I am getting a great deal to stay at a hotel near Heathrow. Yet with the tube taking almost an hour, and the Heathrow express costing 22 pounds per day with a discount, does it make sense to save the money for the hotel yet then pay for all the travel?
Agree - stay in London proper - it isn't worth spending all the money to get to Europe to then spend 2 hours each day commuting. I compare it with going to Chicago but staying near O'hare - it is a long ride into downtown Chicago and eats up a lot of time.
Matt,
There's probably a reason you're getting a "great deal" at the Heathrow Hotel. I suspect with the economic situation in the U.K., they're anxious to encourage ANY business possible.
For an accurate comparison, you'd have to add the return fares back and forth to London for the 10-days to determine if it is in fact a "great deal". You would also be reducing your touring time in London by about two hours each day.
I'd suggest getting a budget Hotel in London for 10-days, as it will probably be a better value in the end.
Happy travels!
Some other things to think about....if you like going back to your hotel after a long day, to rest, change, or whatever, before going out for the evening, you're out of luck.
You'll be traveling during "rush hour" and the tube will be packed.
Not much to do in the evening if you decided to return to your hotel and your choices for meals is limited.
Not worth staying that far away.
If you look in the Earl's Court, South Kensington, or Paddington areas, you can find some great deals.
Since I'm guessing the hotel at Heathrow was a larger, non-descript hotel, check out Premier Inns. They are a budget chain found all over England with numerous ones around London.
I've stayed in the Paddington area twice. Lots of budget hotels with 5 minute walk of Paddington station, and from Paddington the city is at your finger tips by Tube. If your looking for no frills super budget accommodations, check out easyHotel Paddington. Very cheap for London BUT no frills of any kind ( a small room with a bed and bathroom and that's pretty well it)
You can get some great deals on high end hotels using priceline and hotwire. betterbidding.com has many tips on how to take advantage of others results. I've seen 5* marriott grovesnor house in Mayfair being had for $130/night (dollars, not GBP) though usually it is closer to $170/night for most results, but easily can get 4* for under $120/night. Make sure to read their beginner section.
Matt,
We stayed in London 5 years ago at the Kensington Close Hotel. Great stay, good food, and only 3 blocks from the High Street Kensington Underground station. It was also close to Hyde Park and many other sites within walking distance. We had the same opportunity as you and am so glad we declined. Way too much time wasted in transit.
Good luck.
Matt, If you are going to be in London for 10 days why dont you look for an apartment. We stayed in London for 8 days recently in a wonderful House which was just near South Kensington Tube station. We were a party of 5 so the cost was very reasonable. There are plenty of websites that offer apartments. We used vrbo.com but there are others as well. An apartment gives you much more than a hotel room when you are staying for that period of time.