London Hotel Tips by Dabs

If you're not needing a specific hotel in London and you don't have more than 2 people, Priceline is an excellent way to get a great hotel for a great price. I've not been disappointed with the value for the money paid on any of the deals I've gotten, some of which are listed below:

July 2002, 4* Copthorne Tara in Kensington for $75US
May 2003 4* Mayfair Intercontinental in Mayfair for $65 (+$10 bonus money from Priceline)
June 2004 4* Waldorf Hilton in Mayfair/Soho for $100
August 2004 4* Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum in Kensington for $70
January 2006 4* Thistle Charing Cross in Mayfair/Soho for $80
June 2007 4* Marriott Hotel Maida Vale in Regent's Park for $125
June 2007 4* Hilton London Metropole in Regent's Park for $100
June 2007 4* Copthorne Tara in Kensington for $100

You can bid for certain areas, Priceline has a rough map that shows you where you will be. Mayfair/Soho, the most central area, tends to be the most expensive, my 2nd choice is usually Kensington-Earl's Court-Knightsbridge. Most of the hotels in Westminster, Bloomsbury-Marble Arch and Notting Hill-Bayswater seem to be well located but I've never landed a hotel in any of them. Regent's Park-Baker Street might be a bit far out for some new London visitors but I really enjoyed staying there. The other categories are too far out for me.

Be sure to check out Bidding For Travel before bidding for hotels likely to come up, hotel reviews and recent bids.


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Theme: Hotel

Website: www.priceline.com

Most recent stay June 2007

I've stayed at the Copthorne Tara at least three times, all winning bids on Priceline, the most recent in June 2007 was $100 per night plus tax. Believe it or not, I don't have a single pic of the place, I must think that since I've stayed there previously that I don't need to take one!

I've seen a lot of bad reviews and maybe I've been lucky but I've never had a complaint while staying here. Perhaps it's not a 4* hotel but believe me it's a heck of a lot better than what you can get by paying $100 per night without using Priceline.

I'm not a very demanding traveler, I like for my hotel room to be clean, the bed to be comfortable, the hotel convenient to sites or to public transportation and to be quiet at night. The Copthorne Tara fulfilled all of those requirements.

Check in was quick, maybe 10 minutes. The room was prepaid and I didn't have any charges so we slipped our key in a box on the front desk on the way out.

The High Street Kensington tube was no more than a 5 minute walk, there was a Marks & Spencer food hall within a couple of blocks.

The room had a hair dryer, a/c and a small refrigerator .


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Phone: 44 (0) 20 7937 7211
Address: Scarsdale Place, London, England W8
Directions: less than a 5 minute walk from the High Street Kensington tube
Website: http://www.millenniumhotels.co.uk/copthornetarakensington/index.html

This was my third time using Priceline for London and it was the best yet for 2 nights in June, 2004. With sticker shock US exchange rates, for $100 per night + taxes (bid 4* in several central districts) this hotel was a steal, beautifully located near Covent Garden/Leicester Square and restaurants, theatres, shopping, a 5-10 minute walk from the Piccadilly tube line coming from Heathrow and the Central, District and Northern lines as well. Didn't feel uncomfortable walking here at night, even around midnight.

The hotel is undergoing some renovations, the elevators and main lobby were getting a makeover but it didn't affect our stay.

Room-not huge by US standards but big by London standards, very comfortable king size bed with lots of pillows and a down comforter, in room safe, clothes presser, small refrigerator w/2 bottles of water, hair dryer, internet connection, plasma TV and AC.

Bathroom-shower had plenty of hot water, toiletries included bath gel, soap, shampoo and lotion, huge fluffy towels and two things that Americans seem to get hung up-washclothes and a sink with hot and cold water from the same faucet.

Check in and out was quick and pleasant, the staff courteous and knowledgable.

Only 2 complaints-the toilet took forever to refill and was quite loud and the bathroom door was glass letting the light shine in from the bathroom window which woke me up at 4:30 both mornings.


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Theme: Hotel
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Address: The Aldwych, London 4DD England

This was my fourth time using Priceline in London, this time I bid for Kensington/Earl's Court and got the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum for $70 per night + taxes, a block from the Gloucester tube station which is very convenient from Heathrow on the Piccadilly line, no transfers(40 minutes), and is also a District and Circle line stop.

