Trouble finding a hotel!
 

Hello, the wife and I are coming to London Nov. 2nd...
I am shocked at the price of hotels there!

It seems like every website I look at has "tourist" written all over it. Is
there a local hotel chain that I could contact or is there a better way find
a hotel in London that is not a rip off?

Also, If we stay in a suburb of London is there bus or tube service into
downtown?

Thanks in advance for the info!

--
Mark W. Shelby
505 Buck Run Road
Versailles, KY 40383
859-879-0795

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

Mark W. Shelby wrote:
Hello, the wife and I are coming to London Nov. 2nd...
I am shocked at the price of hotels there!

The prices vary enormously from one week to another. Depends very much
on what's happening here. Wimbledon fortnight is always expensive, for
example. But I can't immediately think of a reason for early November
being dear. That said, a quick check of the hotels I usually use
suggests that early November is indeed very expensive. Perhaps it's all
these tourists coming to see "Spamalot".

It seems like every website I look at has "tourist" written all over it. Is
there a local hotel chain that I could contact or is there a better way find
a hotel in London that is not a rip off?

Shop around is the usual advice, and with t'Interweb it's easier than it
used to be. I can recommend the Oliver Plaza in Earls Court - cheap and
cheerful, if you're not expecting a luxurious breakfast. Go to
http://www.capricornhotels.co.uk/oliverdefault.asp. Or simply type
"hotels" + "London" into good old Google.

Also, If we stay in a suburb of London is there bus or tube service into
downtown?

Hmm. First define "downtown"! The busy hotel areas are Kings Cross,
Paddington and Earls Court, and they all have lots of buses and lots of
Tube trains to central London. You can walk to many parts of central
London from these places anyway. But you will probably want to buy a day
Travelcard - http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tickets/2006/one-day/.
--
Joyce Whitchurch, Stalybridge, UK
=================================

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

Thanks for the info. I'll look into the hotel you listed.



"Joyce Whitchurch" wrote in message
...
Mark W. Shelby wrote:
Hello, the wife and I are coming to London Nov. 2nd...
I am shocked at the price of hotels there!

The prices vary enormously from one week to another. Depends very much on
what's happening here. Wimbledon fortnight is always expensive, for
example. But I can't immediately think of a reason for early November
being dear. That said, a quick check of the hotels I usually use suggests
that early November is indeed very expensive. Perhaps it's all these
tourists coming to see "Spamalot".

It seems like every website I look at has "tourist" written all over it.
Is there a local hotel chain that I could contact or is there a better
way find a hotel in London that is not a rip off?

Shop around is the usual advice, and with t'Interweb it's easier than it
used to be. I can recommend the Oliver Plaza in Earls Court - cheap and
cheerful, if you're not expecting a luxurious breakfast. Go to
http://www.capricornhotels.co.uk/oliverdefault.asp. Or simply type
"hotels" + "London" into good old Google.

Also, If we stay in a suburb of London is there bus or tube service into
downtown?

Hmm. First define "downtown"! The busy hotel areas are Kings Cross,
Paddington and Earls Court, and they all have lots of buses and lots of
Tube trains to central London. You can walk to many parts of central
London from these places anyway. But you will probably want to buy a day
Travelcard - http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tickets/2006/one-day/.
--
Joyce Whitchurch, Stalybridge, UK
=================================

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

Early November is dear because of World Travel Market.

Some recommendations...

www.travelodge.co.uk - some great locations in London inc. Covent
Garden
www.thehoxtonhotel.co.uk - a new hotel near Liverpool Street
www.superbreak.co.uk - generally some good deals, but may not be
available for 2 November.

B.

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

"ONscotland" wrote in message
ups.com...

Early November is dear because of World Travel Market.

Some recommendations...

www.travelodge.co.uk - some great locations in London inc. Covent
Garden
www.thehoxtonhotel.co.uk - a new hotel near Liverpool Street
www.superbreak.co.uk - generally some good deals, but may not be
available for 2 November.

