London Hotels

[Alaska05]

1 hour ago, Globaliser said:

 

In the past, there certainly have been ATMs in London that will dispense euros, so I wouldn't be surprised if some can still be found. However, there are rather fewer normal ATMs than there used to be (because rather fewer people now use cash at all - both in the UK and in much of the eurozone), so the same may well apply to €-dispensing ATMs. And it's almost certain that even if you find one, it will charge you handsomely if you use it.

Thank you.

 

Unfortunately after we leave London and board our cruise, our first stop is in France and the private tour I booked with some fellow passengers does not take credit cards — only cash. 
 

Guess I will have to order some Euros before we leave from the U.S.  Obviously won’t get a good rate plus fees.

[Cotswold Eagle]

6 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

In the past, there certainly have been ATMs in London that will dispense euros, so I wouldn't be surprised if some can still be found. However, there are rather fewer normal ATMs than there used to be (because rather fewer people now use cash at all - both in the UK and in much of the eurozone), so the same may well apply to €-dispensing ATMs. And it's almost certain that even if you find one, it will charge you handsomely if you use it.

Crikey, this is a question we haven’t had for a while! A lot (all?) of the multi-currency ATMs in central London were owned by Raphael’s Bank, which rather quietly concluded its slide into liquidation in 2020. I don’t know of them being replaced, but I haven’t really looked at any ATMs since then anyway.  
I expect there will still be some at the airports run by the forex firms (TravelEx at LHR, Change Group at LGW?)
But as you say it will be an expensive route, as they will charge (and take the margin) for a double exchange - USD to GBP, then GBP to EUR.

[Globaliser]

It looks like LINK has an ATM map that will show you ATMs that dispense non-GBP cash: https://www.link.co.uk/cash-locator - you need to set the appropriate filters.

 

(For those who don't know, one of the things that LINK does is enable us to get cash from any bank or building society's ATMs, regardless of whose customer we are - so LINK has an interest in identifying all connected ATMs.)

[Alaska05]

22 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

It looks like LINK has an ATM map that will show you ATMs that dispense non-GBP cash: https://www.link.co.uk/cash-locator - you need to set the appropriate filters.

 

(For those who don't know, one of the things that LINK does is enable us to get cash from any bank or building society's ATMs, regardless of whose customer we are - so LINK has an interest in identifying all connected ATMs.)

Thank you!

[SkippersCruisersMN]

We are back from our cruise on the Anthem of the Seas and wanted to share about our pre-cruise hotel experience.  We stayed at the H10 Hotel Waterloo. We took an uber from the airport to this hotel. We found the hotel clean and on par with our typical Hampton Inn and Marriot experiences here in the US if not a little elevated. They had fluffy robes and slippers in our room as well as complementary cookies and waters. They also provided us with a free coupon each for the rooftop bar. The hotel had a bar in the lobby, a restaurant on the second floor and a bar/restaurant on the rooftop. The menus were all similar but tasty. The hotel free wifi worked well. We did have some issues with our air conditioner and they came to try to fix it twice but unfortunately the fixes only lasted a few hours so it was a little warm in our room. We felt safe in the area of the hotel. We walked about 25 minutes to Borough Market and to Big Ben. We also walked to the Sidings for dinner one night. The biggest reason we picked this hotel was because we were able to walk to the Waterloo train station from here. 

[Globaliser]

On 8/1/2024 at 3:11 PM, Globaliser said:

It looks like LINK has an ATM map that will show you ATMs that dispense non-GBP cash: https://www.link.co.uk/cash-locator - you need to set the appropriate filters.

 

I gave this a random try today when I was out shopping. There was indeed a forex-dispensing ATM exactly where the LINK map said there would be, and it was offering the stated currencies.

 

However, I wasn't prepared to go far enough into the cash-requesting process to see whether it would tell me how much I would be charged and in what currency before actually completing the transaction. So as it was a Travelex machine, I will stick to my presumption of "rip-off rates".

[fruitmachine]

12 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

However, I wasn't prepared to go far enough into the cash-requesting process to see whether it would tell me how much I would be charged and in what currency before actually completing the transaction. So as it was a Travelex machine, I will stick to my presumption of "rip-off rates".

A good assumption!  They do say that they "charge no fees". 

 

The big question is whether they allow the transaction to be sent to your own bank in Euros, or force it through a poor exchange rate and charge only in your card currency.  If the former then, just like the universal advice to select the "local currency" option when paying abroad, you should take that and get your own bank to do the conversion.

