Hotel in London

[sellwingri]

We’re spending 2 days in London before our Sept cruise and are looking for a hotel that isn’t necessarily cheap but won’t break the bank; maybe $200 per night.  I’m having a heck of a time trying to figure out where to stay.  We hope to do some sightseeing, maybe on the red bus and the local area.  Anyone have a suggestion on what might work for us?  We’re 2 women in our early 60’s.

[puppycanducruise]

A few years ago we stayed at the Premier Inn Waterloo.

Affordable and handy to the London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the Parliament buildings etc.  We walked to a lot of sights. 

I think there were quite a few restaurants nearby too.

 

[markeb]

The Waterloo/Westminster area is probably worth a look. Premier Inn, Holiday Inn Express, etc., but who knows what rates will be for specific nights in September? And you'll want cancellable rates, unfortunately. With two days you need to stay close. And you need to look at transportation costs to the hotel, and from the hotel to your cruise. You can get there by Tube, but if unless you're cruising with only a carryon each, it probably won't be a lot of fun. 

 

For instance, just doing Google Maps right now, the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, where I've stayed, is a great hotel in a great location, and showing rates in March from $171. Will those be available in September? And do they really mean GBP? That rate may not include breakfast; the rates at the Premier Inns probably will. But the rooms at the Park Plaza are all suites. So you have to do some diligence in comparing. But there are multiple European/UK chains in that area, and it is convenient to what you're wanting to do. It's really a question of rates down the road.

 

And I'm assuming you're talking September 2021, not 2022. Because as much of a crap shoot as this September would be, who knows what hotel rates will look like in 2022...

[Turtles06]

8 hours ago, markeb said:

The Waterloo/Westminster area is probably worth a look. Premier Inn, Holiday Inn Express, etc., but who knows what rates will be for specific nights in September?

 

OP: also in that area  -- a couple of years ago we stayed at the Hampton Inn Waterloo.  More "upscale" than Hampton Inns in the U.S.  Was an easy walk to the Waterloo tube and rail stations, as well as the London Eye.  We also walked to Westminster Abbey from there.    Rates for a couple of randomly picked dates this September seem to be around $240 (some room categories more, some less).    London is not cheap!

[Cotswold Eagle]

11 hours ago, markeb said:

the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, where I've stayed, is a great hotel in a great location, and showing rates in March from $171. Will those be available in September? And do they really mean GBP?

That rate (around GBP 120) will be about right for current circumstances. England is still under a national stay at home order, hotels are only open for essential business travel and offering extremely limited services. It is planned that the economy will be fully open by September, so rates and circumstances will be very different. 
 

That said, because of the uncertainty, there are good fully refundable rates to be had, so no harm jumping on anything that offers a good price in September now. 

[John Bull]

There are other suitable areas in London, but I too think the Westminster Bridge / Waterloo area is the best for a short break - so very very convenient. Add Marriott County Hall and Premier Inn County Hall to those already mentioned (decades ago County Hall was the HQ of London County Council.)

On the doorstep are the London Eye, river cruises, the South Bank entertainment venues, riverside walks & watering holes / eateries. And by just crossing Westminster Bridge to Parliament Square for the Houses of Parliament/Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Churchill War Rooms, and the multiple sights (prime minister's residence, Horse Guards Parade, etc etc) on the walk up to Trafalgar Square.

These places and more very walkable except for the seriously unfit.

 

Nowhere in London is convenient for all the sights, but the main routes of both of the ho-ho operators run along York Road close to most of the hotels mentioned.

https://www.theoriginaltour.com/en/map-times

https://www.bigbustours.com/en/london/london-routes-and-tour-maps

 

And for more-in-depth visits, nowhere in central London is more than ten minutes by Tube (London's metro).

For much slower but relaxing travel, the river ferry calls at the Tower of London and Greenwich.

 

The area is also ideal for train travel to / from Southampton if that's your cruise port.

2 to 3 direct trains per hour, journey time about 90 minutes, fares from £20 or less if booked about 6 weeks out.

The only downside to this location is travel to / from Heathrow airport. By tube (and with luggage) is no fun, especially since it involves changes. Possible by taxi to London Victoria coach station (£15?) and frequent National Express bus to Heathrow, but probably worth splashing out about £50 for a private transfer car

 

Not all London hotels have air-conditioned rooms, even the large well-known ones. Rarely a problem in the UK but never say never.

Almost all hotels currently offer free cancelation, and in current circumstances that's imperative. Book now to ensure best choice & price.

We've just booked accommodation for a road-trip to Scotland in June. And same-again in September, in case June is frustrated by the current little difficulty.

 

Stay safe

 

JB 🙂

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by John Bull

[phabric]

We were 2 ladies in our late 60’ also.

 

I have stayed at Park Plaza Waterloo (1x) and Premier Inn Waterloo (3x).  The Premier Inn Waterloo is behind the Park Plaza Waterloo maybe by 1 building so in the same area. Premier Inn County and Park Plaza County are also very close.

