London hotels?.. help, please...

[Mike]

.. not for us, this time, but for my parents who (bless them!) want to take my teenage kids to the capital for a few days in August.

They want somewhere central, close to a tube station on one of the main lines, in a pleasant area so they can come and go at night without stress.

Clean and tidy rather than grand and well-equipped.. your personal recommendations would be appreciated folks.

Thanks,

Mike :smile:

[spider]

The Strand Palace was nice, went there for my 40th, 3 years ago.

Very central for Covent Garden, theatres, loads of buses up and down the Strand, near to Charing Cross.

[Rio]

I stayed at the Russel Hotel in Russel Square last year and it was a lovely hotel and right next door to the tube station and just a 5 minute walk from Euston Station. The area was nice ( we knew this as there was no Mc Donalds!!...lol). The hotel was used by Pete Burns when he was making the tv show Pete Burns' PA.
I think I booked through Hotal Stay and got 2 nights B&B for £140.
I was up there for a wedding in february and stayed at a guest house in Islington which was clean with a good breakfast and lovely owners but not really close to any tube station though the buses ran from the top of the road.
Love Rio

[birchco]

We stayed in The Thistle Barbican. Clean and tidy and around 10 mins by taxi from Liverpool Street, close to Euston too from what I can remember. We went out in the evenings and arrived home late and felt safe.
Debbie

[nmurray]

We tend to stay beside Euston station - easy for rail and underground links. We have stayed at Thistle Euston and Ibis - both right next to the station and they are reasonably priced.

[Enright78]

I must admit I would avoid the Strand Palace, stayed there about two years ago and didn't really rate it. We tend to use either Bailey's or the Holiday Inn Kensington Plaza, both within a few hundred yards of Gloucester Road tube, nice snack places and restaurants very close by. We get good deals threough Hotels.com and the Holiday Inn website

[AndyJ]

I didn't see any mention of budget, but my personal favourite London hotel to date is The Howard, Temple Place.

Tube station right outside, breathtaking views - arguably the best in London.

Eat out though, not worth the money IMHO.

[Mike]

Cheers everyone. I'll have a look at these suggestions.

Mike :)

[Hal]

I don't stay in many London hotels myself - coals to Newcastle and all that - but I would never recommend the Strand Palace, and this is the first time I can recollect ever seeing anyone recommend it. Its location is excellent - however it has a reputation as a tired dirty rundown 2-star.

I am helping to organise a big event in June and we are recommending the Hilton Tower Bridge to people. Its a modern 4-star hotel on the south bank of the Thames, between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, next to the London Assembly building. Its near the Tower of London, St. Katherine's Dock, Butlers Wharf, Borough Market, London Dungeons, London Bridge Experience, Vinopolis, The Clink, and a short walk further will get you to The Globe, Tate Modern, and St Pauls. Nearest tube station is London Bridge, which will get you into the West End on the Jubilee line in minutes (or out to The O2 for King Tut etc.). Rooms from £99 per night, DBB rates from £129 or so.

:wavey:

[I love walmart]

I don't stay in many London hotels myself - coals to Newcastle and all that - but I would never recommend the Strand Palace, and this is the first time I can recollect ever seeing anyone recommend it. Its location is excellent - however it has a reputation as a tired dirty rundown 2-star.

I am helping to organise a big event in June and we are recommending the Hilton Tower Bridge to people. Its a modern 4-star hotel on the south bank of the Thames, between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, next to the London Assembly building. Its near the Tower of London, St. Katherine's Dock, Butlers Wharf, Borough Market, London Dungeons, London Bridge Experience, Vinopolis, The Clink, and a short walk further will get you to The Globe, Tate Modern, and St Pauls. Nearest tube station is London Bridge, which will get you into the West End on the Jubilee line in minutes (or out to The O2 for King Tut etc.). Rooms from £99 per night, DBB rates from £129 or so.

:wavey:

I actually booked my sister a room at The Strand Palace after reading a reccomendation here and pretty good things on Trip Advisor and she loved it! They are having a big refurb and she said the old rooms were blocked off and people were only going in the new rooms. I never went inside but did meet her outside and it was a fab location.
I think whatever you decide on be sure to look it up on the Trip Advisor website. I looked up several before deciding on the Strand Palace. Some places you presume will be good aren't neccessarily, I read some really bad reviews of a Hilton in London.

[Hal]

Your post confused me because I thought at first that it was a photo of the refurbished Strand Palace Hotel and I though crumbs that does look very nice - then I realised it was your Orlando villa! LOL.