For the price I was satisfied with the hotel but it didn't measure up to other Priceline hotels we've stayed at in the 4* category.

It's a big tour group hotel and also seemed to be popular with airline personnel.

There is another Holiday Inn on Cromwell Road, the Forum is a very tall dark building, the other is a shorter light building. I'm sure they get each other's guests all the time.

Unique Qualities: Room-pretty good size room even by US standards, reasonably comfortable double bed with a down comforter, clothes presser, mini bar, hair dryer, TV (not a good selection of stations) and AC.

Bathroom-shower had plenty of hot water, toiletries included soap and shampoo, good sized towels and two things that Americans seem to get hung up-washclothes and a sink with hot and cold water from the same faucet.

Check in staff wasn't as professional as other hotels in this star level and even made reference to the fact that we were Priceline customers and not guaranteed a good room. At first we were put in a twin room but they did offer to relocate us the next day. Good thing as there was a loud noise coming from the pipes in the room all night long.

This hotel claims to be the tallest in London, from our 11th floor room we could see over to the Earl's Court Exhibition center, on the other side you probably had views of Kensington Palace.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Address: 97 Cromwell Road, London, England SW7
Directions: 1 block from the Gloucester tube station, turn right out of the station and then right again (Courtland St.) and walk 1 block, entrance is on the back of the building, not on Cromwell Road

Once again, I looked to Priceline to book my hotel and decided to bid the Mayfair/Soho area since I needed to be centrally located and I was pretty sure that I would get this hotel. I ended up bidding $80 per night to stay here and it's probably the best bargain I've ever gotten on Priceline. The hotel is fabulously located within walking distance of Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus and within walking distance of the Northern, Central, District and Piccadilly tube lines not to mention many of the central bus routes.

To get to the hotel from Heathrow, consider taking the Piccadilly line to Hammersmith where you can change to the District line on the same platform and get off at Embankment. Use the Villiers St./Covent Garden exit, walk up the cobbled street (slight incline) and turn left at the top, hotel is right there over the Charing Cross station.

Breakfast is not included in the Priceline rate but there's a fabulous place to get breakfast at the nearby Cafe in the Crypt at St. Martin's in Trafalgar Square. A full English breakfast is around L6 and they give you enough food that you don't have to eat lunch.

Oh, and if anyone tells you to rent the movie "Creep" before you go here, just don't do it!!!! It's a horror movie set underneath the Charing Cross tube station which you'll likely use every day. That is, unless you watch this movie!!!!

Unique Qualities: Room-very spacious, loads larger than lots of London hotel rooms! Contemporary decor, amenities included a minibar with some space for your stuff, in room safe, ironing board. Bed was comfortable with a down comforter, choice of down or regular pillows. No movie channels unless you wanted to pay extra, internet connection if you have a laptop. Electronic "do not disturb", don't forget to turn it off though! And a doorbell :-)

Bathroom-plenty of hot water, decent water pressure, heated towel rack. Toiletries were only shampoo, soap and bath gel, no conditioner or lotion

Guest services-I don't typically use the concierege when I stay at hotels but they were helpful with directions. Check in was at 2pm and the room wasn't ready until then.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Address: The Strand, London, England WC2N
Directions: Right above the Charing Cross rail station, within walking distance of Embankment

I would have been ecstatic to receive this hotel on Priceline if it was just based on the hotel, the room was the nicest of the three 4* hotels that I stayed at on this trip that I won from Priceline. Due to the hideous exchange rate, I had to bid between $100 and $125 per night to get a hotel room this year, this hotel was $125 + tax (total $155). I arrived early in the morning and they had a room ready for me, the staff was pleasant and courteous.

But, and you know there's a but, it was the least convenient of all the hotels I stayed at, located about a 1/3 mile from the Kilburn Park tube station on the Bakerloo line. As I was walking from the tube in the morning I thought I wouldn't want to be walking from it late at night, fortunately there was a bus stop just across the street (stop KJ on the return) from the hotel, bus 98 went along Edgware Road to Oxford Street where I could connect with the tube at Edgware Road, Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Holborn or Tottenham Court or bus 16 goes to Marble Arch or Edgware Road.

Between the hotel and the tube station there really wasn't much in terms of stores or restaurants except a very small Tesco Express, I think there might have been more past the Tesco but I didn't go that far.