 

The Premier Inn Waterloo has A/C, a bar and restaurant, Meal Plan (we took the breakfast plan), staff very friendly and helpful giving out directions, entrance to the hotel is street level.  You have to use your room key to operate the elevator.  We only used the room to sleep.

 

Premier Inn County has a few steps up at the entrance. Premier Inn County is across a small plaza from the Premier Inn Waterloo.

 

As others have said, restaurants, pubs, HOHO, regular bus, 2 tube stations, Waterloo train station, stores, Parliament, Thames River, London Eye, Westminster Abby all within walking distance.

 

I have used a car service www.justairports.com from/to LHR to my London hotel.  Rate is per car, use your hotel’s postal code to get a quote.

 

 

International Friends www.internationalfriends.co.uk goes on embarkment and disembarkment days from certain London Hotels, LHR hotels to Southampton with a stop at Stonehenge (purchase ticket through them) and Southampton to certain London hotels, LHR hotels, LHR with stops at Salisbury, Stonehenge and Windsor (purchase tickets through them).

 

International Friends is cheaper purchased through

www.londontoolkit.com

 

You can take a taxi from your hotel to National Express Victoria Coach station www.nationalexpress.com to take the Coach to Southampton and then a short taxi ride to the dock.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by phabric

[Ashland]

Rubens at the Palace is also a great location. But my all time favorite stay was a week post cruise at the Milestone....very nice !!!

[orchestrapal]

6 hours ago, Ashland said:

Rubens at the Palace is also a great location. But my all time favorite stay was a week post cruise at the Milestone....very nice !!!

Funny recommendation as Rubens @ 5 star hotel where breakfast for two would almost

eat up their £150/night budget.😿

[Ashland]

10 hours ago, orchestrapal said:

Funny recommendation as Rubens @ 5 star hotel where breakfast for two would almost

eat up their £150/night budget.😿

It's a great location...and that's what the OP was asking about.

Why would anyone staying there feel they have to eat breakfast there ?

Lot's of local options near by.

[gnome12]

10 hours ago, Ashland said:

It's a great location...and that's what the OP was asking about.

Why would anyone staying there feel they have to eat breakfast there ?

Lot's of local options near by.

The OP asked for a hotel that wouldn't break the bank, approximately $200 per night.

[Ashland]

19 hours ago, gnome12 said:

The OP asked for a hotel that wouldn't break the bank, approximately $200 per night.

Pricing, dates and type of room varies...just another option to consider for the OP...You never know what someone will decide to up their budget for.

[blrabbit]

We're (6 of us with 4 senior & 2 adults) arriving on 7/10 around noon and would like to just take express train form LHR to Paddington station and stay at Mercure London Hyde Park Hotel (£135). Will go to Southampton 8/10 for our cruise (Silhouette). We've 1 luggage & carryon each so it's possible to do with train or better to have transfer from airport to hotel & same for next day?

Thansk,

Bob

[cangelmd]

On 3/2/2021 at 10:08 PM, Turtles06 said:

 

OP: also in that area  -- a couple of years ago we stayed at the Hampton Inn Waterloo.  More "upscale" than Hampton Inns in the U.S.  Was an easy walk to the Waterloo tube and rail stations, as well as the London Eye.  We also walked to Westminster Abbey from there.    Rates for a couple of randomly picked dates this September seem to be around $240 (some room categories more, some less).    London is not cheap!

We also stayed at the Hampton Waterloo, it’s not far from Borough Market which we really enjoy and there are several local restaurants and some local shopping which was fun - like where you go get a pair of socks or a birthday gift - not touristy.

I will say I wouldn’t necessarily recommend to someone on a first visit to London, especially if there are mobility issues because it is on the south side of Thames and a lot of the tourist attractions are on the north.

Being close to a major tube station has advantages, less line switching, but be aware that they close the gates sometimes during rush hours because it’s so busy - much less likely now with Covid 

[geoherb]

We've stayed in three different areas on our three trips to London before cruises--once in Kensington, once in Waterloo, and once near Covent Garden. I planned our activities around the areas. From the hotel in Kensington, taking buses was the most convenient way to go to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Trafalgar Square. From Waterloo, we walked most places (the Globe Theatre, Tate Modern, Sky Garden) but took the Tube for going to shows and the Churchill War Rooms, Portobello Road Market, and British Museum. And when we stayed near Covent Garden, we walked to Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, and shows.

[Harters]

On 3/2/2021 at 7:09 PM, markeb said:

That rate may not include breakfast; the rates at the Premier Inns probably will. But the rooms at the Park Plaza are all suites.

My companion has stayed at the Park Plaza when in the capital for work. Since retirement, we now look for the cheaper option of a Premier Inn whenever we're travelling  round the country. The chain's rates do not include breakfast but that's available at around a very reasonable £8 per person.

 

I've not stayed at the Premier Inn Waterloo but have stayed several times at the County Hall hotel. They are , literally, a couple of minutes walk apart. Good location, IMO