London Hotel Tips
London hotels are expensive. Part of the price
stems from the weak American dollar's exchange rate against the British pound,
and part stems from London's position as a major international city. So
our first tip for you is, be prepared to pay a premium price to stay in a nice
hotel. Like many European cities, London's
hotels can lack some of the conveniences you would expect in even a basic
American hotel -- such as air conditioning and private bathrooms. Plan
carefully here -- even some of the higher rated London hotels will fall
short of your expectations. Confirm any details that are important to
you, via e-mail to the hotel.
If you are visiting the typical London tourist
sites, try to book a hotel close to them. This allows you to stop back by
your room to drop off packages, change clothes, take a nap, etc.
Our favorites (we've stayed there):
-
The Rubens at the Palace -- part of the Red
Carnation chain, this is a very nice, almost
boutique style hotel that is located across the street from the Royal Mews
(the royal stables) and Buckingham Palace. We booked a standard room
package that included a three course dinner and breakfast the next morning.
It was a short walk from Victoria Station to the hotel, and upon check-in, we
were upgraded to the George V room in the Royal Wing. We were able to
walk to Harrod's from the hotel, and following breakfast the next morning we
had a pleasant stroll around the perimeter of Buckingham Palace. Very nice property, very
attentive staff. We used the strategy in our
Hotel Tips page to book a room at a significant discount.
-
The Savoy -- one of the all-time great hotels
of Europe, the Savoy has retained its
reputation for service and fine accommodations. We used the techniques
on our Hotel Tips page to book a room at a
remarkable price. Using this strategy, we checked over and over again until finally, several
months prior to our London visit, we took advantage of a short-term special
with a significant drop in rates. In addition to staying at one of
London's "name" hotels, booking a room at the Savoy gave us a location that
is right on the Thames River, very close to the London Eye, Covent Garden,
shopping on Bond Street, and many good
restaurants.
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