Unique Qualities: Room-extremely comfortable king size bed with lots of pillows and a down comforter, the room was large and had everything one could need, an in room safe, a small refrigerator, tea service, iron, trouser press

Bathroom-very nicely decorated, toiletries included bath gel, shampoo and lotion. Shower had good water pressure and plenty of hot water

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$120-180  » Currency Converter
Phone: 44 20 7543 6000
Address: Plaza Parade Maida Vale, London, England NW6
Directions: Nearest tube: Kilburn Park (Bakerloo), turn left out of station, walk uphill, turn right at Kilburn High Road, Marriott is on left, about 1/3 mile
Website: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/lonwh-london-marriott-hotel-maida-vale/

2nd stay Januaury 2008 for 8 nights

I've stayed here twice now, most recently for 8 nights for $110 plus tax by bidding Priceline for a 4* in Regent's Park. It's a very busy convention hotel so I think the long stay drove the rate up a bit. I always check Bidding For Travel before bidding on Priceline.

Perhaps not an ideal location for the 1st time visitor but for someone like me on their 11th visit to London doing several daytrips from Paddington, the location was great, very close to both Edgware Road tube stations. You should be able to see the highrise Hilton from either tube station, one serves the Bakerloo line, the other serves the Central, District and Hammersmith lines. You can also catch buses along Edgware Road, bus 98 took me to Oxford Street.

Suzan's Cafe where I had breakfast on my June 2007 visit was closed but there are several other places along Praed Street that do breakfast. If you are looking for lunch or dinner, Edgware Road is lined with middle Eastern/Lebanese restaurants plus you are within walking distance of Paddington Station where I found two good kebab shops, Lolita and Flames. There's a Marks & Spencer within a block which has a food hall and also a Sommerfield grocery store a few blocks south of the hotel on Edgware Road plus a Woolworth's where we stocked up on Love Hearts.

My 2nd picture is of the flats near the tube station, I really like the gingerbread look to them.

Unique Qualities: Room-I thought the bed was a little uncomfortable for a 4* hotel, the mattress was on top of a wood frame in both the double and twin rooms. The twin double room was small but not claustrophic. There was a minibar, tea service, in room safe, TV with very limited channels. You have to pay extra if you want a refrigerator.

Bathroom-good water pressure and plenty of hot water in the shower, full range of toiletries including shampoo, conditioner, bath gel, soap and lotion. Decent towels, hair dryer.

We had quite a few service glitches in January 2008-our safe was locked and we couldn't use it, no matter what we tried we couldn't clear the blinking message light on the phone, the door key had to be reset three times and the elevators would occasionally reset themselves and start going the opposite direction. We called service 4 or 5 times to get the safe and phone reset with no results.

Overall, it was OK with the Priceline rate but no way would I pay full price for this Hilton, it is not up to Hilton standards.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Phone: 44-20-7402 4141
Address: 225 Edgware Road, London
Directions: Closest tube: Edgware Road, you should be able to see the hotel from either station
Website: http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/LONMETW-Hilton-London-Metropole-hotel/index.do

I couldn't get anything on Priceline in any region of London for my 1st night and I was up to $150 US so I gave up and booked a budget hotel near Paddington Station. There are dozens of these types of hotels along Sussex Gardens Road and I imagine they are all pretty similar. I booked a single room on booking.com for L56, the walk in price was just a little bit more than that I think. It's only about a block from Paddington Station so it's a very convenient area to stay in. From my hotel I was able to walk to the Edgware Road area (about 10 minutes) and to Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens.

Since it's near a major train station, there are a lot of cheap places to eat nearby. I ate at Lolita and Flames, both takeaway kebab shops. Here's a link to some other places to eat in the area.

Unique Qualities: The hotel met my expectations for what I was paying for it, L56 is pretty cheap for an ensuite room in London without using a discounter like Priceline.

Bathroom-very small, no toiletries except soap. Low water pressure but plenty of hot water. There was a hair dryer.

Room-single room was was basic but clean, bed was reasonably comfortable, decent sized for a single, coffee maker and wall mounted TV.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Phone: 44 (0) 20 7402 0281
Address: 168-172 Sussex Gardens
Directions: Closest tube: Paddington Station, head towards Praed street exit from tube station (HEX and train station will be different), turn right on Praed and then right again on London Street, it's on the corner of London Street and Sussex Gardens.
Website: http://www.westpointhotel.com/