Also www.laterooms.com

Ian

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

Thank you all for the info. We thought the difficulty in finding a
reasonably priced hotel might lie in the fact that Nov. 5th is Guy Fawkes
day. Many spots on the internet indicate this is a busy tourist weekend
similar to the American 4th of July.

I am still truly shocked at the price of London Hotels. Here in the states
we have "tourist class" where one could easily spend $100 to $300 dollars
per night, but we also have "business class" hotels where one could expect
to pay $39 to $79 Dollars per night. (roughly 20 pounds to 40 pounds per
night)

Those business class hotels won't usually advertise in the tourist lists,
but they are out there. I just thought that London would have something
equivalent.

Oh well, looks like we might end up paying a good deal more than we hoped
for a hotel!

"Mark W. Shelby" wrote in message
...
Hello, the wife and I are coming to London Nov. 2nd...
I am shocked at the price of hotels there!

It seems like every website I look at has "tourist" written all over it.
Is there a local hotel chain that I could contact or is there a better way
find a hotel in London that is not a rip off?

Also, If we stay in a suburb of London is there bus or tube service into
downtown?

Thanks in advance for the info!

--
Mark W. Shelby
505 Buck Run Road
Versailles, KY 40383
859-879-0795

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

"Mark W. Shelby" wrote:

I am still truly shocked at the price of London Hotels. Here in the states
we have "tourist class" where one could easily spend $100 to $300 dollars
per night, but we also have "business class" hotels where one could expect
to pay $39 to $79 Dollars per night. (roughly 20 pounds to 40 pounds per
night)

London is the one of the five most expensive cities. You can get a much cheaper
room if you stay outside London - trains will get you in very quickly. I've
been sent details of this one in London - it has good reviews - but it's £99 a
night for a double.

http://www.base2stay.com

E.

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

Mark W. Shelby wrote:
Thank you all for the info. We thought the difficulty in finding a
reasonably priced hotel might lie in the fact that Nov. 5th is Guy Fawkes
day. Many spots on the internet indicate this is a busy tourist weekend
similar to the American 4th of July.

Not really - it's more of a family/local thing. It isn't a public
holiday.

I am still truly shocked at the price of London Hotels. Here in the states
we have "tourist class" where one could easily spend $100 to $300 dollars
per night, but we also have "business class" hotels where one could expect
to pay $39 to $79 Dollars per night. (roughly 20 pounds to 40 pounds per
night)

Hotels in London, and to a lesser extent the UK in general, are
offensively expensive for what you get.

I know the kind of business hotel you mean - the corporate "suite
hotels" are ridiculously cheap in the US for what you get. I've stayed
in one (Springhill Suites in Addison, TX) and it was superb for the
price.

Neil

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

In message , Mark W. Shelby
writes

I am still truly shocked at the price of London Hotels.

London hotel prices do tend to be high, but I think you may well find
that most things in London are relatively costly - London is rated as
the 5th most expensive city in the world, well above New York - and with
a cost of living that is some 50% more expensive than Washington DC.

--
Paul Terry

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 19:40:41 -0400, Mark W. Shelby wrote:

It seems like every website I look at has "tourist" written all over it. Is
there a local hotel chain that I could contact or is there a better way find
a hotel in London that is not a rip off?

I have used http://www.london-discount-hotel.com/ to book a single room at
St. Giles Hotel. at £70 incl. a decent breakfast. Both me and my sister has
stayed there several times, so we must be satisfied.

The Hotel is ideally placed. Two blocks from Tottenham Court Road Station
and the eastern end of Oxford Street. Sainsburys is across the street.
British Museum, Wagamama and Neal Street are five minutes away. There is a
cinema, pubs and a cheap (chain) restaurant close by.

I would, however, welcome suggestions for a cheaper alternative, as long as
the room is clean and have en-suite bathroom and a breakfast that give you
a good start on the day is served. But perhaps that's dificult to find?

--
jhk

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

"Jarle H Knudsen" wrote in message
. ..

I have used http://www.london-discount-hotel.com/ to book a single room
at
St. Giles Hotel. at £70 incl. a decent breakfast. Both me and my sister
has
stayed there several times, so we must be satisfied.

