London--Bloomsbury Hotels

You might want to check SmoothHound.co.uk.

My wife and I walked around this area before we went in to the museum. It's a lovely neighborhood and I know it is a very popular place to stay, despite Rick not including it on his list. There is one hotel I am thinking of, but I can't quite place the name.

It's an area convenient to many parts of central London, I'd love to stay there sometime too. We stayed in South Kensington and loved it there.

I'm not saying Bloomsbury is a bad place to stay... but my memory of the area (I stayed in student housing back in the 1990s) was of gray Victorian buildings stained black by decades of pollution. Not exactly the cheeriest atmosphere in London, but you could easily do much worse. BTW, with the London Underground covering virtually the entire city, there really isn't any reason to pick lodging based on the proximity to an attraction. Personally, I'd choose a nicer neighborhood, like Chelsea, Knightsbridge or Mayfair, but that's just my preference.

The Lonely Planet London guidebook gives high marks to these two Bloomsbury B&Bs: Arosfa Hotel and the Arran House Hotel. In addition to its standard private rooms, the Arran House Hotel has some dorm-type rooms at hostel-like prices.

Hi. I just booked the Russell Hotel in Russell Square which I understand is across from the British Museum and walking distance to a lot of other nice areas.

Tom, the thing about Chelsea, Knightsbridge and Mayfair is that they are very posh areas of London and Bloomsbury, while not so posh, has many more affordable hotels. Besides I always rather like the idea of being in Virginia Woolfe's neighbourhood.

Thanks for all the good ideas. I stayed in Bloomsbury about 10 years ago at the Montague on the Gardens. Very lovely hotel now way out of my price range. The Staunton Hotel is also a bit too pricey, so I'm strongly considering the Ridgemount. Any thoughts now that I've narrowed it down?

I stayed at the Ridgemount in 2005 and found it to be just the ticket for us. The staff is very helpful, the breakfasts calorific & substantial, and the location ideal for what we wanted to do.

We've stayed at the Jenkins Hotel many times. It's in Bloomsbury and about a 5 min walk from the Russell Square tub station, and the Kings Cross and Euston train stations. The Jenkins is a small hotel with no lift, and most rooms have a small ensuite. We like the area, and have always felt safe staying there. (http://www.jenkinshotel.demon.co.uk/ )

Not sure if the price is in your range, but we've always been comfortable there.

I was going to recommend the Montague on the Gardens also. We stayed there four years ago, and it's now out of our price range too!
We happen to be spending Christmas in London right now. We have a more than decent and surprisingly quiet apartment near Trafalgar Square (two adults, two kids) and walked to the British Museum the other day. Good luck, and have fun!

I actually think I'm going to take Rick's suggestion and stay down in the Victoria Station area, at one of the guesthouses that include breakfast. They seem to be of a higher standard than similar establishments in Russell Square area, judging by traveler photos on TripAdvisor.com. I also found a good deal at the Millennium Bailey's, but am hesitant to research yet another area of London!