Jacquie and I are going to London after Unicon XIV. We’ll be there August 5-15. Like Denmark, London is notoriously expensive and I’m looking to see if anyone has recommendations for “nice” places to stay that aren’t too expensive. Preferrably near a tube station for getting around.
And we’re probably leaving the unicycles in Denmark while we’re there. That’s why I’m posting this in JC!
Note: This may be the first thread I’ve ever created here…
Hi John–
I’ve stayed in the Travel Inn hotels (now apparently called Premier Inns) in London, and had good experiences. The prices seem significantly higher now than I remember, but there you go.
The County Hall location is right across the river from the Houses of Parliament and next to the London Eye; the King’s Cross and Euston ones are steps from tube stations and easy walking to Bloomsbury/British Museum/Russell Square. Last time I was there I stayed at the Tower Bridge one, which was a bit of a walk to the tube but not bad.
You could also try a hostel if you’re looking to save money. The one at Holland Park is pretty nice, and they used to have “family” rooms that can give you the privacy that generally makes hostels less attractive to those of us well beyond our 20s.
yes a travel inn will never steer you wrong, but they’re incredibly lifeless and dull, designed for businessmen. You might like to try searching for B&Bs if you’re trying to save on the pennies, or contact the yha (youth hostel association) who have various locations in the city.
Also, I don’t know if this is common in other countries but for goodness sake don’t pay the standard rate. Even incredibly simple, non-aggresive bartering works wonders. The last hotel i stayed in in london was £235 a night, I was paying £120.
Thanks for the great advice! We picked one out, and we’ll be at the Park Plaza Victoria, 239 VAUXHALL BRIDGE ROAD. A good location and lots of good reviews on the place! Not so cheap, of course, but better than most of the others at their star level.
The haggling thing works great when you walk in the door, but the downside of this is finding a place with available rooms during peak tourist season. Also they’re giving you a discount on what is probably their highest rate. It depends on the place of course, but walk-ins usually don’t get the discounts. We looked up our hotel on several web sites, and even though the hotel’s own web site was a little bit higher, we went with them for the flexibility. If you book with Expedia, for instance, they charge your credit card instantly for the full amount. By booking through the hotel, we have direct communication with them, no charge until we show up, and the ability to change or cancel our reservation up until check-in time on our day of arrival!
Peter and Dave, Jacquie and I really appreciate the time you took to make your replies.