[ciera123]

On 8/2/2024 at 5:27 AM, SkippersCruisersMN said:

We are back from our cruise on the Anthem of the Seas and wanted to share about our pre-cruise hotel experience.  We stayed at the H10 Hotel Waterloo. We took an uber from the airport to this hotel. We found the hotel clean and on par with our typical Hampton Inn and Marriot experiences here in the US if not a little elevated. They had fluffy robes and slippers in our room as well as complementary cookies and waters. They also provided us with a free coupon each for the rooftop bar. The hotel had a bar in the lobby, a restaurant on the second floor and a bar/restaurant on the rooftop. The menus were all similar but tasty. The hotel free wifi worked well. We did have some issues with our air conditioner and they came to try to fix it twice but unfortunately the fixes only lasted a few hours so it was a little warm in our room. We felt safe in the area of the hotel. We walked about 25 minutes to Borough Market and to Big Ben. We also walked to the Sidings for dinner one night. The biggest reason we picked this hotel was because we were able to walk to the Waterloo train station from here. 

So glad to hear this about the H10 Hotel Waterloo, as we have it reserved for next July pre-cruise. 😊

[CruisinMama7]

Does anybody have any recent knowledge about the The Resident Victoria hotel located near the Victoria Coach Station?  They are one of the few London hotels that has both air conditioning and a mini-fridge.  I was curious if they had an elevator / lift since I have trouble with stairs, especially with luggage in tow.  Any help is appreciated and TIA!

[EuroDate20]

Hotel recommendations please.  My sister and I will be staying 2 nights in London.  We'll be visiting London post cruise from Southampton.  We have tickets to tour an area of Buckingham Palace through the Royal Collection Trust on our only full day in London.  The following morning, we have tickets on the Heathrow Express to the airport.  

 

What hotels are convenient to the Underground for our trip to Buckingham Palace and to get to the Heathrow Express?  We hope to find something on the scale of a Hyatt or Marriott.   I'm tentatively booked at the Hotel Indigo Paddington, but I'm searching for something more convenient.   Many thanks for your insight and advice!  

[Post Captain]

12 hours ago, EuroDate20 said:

What hotels are convenient to the Underground for our trip to Buckingham Palace and to get to the Heathrow Express?  We hope to find something on the scale of a Hyatt or Marriott....

 

The layout of London is such that you can't be "close" to both Paddington Station and Buckingham Palace at the same time.  However,  London's public transport system is so extensive that the large majority of Central London hotels are within walking distance of a tube station, making travel to Paddington Station and the vicinity of Buckingham Palace fairly straightforward.

 

Personally, the Paddington area would not be my first choice simply because it's not an especially interesting and attractive area and is a bit removed from "tourist" London. (With apologies to those who may live in the neighbourhood, Paddington Station in itself isn't enough of a draw to make me want to stay there unless I had to catch a train first thing the next morning... And even then, I'd simply stay somewhere else close to the Elizabeth line or to the District or Piccadilly lines.)

 

Purely in terms of location, and sticking to Hyatt and/or Marriott hotels, I'd consider the following (in no particular order):

 

--- Great Scotland Yard Hotel (Hyatt)

--- Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars

--- Hyatt Regency London -- The Churchill

--- St Ermin's Hotel (Marriott Autograph Collection)

--- London Marriott Hotel County Hall

 

Please note--I have no personal experience of any of these, so they're not recommendations as such; I'm simply going by location and by general reputation. That said, if they suited my budget and I was looking to stay in a Hyatt or Marriott , I wouldn't hesitate to book any of them. (I assume you are looking to book a Hyatt or Marriott specifically using points? Otherwise, there are so many other options beyond the Hyatt and Marriott chains.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[EuroDate20]

Hi Post Captain,

Many thanks for your extensive reply.  I'm not using hotel points for this stay, but I belong to their loyalty programs and used them as an example of the type of hotel I'm looking for.   I'm open to other brands.

 

Initially,  I reserved the Hotel Indigo Paddington thinking that we can take the Circle Line to St. James Park Station where we can walk to Gate C for our Buckingham Palace tour.  I thought the following morning we can walk to take the Heathrow Express to the airport.  Seemed like a good plan at the time.  I don't know much of anything about the Paddington area.  I'm now hoping for a better plan.  I'm extremely grateful for any advice.  💙

[Post Captain]

20 hours ago, CruisinMama7 said:

Does anybody have any recent knowledge about the The Resident Victoria hotel located near the Victoria Coach Station?  They are one of the few London hotels that has both air conditioning and a mini-fridge.  I was curious if they had an elevator / lift since I have trouble with stairs, especially with luggage in tow.  Any help is appreciated and TIA!