I just looked up Tripadvisor as I was happy to be wrong, but the reviews there appear at best mixed - I only looked at the first three - I'll leave the rest to others looking at going there. I am pleased that your sister had a good experience there anyway. :wavey:


AVOID!!!!”
The Strand Palace Hotel

Pers_07
LoMar 9, 2008
This is the worst hotel I have ever stayed in. It only looks good at the reception areas, everywhere above it looks spooky, as a cheap, worn out hostel.
Location: makes it impossible to sleep at night. It is noisy, noisy and noisy.
Inside: Decor old, some places being renovated, instead of a lift- empty hole, rooms doors as it broken into 100 hundred times.
The hotel has got restaurants open to the public and ticket booking place, thus plenty of weird looking people in the reception areas, which are connected to room floors. General feeling of being unsafe.
At night I could hear all conversations of my neighbours as if they were coming from the middle of my head. This acoustic effect was in fact quite interesting, as I was wondering how on earth it was possible.
Reception: staff reciting nice formulas, but when I asked second time to be moved to another room, the lady got 'a bit angry'... I would have moved somewhere else, but it was too late to search.
Please, avoid. There are one hundred better places in London.
__________________________________________________ _______

“A Decent Place”
The Strand Palace Hotel

DChapman
London,UKMar 6, 2008
Expected much less after reading some of the reviews but was quite pleased upon arrival and even more pleased with room. Room was clean, good size bed and a large bathroom. As expected in European hotels no bath cloths were provided but otherwise all other bath amenities were present. Lobby was quite nice and location was perfect being close to subway and to Covent Garden as well as major theaters. Rates were very good for London. Good choice.

This TripAdvisor Member:
Liked — Location, room state and size, lobby
Disliked — heating arrangement, television options

__________________________________________________ _______


“What A Letdown!!!!”
The Strand Palace Hotel

northernlad_7
newcastleMar 4, 2008
I booked the Strand Palace for a 2 night weekend stay in Feb/Mar 2008. Having read the hotel's website, it stated that it had undergone a multi-million pound refurbishment. I therefore emailed the hotel in advance and requested a room in the refurbished area of the hotel. I received an email from the reservation manager stating that although I had booked a Standard Single, she had requested a Club Single, but that this could not be guaranteed.

On arrival at check-in there was a delay. Having presented my details and the email to the receptionist, he went away for several minutes before returning and allocating me ROOM 782.

On entering the room, I was totally amazed!!!! it seemed like I was entering a linen cupboard it was so minute!!!. It was furnished with tatty furniture and was badly in need of redecoration. The bathroom was small, grimey and the plughole was full of hair and soapscum!

[etc..., etc...., etc....]

.........

Book this hotel with caution...there are better places in London!!!!

NB pix are of the bigger room (569)

ALSO Reception told me its only the CLUB ROOMS that are refurbished!!!

This TripAdvisor Member:
Liked — Nothing
Disliked — everything

[mrs rcch]

Have you thought about Travelodge, they have some good prices, at the moment, We stayed at London City Airport, but you never heard any noise, just a 5 minute walk to the light railway, which travels through Canary Wharf, then changes to the underground. The hotel was clean and the staff very helpful. Hope this helps

[I love walmart]

Thanks for posting the reviews Hal. That first one really made me laugh! (not the intention I know). It seems to have very mixed reviews doesn't it? I bet my sister was saying to me "Yeah it was great!" while she was typing out that first review! LOL

[ann&les]

I am helping to organise a big event in June and we are recommending the Hilton Tower Bridge to people. Its a modern 4-star hotel on the south bank of the Thames, between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, next to the London Assembly building. Its near the Tower of London, St. Katherine's Dock, Butlers Wharf, Borough Market, London Dungeons, London Bridge Experience, Vinopolis, The Clink, and a short walk further will get you to The Globe, Tate Modern, and St Pauls. Nearest tube station is London Bridge, which will get you into the West End on the Jubilee line in minutes (or out to The O2 for King Tut etc.). Rooms from £99 per night, DBB rates from £129 or so.

:wavey:


Can also recommend the London Bridge Hotel, which is close to everything in Hals post above as well. Right by London Bridge Tube, minutes from London Dungeon, Borough Market etc.

[dazjo]

We stayed at the Ibis in January it is just across the road from Euston Station. It was very clean and was having all the rooms refurb while we were there. We didnt eat in the hotel as we chose to go out but I would recommend this hotel. We paid £177.75 for Fri-Mon in January.