locations. And there is a laundry and nice local restaurants in the area. We frequent use the Best Western in that area.

PS Just noticed your dates. You understand that London is pretty well shut down on both the 25th and 26th (Boxing Day). You need to plan accordingly.

Another vote for the Victoria Station neighborhood. We stayed at the Best Western Victoria in July 2017, first time in London, &, while the room was a shoehorn, everything functioned well, management was very nice, & the location was terrific. Easily walked & Tubed all over, & - my favorite part - the immediate neighborhood's a microcosm of international London: little mom&pop cafes & restaurants offering Turkish, French, Ethiopian, Indian, more; a chain coffee shop, forget which; fish&chips & upscale-er seafood; pubs; real-life shops & a small Tesco; daily street market; cheery people from around the world, my favorite part #2.

Caveat - doublecheck for holiday open/closed hrs for everything you want to do.

The BW offers hot breakfast for an additional cost. We didn't try it - bought stuff at the Tesco & made coffee etc in our room - but if you've never had a full English...!

Cheers from
Vicki (& Stewart).

We liked the Citadines at Trafalgar Square. From there we walked to most of the major attractions. Its prices might be a bit higher than your budget, but it is an apartment hotel so you can fix some of your own meals and you get two rooms

We always stay in S. Kensington at the Radisson Edwardian Vanderbilt or Rydges. Both are a 2 minutes walk from the Gloucester tube stop (Circle, District and Picadilly lines pass through it). Easy access to all the attractions using the tube. In the end, where to stay is a personal choice. Currently Big Ben and much of the Parliament building are under renovation. Scaffolding covers much of Big Ben.

and along with the scaffolding, Big Ben (the bell itself) is also shut down for the next 4 years, except special occations. so you probably won't get to hear it.

I hope you read up about how London public transport shuts down on Christmas Day as it is also curtailed on 12/26.

12/26 is known as Boxing Day and you need to be aware that transport will run but not on a regular schedule.
https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/major-works-and-events/boxing-day-2017

If you were hoping to use the Heathrow Express to get into London it will not be available.

Best to book a car hire now.

You also need to check websites for each of the “sites” you wish to visit to see what hours they will be open.

Lastly, be prepared for darkness to start around 4pm.

Winterwonderland will still be up and running in Hyde Park. It’s very enjoyable. Free admission but u pay for the rides, games and food. Gorgeous at night.

Ice rinks will be operating. The one at the National History Museum is fun.

Xmas lights on Oxford and Regents Street are enjoyable.

Ahhhh, thank you so much for letting me know!!!! This will help immensely!

We were in London in October and stayed in the Westminster area. We were at the Hilton Doubletree on the other side of the river, about a 20 minute walk from the Park Plaza.

You made and excellent choice for a home base. Waterloo Station will be very convenient to get you anywhere in the city you want to go. Be sure to get an Oyster Card for everybody, it will be a cheap way to get about the city. Consider taking the boat up to Greenwich to see the Royal Observatory.

You won't have much time so it would be helpful to plan ahead and prioritize what you want to do. You should also check the holiday schedule since you'll be there between Christmas and New Year's.

I suggest calling or emailing the Park Plaza and get them to arrange a car to pick you up at Heathrow. The price for the car might not be that much more than 4 tickets on the London Express. If you are flying in from the States, you'll be tired. I'm thinking the girls will be excited and will not have gotten a lot of sleep. My wife was on a business trip so it was a no brainer for us to have a car pick us up since it was a reimbursed expense.

Have a great time! Have you been to London/Europe before?

Yes, I will call the hotel and see if they can arrange a car for us! Is Uber or Lyft a good option from Heathrow to the hotel? This is our first time to London. We went to Cologne, Grindelwald and Paris last winter and had a fabulous time. We are very excited about London!!

When you return to Waterloo Station by tube, be sure everyone taps out with his Oyster Card. There's at least one path from the trains that doesn't force you through fare gates; the card reader is set off to the side. If you don't tap out at the end of the ride, a penalty fare will be deducted from your card the next time you use it, and the daily cap will be overridden. It's a rather expensive mistake. Look for the card reader!

You can book a car service on your own, and will likely be cheaper than what the hotel will charge. I don't think Uber is allowed to meet you at arrivals, and you have to meet them in short-term parking.

Some of the recommended services are Simply Airports, Just Airports, and Blackberry Cars. I have used Simply Airports on more than one occasion, but the others get good reviews as well.

We are very excited about London!!

You are going to have a great time! If you or your girls are Harry Potter fans, be sure to take the tube to King's Cross station and see Platform 9 3/4. It's cheesy and commercial but a lot of fun. You can get your picture made and shop for all sorts of Harry Potter trinkets. I suggest going in the morning, it gets busy later in the day.

Your girls made me think of our first visit to London, back in 1966. My wife and I were on a junior high (middle school) trip to Europe and London was our last stop before returning home. My wife was not much older than your girls; she was 14 at the time. It was fun to get to go back with my girlfriend again!

Jamie,

I've been to London twice. My suggestions:

1. Southwark. It's close to the Thames River and thus central London, yet residential. Kids like water. Your girls will see the London Eye, Millennium Bridge and a couple open-air markets, among other things. I have never stayed in Southwark, though I have walked through it extensively. It's always struck me as pleasant. However, my guess is this area might be a bit pricey.

2. Notting Hill: I stayed there on my most recent visit three months ago and loved it. It's a very pleasant urban neighborhood. And it's not far via the Underground to all the sights in central London and the great neighborhood sights.

3. Bloomsbury: This is a bit closer to central London and like Notting Hill is a pleasant neighborhood. The advantage over Notting Hill is that Bloomsbury is closer to star-level attractions, like the British Museum and British Library. You'll probably want to expose your girls to some culture, and those two are among the best. On the downside, Bloomsbury is close to some of the grimier neighborhoods, like Soho, but those can be avoided.

The London Elizabeth Hotel is great. It’s a two minute walk from Lancaster Gate tube station, and across the street from Hyde Park/Kensington Palace.