 

No direct personal knowledge, but their listing on Booking.com indicates that the hotel does have a lift/elevator. (I've stayed in my share of small independentLondon hotels in old Georgian buildings without lifts, where one accessed upper-floor rooms via narrow, creaky staircases. But Resident is a fairly upscale brand, and I would expect that all Resident hotels would have them.)

[markeb]

A thought that might be worth researching. Not discounting Post Captain's thoughts that are excellent.

 

The Marriott Grosvenor Square. It's in Mayfair. It is literally a 10 minute walk, even with bags, from the Elizabeth Line entrance/exit from the Bond Street station. You have convenient Tube access to get to Buckingham Palace (some walking involved; the Underground is accessible from the same entrance, but it's more of a walk). There's a lot to do in the area. And, the Elizabeth line will take you directly to Heathrow T 2&3 from the same station for about half the cost of a walk up Heathrow Express ticket. If you already have a cheap advance purchase ticket on the HEX, Paddington is one stop on the Elizabeth line.

 

I've stayed there and am staying there again in November. It's a nice hotel, and it's really convenient. The Elizabeth Line just makes it even more so.

[Post Captain]

2 hours ago, EuroDate20 said:

Hi Post Captain,

Many thanks for your extensive reply.  I'm not using hotel points for this stay, but I belong to their loyalty programs and used them as an example of the type of hotel I'm looking for.   I'm open to other brands.

 

Initially,  I reserved the Hotel Indigo Paddington thinking that we can take the Circle Line to St. James Park Station where we can walk to Gate C for our Buckingham Palace tour.  I thought the following morning we can walk to take the Heathrow Express to the airport.  Seemed like a good plan at the time.  I don't know much of anything about the Paddington area.  I'm now hoping for a better plan.  I'm extremely grateful for any advice.  💙

 

The Indigo Paddington is probably fine for your purposes for a two-night stay, and your initial plan would work, especially if you have a morning flight out of Heathrow. It's just that I've always found the area somewhat blah (for want of a better word) and a bit down-market, not "London-y" enough. But I'm probably thinking of what it was like 20 or 30 (or more!) years ago. (I've passed through Paddington Station numerous times, but otherwise haven't explored the surrounding neighbourhood in years. For all I know, it could be a hipster haven nowadays.)

 

London hotel prices are dynamic, like airline prices, and I don't know your budget nor when you're going to be in London. I suspect the Indigo Paddington is slightly cheaper than comparable hotels in more central locations.

 

 

That said, you might want to consider some other options. Hotel brands roughly comparable to Hyatt and Marriott include Residence, Apex, maybe Novotel or Pullman (both part of Accor group, the world's largest hotel group, with brands ranging from the basic, budget Ibis properties to historic hotels such as the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec.)  And there's always Hilton.

 

You might like one of the "old" but modernized railway hotels such as the Clermont Charing Cross, right around the corner from Trafalgar Square--and about a 20-minutes walk to Buckingham Palace.

 

If you prefer a boutique property, check the Rookery and the Malmaison, both located in Farringdon, one of my favorite parts of London (historic and fascinating, and a bit off the beaten tourist path but easily accessible). Both hotels are close to Farringdon station, from where you can catch the Circle line Underground to Paddington or an Elizabeth line train direct to Heathrow.

And if you're just looking for a clean, comfortable, well-run modern budget/mid-price chain hotel, don't overlook the Premier Inn chain. PI is  somewhat similar to Holiday Inn or Hampton Inns in the States, but better (IMHO). Don't expect luxury, individuality, or full service, and you won't be disappointed. I've had only positive experiences at all the PI properties where I've stayed, both in London and in other part of the UK. There are a dozen or more Premier Inns throughout London, some more centrally located than others. They can only be booked though the Premier Inn website, although you will find them listed and reviewed on Tripadvisor. Premier Inn County Hall seems to be a particular favorite of folks on Cruise Critic.

