where to stay in London

Hi, Joani, there are lots of different neighborhoods in London. What is your budget for a hotel, keeping in mind that London can be very pricey?

If you are looking for something budget oriented, Premier Inns are a good bet and you can find them in just about every central London neighborhood. If you don't mind paying more, I recently stayed at The Resident Victoria, which I loved, but The Resident hotels have other locations. And of course there are a plethora of wonderful places to stay. I liked the Victoria because it was central to many sites, easily walkable and had access to 3 different tube lines within a 10 minute walk.

If you want to go to Liverpool, a train is definitely the best option. The Avanti West Coast train leaves from Euston Station in London and takes around 2 1/2 hours to get to Liverpool. But you don't need to buy the ticket now. I really enjoyed Liverpool and there is a lot to see and do. I would also suggest taking a day trip to Chester via train from Liverpool, as it is a lovely place and so nice to walk along the canals and see the beautiful architecture.

When are you going? You want busy? Quiet? Price range?

Been visiting since 1972. Have stayed in rooms above pubs, hotels, friends homes, flats, Airbnb’s…

Have you visited before?

What's your budget? There are several hotels in London I would love to stay at, but they charge double what I am willing to pay.

Premier Inns seem to be the Hampton Inns of England. I have not yet stayed in the Premier Inn at County Hall, but it gets good reviews, and I have reservations there for a future trip.

I also check the many Hilton family properties in London. Occasionally, I can find one with surprisingly reasonable pricing given my dates.

This may be controversial on this forum, but I find the smaller hotels favored by RS like the Aster House (which I have stayed at) and the Lime Tree Hotel to be overpriced. For that reason, I do check the pricing at the chain hotels.

I haven't found a location or a lodging to beat Locke at Broken Wharf. Extremely convenient, comfortable and reasonably priced.

There is no real "downtown" area as London sites are spread out. Become familiar with the public transport network and you can get anywhere fairly easily.

It really depends on your budget and any specific amenities you might want.

As for Liverpool, my suggestion is the train. But don't attempt to do it as a day trip. My cousin, who is a Beatles fanatic, decided to take a day trip to Liverpool from London to take a Beatles tour. Only his train was delayed and he missed the tour.

My rule-of-thumb is: Stay within the circle line and east of Hyde Park. But a lot depend on how far you can walk. We usually walk around 10 - 15 km a day.

It is more important to be near transport (tube stations and/or bus stops) than to be near sites - because sites are spread out. E.g. look at a map and imagine a place near Tower and near Buckingham Palace - no chance.

And don't be misled by the name "City of London" it is not all of London and not even very central. It is the financial district - like "Wall Street" in New York.

Thank you so much for everyone's replies.
Heading out now so will reply more later.
Joani

My go-to neighbourhood is Bloomsbury.

Near several Tube lines and mainline stations. Near the British Museum. Nice parks for strolling. Easy walk to Soho or the West End. Doable walk to the City or Westminster. Lots of budget accommodations to choose from. We like the Celtic Hotel or the Morgan.

If this is a first visit, consider staying at the Premier County Hall. Look at a map when your book arrives or google something like "walking tours map central london" and you should pull up examples of walking routes and the sites along the way. I like County Hall as it is on the South Bank - walk down one side and then up the other. You can do this in one day or multiple days. You could also cross over Westminster Bridge which is right there at the hotel and visit Westminster Abbey, walk through St. James Park, see Buckingham Palace, then head for Trafalger Square and the sites around that area. I have found this location to be very walkable.

Of course, you may be prioritizing other sites entirely for which alternate hotel locations would be better. Note that Waterloo Station is right near this hotel, which could be handy depending on your final itinerary. Anyway, this may give you a starting place for any google searches.