Not forgetting that you also get use of the YMCA gym/pool under the hotel.

Ian

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

On Wed, 18 Oct 2006 14:25:01 +0200, Jarle H Knudsen wrote:

I have used http://www.london-discount-hotel.com/ to book a single room at
St. Giles Hotel. at £70 incl. a decent breakfast.

It looks like the price has gone up to £79, and with a weak krone it's even
more expensive for me :-(

--
jhk

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 19:40:41 -0400, "Mark W. Shelby"
wrote:

Hello, the wife and I are coming to London Nov. 2nd...
I am shocked at the price of hotels there!

It seems like every website I look at has "tourist" written all over it. Is
there a local hotel chain that I could contact or is there a better way find
a hotel in London that is not a rip off?

Also, If we stay in a suburb of London is there bus or tube service into
downtown?

Thanks in advance for the info!

This is a cut and paste from a post I made to another group when a
similar request was made.

The blue text below are the questions the original poster in the old
thread asked - included to provide context to the subsequent text.

----

Here is a local East London hotel which offers something a little
different, has a great bar and overlooks the edge of Epping Forest.


http://www.a1tourism.com/uk/a46683.html
http://www.fancyapint.com/main_site/...s/pub2733.html


It is located between Leytonstone (Central Line) and Walthamstow
(Victoria Line and main line trains). Frequent buses (route 257 stop
right outside) and run from Stratford to provide the direct connection
to your Airbus A9. You also a night bus from Central London (N55) to
the front door of the pub.


http://www.busmap.org/tt4/257.pdf


http://www.busmap.org/tt4/N055.pdf


As you have a hankering for Tesco supermarkets there is a huge one down
the road from the pub (Leytonstone - Gainsborough Rd). There are also 3
between the pub and Walthamstow (!)


http://www.multimap.com/clients/plac...o&client=tesco



Details I am not sure of yet:
(*1) We will use the Tube for all transportation, so Travelcards are the
option to go I think. We arrive on a Friday morning, and head back on Monday
evening, thats 4 days. Shall I get Oyster Cards (where? Stratford Station?)
For the City Airport Hotel Zone 3 is good, the Barking Hotel needs a Zone 4
card. What do I need to get the Oyster, and what do I load onto it?


Right this is a little complex so I hope you are paying attention.

The choice of ticket is really dependent upon when you will travel
(before 9.30 or after 9.30; i.e. peak or off peak)


If you are simply going to be doing the tourist stuff and travelling off
peak then off peak one day travelcards will give you access to all modes
- bus, DLR, tube *and* National Rail (overground) services. The nearest
tubes to my suggested hotel are in Zone 3 which will mean you need Z1-4
one day off peak travelcards. These can be bought from stations or from
local newsagents / shops. You can also buy them in advance. These
tickets are NOT on Oyster card format. You have said how many days you
will be in London - if only a few days then this should be OK. If
nearer a week then it may be better to get an Oyster card.


One thing you should not do is pay cash for your tickets. Bus and Tube
Fares are now very, very expensive if you opt to pay cash rather than
buy a pre-purchased ticket.


Oyster cards are a smartcard ticket that are read by placing the card on
a reader on a ticket gate, validator or pad on the bus when you get on.


An Oyster card can have two types of ticket on it - a Travelcard season
ticket for a number of zones for 7 days, 1 month or any period up to one
year. A Travelcard allows unlimited travel on all modes for the period
of time you buy it for and for the zones you buy. Any travelcard is
valid on all TfL bus services throughout Greater London (and on some
that cross the boundary into adjacent counties).


The second ticket product is what is called "Pay as you Go" or "Pre-Pay"
(the old name for this). This means you load money onto the card and as
you travel the money is deducted from the card but at a discounted price
compared to paying cash. For example a bus ticket in cash is £1.50,
using Oyster PAYG it is 80p (off peak) or £1 (peak). PAYG is valid for
bus, DLR, Tube and only a very, very limited number of National Rail
lines. In addition the pre-pay fares deducted from your card will vary
by the zones you travel through and the times of day you travel.
Cleverly the card keeps a running total of all your deductions in a day
and if they exceed a pre-set limit (based on the nearest one day
travelcard card price less 50p) the deductions are therefore "capped"
and no more money is deducted. Providing you log your card in and out on
every tube / dlr journey and on entry to every bus this "capping" will
work automatically without you needed to do anything.


