Hotels in London for a tight budget

travel lodges somtimes offer bargain rooms for 29 GBP from their website. Also try the Premier Travel Inns. There is a fantastically located PTI right at the base of the London Eye...Premier Travel Inn London County Hall. It shares the same building with the 5-star Marriott. That particular PTI might be out of your price range but there are others dotted around the city.

also the easyhotel group, formula1 group.Think some of the university let rooms in the summer break too.try the LSE

As previous poster mentioned, London School of Economics (LSE) has properties all over town and some are available to tourists until the 3rd or 4th week of September.

I stayed at Northumberland House last summer and it was excellent, but I think with the exchange rate a double might be about $40 to $60 USD more than you want to spend. I will mention Northumberland was in such a great location (1 block to Trafalgar Square) that I never had to buy a Tube pass or take a bus with the exception of the one day I travelled well outside the tourist areas. If you don't have any mobility issues, you can pretty much walk to all the major sights.

LSE's Northumberland House also has some perks that can save you a few dollars (cheap on-site laundromat, free internet, access to guest kitchen - other LSE properties offer free breakfast, Northumberland does not). If you take advantage of these, it might make up for the higher nightly cost and you'll be in a prime location.

I stayed at the tourst class Bayswayer Inn. Three blocks from the Bayswater Metro stop. They have a web site. Reviews are posted on tripadvisor.com

As said before the Travelodge chain is the accommodation bargain in Central London if you can get a saver rate of 19-49 GBP (less than $100). Rooms are similar to a good 3 star hotel but facilities like spacious lobbies, room service etc are lacking.
There is a group of B&B hotels opposite St Pancras Station. An ensuuite room with breakfast are available within your budget. Good ones are Montana Excel, Crestfield, Wardonia, California and Alhumbra

You can also try priceline.com "Name your own price". See this site to find out what prices people have been getting
http://p198.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding

the college rooms will be your best bet also YMCA 's The India YMCA could be intersting( was for me 10 years ago ) Fitzrovia Breakfast and dinner included about 50$ ten years ago as I remember

Why a hotel? How about a B & B with breakfast included and the home owner willing to answer your questions. A win-win situation. Try this website,
found right here on the Rick Steve's Graffiti Wall. http://www.londonbb.com/index.html

We are stying at here.
Elizabeth Hotel
37 Eccleston Square
London, SW1V 1PB
Tel: +44(20) 7828 6812
Fax: +44(20) 7828 6814
Web: http//www.elizabethhotel.com

The Ridgemount Hotel on Gower Street would be well within your budget. It is walking distance to the British Museum, the John Soanes, etc. Rooms are small but with ensuite bathrooms, and breakfast is generous and included.

Check out the Harlingford Hotel,the Jenkins Hotel and The Euro Hotel in Cartwright Gardens. Also St.Margarets in the same area.

I stay at the Charlotte Guest House in West Hampstead. It is an older place being upgraded. Rooms and bathrooms are clean. Breakfast is basic and filling. No frills; great rates; friendly staff. It is a five-minute walk from the Tube and 1/2 hr from almost everywhere.

Try www.otels.com
Lots of economical hotels
I would also recommend you look into B&B's.

I use Hotwire.com and got great results. Last time I got Hilton Wardorf in the heart of theatre district for $110 per night. I am heading to London in June and got the Sheraton for $89 a night.

You do take a gamble but I always pick a 3 or higher star hotel and have gotten Crowne Plaza, Radisson, Hilton, Hyatt, and this time Sheraton.