Anyone stayed at the Rembrandt, Crown Plaza St.James or the Hilton Kensington. Opinion with respect to the hotel and the location, is Hilton Kensington out of the way, rooms and price are very good but location may be iffy.
Posted by
Boulder, CO, USA
780 posts
I would say that the Hilton Kensington is about 15-20 minutes west of central London on the Central tube line, near the Shepards Bush tube station. You can transfer off Central onto many other lines to get to where you want to go.
Shepards Bush is a decent area. More suburban than historical city center.
Posted by
Trenton, GA, USA
10 posts
Ron, my husband and I were set to stay at the Hilton Kensington and then our travel agent really recommended against it. According to her, it is really out of the way. She instead directed us to the Days Inn Westminster (for $300 cheaper) and said it was right in the heart of the action. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or bad-- but we booked it. Wish us luck!! Bobbie
Posted by
Boulder, CO, USA
780 posts
15-20 minutes to the center of London isnt really that far to travel.
I cant imagine taking a trip to London and only staying within a certain perimeter!
There is so much to see and do all around you, why keep yourself centralized? Thats contradictive of Rick Steves "through the back door" travels...
Posted by
Freedonia
16278 posts
Of the three, the Hilton Kensington would be the last choice. The location is Shepherd's Bush..a middle class area that can be a little iffy at night. Plus, it's your standard boxed Hilton. Not much character.
The Rembrandt is near the South Kensington tube station, lots of character, plenty of restaurants and shops within walking distance. I like this area. This tube station is on the Piccadilly line that runs to Heathrow
The Crown Plaza St. James is near Buck House and very centrally located. I actually prefer staying a little further out and in more of a residential area which is why I would suggest the Rembrandt.
Posted by
BC, Canada
345 posts
With having spent a month in London in the last bit, I'd recommend NOT choosing where to stay based on having a tube line nearby. It's nice, but frequent closures mean you may be using buses more than expected. Check carefully into the bus routes too. While bus replacement routes may run, they don't always. The closures are worse at weekends, but can happen during the week too.
Posted by
Yorkshire, UK
264 posts
Ron - I would agree with comments about the Hilton. It was a nice room, especially at 59 pounds from Priceline; however, it is a little out there. Basically there is a tube stop pretty close, but it is an overground station that is a spur of the district line (i believe). It runs 2 to 3 times an hour. If you want more frequent service you need to walk 10-15 minutes to Earls Court or Kensington High Street. THere is a big tesco nearby though.