If you opt to have a Travelcard ticket for a week then that will almost
certainly cover your transport needs but they are priced as a commuter
ticket so are not that cheap. If you are going to travel off peak then
it may well be much better not to have a Travelcard but just to use
pre-pay and top up your card as you go. The real things to decide are


a) Will you travel regularly before 09.30 on a weekday
b) Will you use National Rail services a lot.


If you answer yes then get a 7 day travelcard, if not opt for Pre-Pay
where you'll get a discount and get the benefit of the capped price.


http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tick...tfl-fares-2006...

gives you loads and loads of fare information.

Does one know an alternative to stay the three nights? Any nice B&B or Pub
or something located closer to the city?


See above for an East London selection.

HTH (!)

--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

"Jarle H Knudsen" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 18 Oct 2006 14:25:01 +0200, Jarle H Knudsen wrote:

I have used http://www.london-discount-hotel.com/ to book a single room
at
St. Giles Hotel. at £70 incl. a decent breakfast.

It looks like the price has gone up to £79, and with a weak krone it's
even
more expensive for me :-(

--
jhk

I tend to stay in Ibis, Travelodge or Travel Inn simply for the
convenience - easy online booking, and you know what standard you're going
to get. In London, I've often used Ibis Euston, about £80 per night I
think. Just over the road from Euston mainline station, and 2 mins or less
walk from Euston & Euston Square underground (which between them will take
you to most of the tourist attractions), plus a decent number of buses and a
taxi rank.

James

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

"Jarle H Knudsen" wrote in message
...

It looks like the price has gone up to £79, and with a weak krone

A good workout in the gym would help your weak krone! ;-)

Ian

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

"Mark W. Shelby" wrote
Hello, the wife and I are coming to London Nov. 2nd...
I am shocked at the price of hotels there!

It seems like every website I look at has "tourist" written all over it.
Is there a local hotel chain that I could contact or is there a better way
find a hotel in London that is not a rip off?

Also, If we stay in a suburb of London is there bus or tube service into
downtown?

Thanks in advance for the info!


As others have said London isn't cheap
I've found http://www.hotels-london.co.uk/ to be very good - some serious
discounts off rack rate

As there's two of you something like an Ibis, Travel Inn or Travelodge would
be ideal as they charge per room not per person.
http://www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/index.html
http://www.premiertravelinn.com
http://www.travelodge.co.uk/

My preference is Ibis - bit basic but clean, late bar, food available early
to late

There's one at Earls Court, Euston and Wembley (which is a bit out of town
but right beside Wembley Stadium railway station)

Ian

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

Ian Cunningham wrote:

As others have said London isn't cheap
I've found http://www.hotels-london.co.uk/ to be very good - some serious
discounts off rack rate

Here's another one that I've used for finding hotel rooms at the cheap
end of the market: http://www.londonhotelreservation.com/deputy.htm.
--
Joyce Whitchurch, Stalybridge, UK
=================================

Trouble finding a hotel!
 

On 2006-10-18 00:40:41 +0100, "Mark W. Shelby" said:

Hello, the wife and I are coming to London Nov. 2nd...
I am shocked at the price of hotels there!

It seems like every website I look at has "tourist" written all over
it. Is there a local hotel chain that I could contact or is there a
better way find a hotel in London that is not a rip off?

Also, If we stay in a suburb of London is there bus or tube service
into downtown?

Thanks in advance for the info!

There are several good-value chains - Ibis, Jurys and Premier are the
three that we use regularly.

www.ibishotel.com

www.jurysdoyle.com

www.premiertravelinn.com


There are also a couple of useful websites to try, including laterooms.com

As a guide, those just outside the central area will be cheaper - but
don't go too far out. Also, 06-09 November hotels in central and east
London are busy with visitors to World Travel Mart.


Hope this helps

Ken