We’ve got people visiting us (sister in law and her 8 year old) and we’ll probably want to stay in London for a night or two to see the sights and do some touristy stuff. Any tips as to where to look for a hotel or guest house of some kind? Me and Mrs Grips have a 2 year old and a 1 month old ourselves, so I suppose we’ll need a hotel rather than a guest house.

I suppose it doesn’t matter that much where we stay, as long as it’s reasonably central..?

Budget?

Mint (In Westminster) gets good write ups. Very central, too. (Awesome beer pub just up the road too…!)

There’s a Travelodge somewhere around the the Eye, I think. Meant to be very good value.

We booked a family room here with a 2 year old:-

Club Quarters St Pauls

Great location. Had a kitchen in the suite and as it’s close to a couple of mini-supermarkets it was easy to sort out food. I’d stay again.

On a budget you might be interested in 146 apartments (as run by hotel 82)

they have serviced suites (i.e. 2 bed studio kind of things) a short walk from Baker street. Not sure how many beds they do though, but ring and ask.

http://www.hotel82london.com/studios.html

Oh.. budget.. well as cheap as possible without being minging. Last ‘cheap’ hotel me and Mrs stayed in was £60 near Paddington and it was a dingy boiling hot attic with springs poking through the mattress.

I suppose typical travelodge money, so under £100/night I suppose.

There’s a Travelodge somewhere around the the Eye, I think. Meant to be very good value.

The Waterloo one – probably the nicest rooms of any of the centralish London ones. Avoid the Covent Garden one, its terrible.

typical travelodge money, so under £100/night

that’d be “sheffield travelodge” rates eh? 😉

Thanks, Geoff. Wasn’t sure which it was! Don’t really use London hotels myself, you see!

(Hijack – Stoner, on the off chance you are in town this week, I find myself at a loose end for a Wednesday beer. Harp/Cask/A.M.Other….)

I mean travelodge in the rest of the country!

Just found Travelodge in Brentford, near Kew Bridge for £59/night. I’ll trade a short train journey for the hundreds of pounds I’d save.

Better start reading Robert Rankin before you come then 😉
Well, if you bring your bike and can escape you can come cycling in the Surrey Hills with us…

I sometimes stay at the Premier Inn in Edgware when working in London.

It is the last stop on the Northern line but does not take too long to get into town and you are guaranteed a seat on the tube.

If you book in advance you may get rooms for £29/night.

The staff are competent and friendly and you can park at the hotel.

You won’t get anything cheap or spacious in central London; the suggestion of staying out at the end of a tube line is the best. Alternatively look for apart hotels and book an apartment. We have several in Manchester and they’re fantastic.

I’m not asking for cheap, spacious and central.

I want something clean and relatively comfy that’s a short train ride away.

Are you coming in from the west? Brentford will be fine. Right in the river opposite Kew Gardens etc etc. Easy into Waterloo.

I’m not a fan of Travelodge, personally. Premier Inn are much more consistent.

Apart from the one I stayed in in Bradford, which had a pube on the sink, you are pretty much guaranteed a comfy stay in Premier Inn. County Hall (next to London Eye) is great.

London is a nightmare at the moment for hotels. I stayed in the Earl’s Court Ibis last week – great for parking, road & tube location, hideous rooms.

I want something clean and relatively comfy that’s a short train ride away.

Then ElfinLodge is the perfect answer! 😀

Not for the whole Moltribe though sadly. 🙁

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Brentford Lock – it’s a step up from the Travelodge but not much more money – or wasn’t when we stayed there. Kids loved it.

Stayed at the Earls Court Premier Inn last weekend – no parking, but a short stroll to the tube and was £220 for Friday and Saturday night. Clean and nice.

LSE vacations…might be out of season, just stayed at Holborn halls of resi round corner from covent garden and so on 50 quid a night buffet breakfast……..

Family rooms in YHA are top value and you are en suite and not sharing a room with backpackers, bunks in most but some have family rooms with doubles and bunks though. I’ve stayed at St Pancras a couple of times. Good enough for a place to sleep after doing sights and shows. Cots available.

I stay in london most weeks. Look on hotels.com and then trip advisor to choose a cheap and decent place. But you will need to avoid school holidays, xmas, chelsea flower show etc etc otherwise it will be very expensive. book in advance and don’t eat breakfast, often its poor value. I would not stay in the centre, too noisy, but stay in a quiet area….try docklands…….