 

Finally, speaking of Tripadvisor (Cruise Critic's sister site): I find their hotel search engine extremely useful and comprehensive for finding and comparing London hotels and narrowing down my options. Use the "Neighborhoods" tool to help with your search. For your purposes, I suggest clicking Clerkenwell (only if you're interested in the Rookery, the Malmaison, or the  Smithfield/Farringdon Premier Inn), Bloomsbury, Holborn (maybe), Southbank (if interested in the County Hall and Waterloo Premier Inns), Victoria (maybe), Covent Garden, Westminster (maybe?), Euston/King's Cross/St Pancras, and Trafalgar Square/Embankment.

 

If you come up with a shortlist, post it here and I'll try to give a brief opinion on each as regards location, transportation options, and any possible pros & cons I'm aware of.

[fruitmachine]

On 8/7/2024 at 5:12 AM, EuroDate20 said:

 I'm tentatively booked at the Hotel Indigo Paddington, but I'm searching for something more convenient.

There is only one hotel in London that I actively discourage people from staying in, and it is this one!  I had a nightmare experience after booking four rooms as a treat for my family when we were going to my niece's 21st birthday.  Anything and everything that could go wrong did!

 

Despite promising (in writing) a refund of our first night they never processed it and I had to resort to obtaining this via our credit card company.

 

If you want the blow-by-blow review, search for "toothpaste" in their TripAdvisor reviews!

[Globaliser]

On 8/7/2024 at 5:12 AM, EuroDate20 said:

The following morning, we have tickets on the Heathrow Express to the airport.

 

If you're going to be doing things in central London the day before, I would advise ignoring the fact that you have Heathrow Express tickets when you pick a hotel or a location for a hotel. Presumably you go them cheaply? If so, be prepared to just junk them. There are plenty of hotels in convenient locations (some of which have already been mentioned) from which you are better off taking a different route to Heathrow. There really aren't many good reasons to haul yourself out from central London to Paddington, only to change trains there to go to Heathrow.

[EuroDate20]

Ugh!  I read Fruitmachine's review of the Hotel Indigo Paddington and the conditions were unacceptable!

 

I'm now considering the Clermont Charing Cross Hotel.  It seems close to Buckingham Palace.  On our morning of departure, it seems we can take the Underground or a taxi to Tottenham Court Road Station where we can transfer over to the Elizabeth Line for Heathrow Airport.  If it's not too costly, we would choose the taxi to Tottenham Court Road station for convenience and ease with luggage.  Does that sound feasible?  

 

Thank you all!

[d9704011]

9 minutes ago, EuroDate20 said:

Ugh!  I read Fruitmachine's review of the Hotel Indigo Paddington and the conditions were unacceptable!

 

I'm now considering the Clermont Charing Cross Hotel.  It seems close to Buckingham Palace.  On our morning of departure, it seems we can take the Underground or a taxi to Tottenham Court Road Station where we can transfer over to the Elizabeth Line for Heathrow Airport.  If it's not too costly, we would choose the taxi to Tottenham Court Road station for convenience and ease with luggage.  Does that sound feasible?  

 

Thank you all!

Recently, we stayed at Clermont Charing Cross and very much enjoyed it.  Book a room with breakfast.

 

Best to walk to Embankment Station (easy two minutes), take Northern Line to Leicester Square and transfer to Picadilly Line (Terminal 5) for Heathrow.

[markeb]

39 minutes ago, EuroDate20 said:

Ugh!  I read Fruitmachine's review of the Hotel Indigo Paddington and the conditions were unacceptable!

 

I'm now considering the Clermont Charing Cross Hotel.  It seems close to Buckingham Palace.  On our morning of departure, it seems we can take the Underground or a taxi to Tottenham Court Road Station where we can transfer over to the Elizabeth Line for Heathrow Airport.  If it's not too costly, we would choose the taxi to Tottenham Court Road station for convenience and ease with luggage.  Does that sound feasible?  

 

Thank you all!

 

Yes. 

 

I have not stayed at the Clermont. My wife and I stayed at the then simply Charing Cross Hotel on our first trip to London, a very long time ago...

 

The location is wonderful. You're almost in Trafalgar Square. It's a simple walk to the Thames (kind of a weird walk; wouldn't necessarily do it with bags...), and a very short walk to Westminster Palace and Westminster Abbey.  I know nothing about the current Clermont, but it's a great location.

 

I'll defer to others on the ease of transferring at Tottenham Court. I don't believe I've done that.

[Globaliser]

On 8/9/2024 at 12:37 AM, EuroDate20 said:

I'm now considering the Clermont Charing Cross Hotel.  It seems close to Buckingham Palace.  On our morning of departure, it seems we can take the Underground or a taxi to Tottenham Court Road Station where we can transfer over to the Elizabeth Line for Heathrow Airport.  If it's not too costly, we would choose the taxi to Tottenham Court Road station for convenience and ease with luggage.  Does that sound feasible?

