Where to stay in London.

I like to stay at The Rembrandt Hotel. I like the location - it's across the street from the V&A Museum and a short walk to the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum. Plus Harrods is down the street with many restaurants (about a 15-20 minute walk). If you don't like to shop, Harrods has a great food hall. If you are planning to purchase tickets for the hop-on hop-off bus tour (The Big Bus Company), they have a stop a few feet from the hotel. South Kensington tube is less than a 10 minute walk. A big plus: They will hold your luggage if your plane arrives early and they usually allow you to check in around noon. Most rates include the full English breakfast (hot and cold food - a great way to start the morning). If you are looking for safety, I usually travel with other females or solo. I have always felt safe in and around this location.

We like to stay at the formaer Thistle Hotel in Victoria Station. It is now called the Grosvenor. Excellent location, with easy access to the tube and national rail services, good restaurants and some shops in the immediate area. (just a note- the UK uses the Great British Pound- not Euros)

It would be more convenient to stay in the "West End" (Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Theaters) from there you can walk to a large percentage of the sights- Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham palace, all the main shopping streets, and usually convenient to the main Tube lines. Check for mayfair, Leicester square, Piccadilly Circus.
At a pinch also try Oxford Street. If you are only in town for three days, you dont want to waste time on tubes etc- even Victoria is away from the main tourist sights Not sure what Olympics will do to prices but at your price range (in a normal year) you would have a wide selection of excellent hotels

Bayswater and South Kensington are both nice areas. The London Elizabeth Hotel....londonelizabethhotel.com.....is great it's a two minute walk from Lancaster Gate tube station, across the streest from Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park and around the corner from a great pub...The Swan.

We have stayed several times at the Hilton Green Park on Half Moon Street. We could walk to all of the main sites from there. For Mayfair, the prices are reasonable.

We have also stayed in the South Kensington area. We stayed at the Cronwe Plaza South Kensington (100 Cromwell). It is part of the Holiday Inn hotel chain. You earn Priority Club hotel points towards another visit at any Holidy Inn, Intercontinental, etc. hotels in the world. It is directly across the street from the Gloucester tube station. You can walk to Kensington Garden/Hyde Park. It is one tube stop away from Harrods' dept. store. They have great food at Harrod's food court (ground floor) and upstairs in their tea room or for their lunch buffett. We totally enjoyed staying at the Crowne Plaza.

Sue, We've stayed at the Kensington Close Hotel on Cheniston Gardens and Wrights Lane. Two blocks south of Kensington High St. and the High Street Kensington Tube station (mind the gap). They had full service, internet, and a decent breakfast (included). Close walk to Kensington Palace and Gardens, Hyde Park, Serpentine, Royal Albert Hall, Herrods, and the British Museum.

I stayed at Sanctuary House Hotel last year. It is right behind Westminster Abbey, and therefore very close to Parliament, the War Rooms, St. James's Park, Buckingham Palace, as well as the Abbey. It's very small but quite nice.

I have generally been happy with the places recommended in Rick Steves London guide book recognizing that the cheaper places suggested have reasons for being cheaper. At 250+ Euros/night you should have a pretty wide selection. At that point, look for locations that are convenient to locations of interest.