 

On 8/9/2024 at 12:49 AM, d9704011 said:

Best to walk to Embankment Station (easy two minutes), take Northern Line to Leicester Square and transfer to Picadilly Line (Terminal 5) for Heathrow.

 

On 8/9/2024 at 1:20 AM, markeb said:

I'll defer to others on the ease of transferring at Tottenham Court Road. I don't believe I've done that.

 

If you're fit and mobile enough to take the Tube, then the obvious (to me) route from this hotel is to walk down the hill to Embankment Tube, take the westbound District Line to Barons Court, and cross-platform change (about 10 feet) to the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow. The primary disadvantage of this is that at Embankment you'd have to carry your bags down one level from the ticket hall to the westbound District Line platform - it's about the height of 1½ stories of a domestic house. Without a doubt, this is what I would do.

 

The Northern Line from Embankment or Charing Cross to Tottenham Court Road, and then changing there to the Elizabeth Line, is feasible. But at either Embankment or Charing Cross, there'll be some luggage wrangling involved. Changing at Tottenham Court Road involves quite a bit of walking and probably a number of lifts (or escalators, if you dare) - but I don't know the new routes well enough to be sure of how many. Other disadvantages include a lower frequency of trains and the extra cost.

 

Changing from the Northern Line to the Piccadilly Line at Leicester Square with luggage doesn't seem to me to have any advantages over either of those options.

 

If you're going to take a taxi from the hotel to Tottenham Court Road Elizabeth Line, it may be worth asking the driver to take you up to the very top end of Dean Street, where the western Elizabeth Line entrance is located. It's in a quiet dead end street, and there will be much less hassle and pressure when you get out of the cab, compared to trying to get out of the cab on either Charing Cross Road or Oxford Street if you use the eastern entrances. The entrance itself is also distinctly less busy and much more pleasant to use.

[Globaliser]

On 8/9/2024 at 12:49 AM, d9704011 said:

Book a room with breakfast.

 

What would be the advantage of this? Unless there's something particularly wonderful about this hotel breakfast, there are a large number of good and varied options within a few minutes' walk from the hotel. Amongst other things, a branch of Gail's has just opened at 437 Strand (on the north side of the road in the Coutts building) - and I mention that only because it's new.

[EuroDate20]

A change of plans...

 

After looking further and getting input from a family member, I booked with the Riu Plaza London Victoria.  The rate was less, the reviews were positive, and it's about a 20 minutes' walk to the King's Gallery where we'll start with tour from Royal Collection Trust.   

 

Victoria Station is close by.  I'm thinking we'll have to take a train to a station where we'll transfer to the Circle Line to get to Heathrow Express in Paddington to LHR.  Are there any other options that are less hassle or more efficient?  We'll be lugging one full sized suitcase and a backpack each.

 

What are your thoughts?  I apologize for my premature hotel selection.

[d9704011]

4 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

What would be the advantage of this? Unless there's something particularly wonderful about this hotel breakfast, there are a large number of good and varied options within a few minutes' walk from the hotel. Amongst other things, a branch of Gail's has just opened at 437 Strand (on the north side of the road in the Coutts building) - and I mention that only because it's new.

Everybody has their own opinion and preferences.  I like to have my breakfast at the hotel whenever possible to avoid having to go out and 'find' one in the morning.  This permits me to return to my room, clean up and hit the pavements all fresh, clean and fed.  Clermont Charing Cross additional cost for breakfast (at least for us) was reasonable and the buffet offered and service were excellent.

 

Of course, if one wishes to forage and experiment, they're free to do so.

[Globaliser]

2 minutes ago, EuroDate20 said:

Victoria Station is close by.  I'm thinking we'll have to take a train to a station where we'll transfer to the Circle Line to get to Heathrow Express in Paddington to LHR.  Are there any other options that are less hassle or more efficient?

 

There's step-free access down to the westbound District Line. Take that to Barons Court. Change cross-platform to the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow.

 

It's worth noting that Wimbledon trains don't go to Barons Court, so it's easiest simply to avoid those. (The same with the occasional trains heading to Parsons Green and Kensington Olympia.) Also don't get on a Circle Line train by accident, as they don't go to Barons Court either. But the majority of trains will.