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Clink in King’s Cross is one of the most interesting hostels I’ve stayed at and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who wants to stay somewhere different. It’s a very cool building, as it has been converted from a courthouse, and they have even kept some of the courtrooms intact, which is pretty cool.
It’s really centrally located in London and the staff were helpful and friendly. Breakfast was included in the price and fares much better than other places I’ve stayed at! All in all, a great stay and modestly priced too for a hostel in London.
I often get jibes from my American workmates about the size of five-star rooms in London. Now, it's only the Wyndham who've bigger hotel rooms in London from any other hotel I've been to! If you're flying into Heathrow, it's the first five-star within distance so, if you've got to get the top cheeses into a room somewhere across the pond, I recommend the Wyndham!
I liked the harbour views. Having breakfast al fresco before braving the District line, as anyone will attest, you need to calm yourself before you get into the big squeeze! Otherwise, take a taxi!
Wyndham Grand London, Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 0XG
T: 02078233000
E: wyndhamlondon@wyndham.com
W: www.wyndhamgrandlondon.co.uk
Easy Hotels are my favorite way of staying in London - cheap but spotless. You can choose between a variety of rooms (small with no window, small with window, large with no window and large with a window), all of which have a private bathroom. Rooms start at 25 pounds per room per night and the hotels are centrally located, near underground stations.
Stay in this wonderful three-storey home of a Huguenot weaver in a quiet street between Brick Lane and Spitalfields market. Furnished in a comfortable, practical way the true character of the home is retained... wonkey staircase, oak panelling and solid ancient floors. The absence of a TV inspires sketches and great tips in best handwriting on the vellum pages of the green linen bound logbook. Learn about who lived there over the years and sit out under the raspberry pink camellia in the garden with a glass of wine and a plate of cheese from the nearby deli.
After a quiet night's rest in heavenly beds stroll through the Sunday market for a feast of food from stallholders across the world. Cross over to Spitalfields market for the up-and-coming designers or find a sweet vintage brooch or bag. Five minutes to the Caledonian flower market for an armful of fragrant blooms.
Brick Lane is great for a cheap curry... have a takeaway in the garden!
Come at Christmas and watch the neighbours peel back their shutters to outdo each other in Christmas decorations. Better than a hotel any day!
Princelet St Spitalfields
www.landmarktrust.co.uk
The community narrowboat called Angel II takes either community groups or private groups on tours of the canal. You can sleep up to twelve but it's nicer with less. It's based in Angel, near the tube. The skipper will take you either west through the Islington tunnel up to Camden and through London Zoo and Little Venice, or east to Broadway Market, Victoria Park, The Palm Tree pub in Bow and so on. You can turn up the Hertford Canal and go up to Hackney Marshes too.
There is a great wealth of history in terms of the industrial revolution and the various types of architecture but also the canal provides a welcome corridor of nature right through the centre of London. At 2mph it's an easy pace and you will learn how to do the locks and steer the boat. You can do an evening, a day or a week. It's self-catering.
Along the way is the London Canal Museum and various lovely old pubs. The Islington tunnel is 886 metres long - it's very impressive. Bring a nice bottle of wine and cruise through some of London's finest history. It's so peaceful.
www.acct.org.uk/
just off Graham Street N1, by the City Road Basin, it's just down from Angel Tube.
This hotel is located perfectly close to Hyde Park. This makes it a great place to stay if you want to be very central, which we did. Everything that we wanted to see was close by.
It is in the heart of Paddington close to the train station.
Although the Rose Court was not the Ritz, it was good value for money. It cost us very little and all we really wanted was somewhere close to Hyde Park to crash out. It was perfect for that.
I would also recommend it for business travellers. If you are trying to make money in London and not spend it you won't find better value and location.
1 - 3 Talbot Square, Paddington, London
www.hotels-london-hotel.com/brochure-pages/rose-court-hotel-104342.html
London hotels aren't as stuffy and formal as they used to be and you can find a selection of stylish designer ones in the west end. One Aldwych is great. It has plenty of facilities – business centre, gym, scrummy room service – and some attractive minimalist décor. It also has a lobby bar and pool (quite rare for London). If you're feeling particularly extravagant you can book Suite 410, 500 or the Dome Suite, all of which have private gyms and spectacular views of the London skyline.
Another great West End hotel worth paying a trip to is St Martins Lane. This one was famously designed by Philipp Starck and it has a really brilliant restaurant – Asia de Cuba. Its bar, Light Bar, is where all the beautiful people hang out and the basement houses an exclusive private members club (Bungalow 8).
You'll find Baglioni’s opposite Kensington Palace and Hyde Park. It's no wonder this place is popular with A-list celebrities and other glitterati. The Royal Suite is an extraordinary 2584 square feet and quite possibly the most divine hotel room in London.
Baglioni Hotel
www.baglionihotels.com
For those who love variety and nature, R. B. Gardens at Kew may be the most pleasant destination in London. There's a Travelodge near the garden with great pre-booking offers, which can be booked via online, usually a few weeks in advance.
Book at: www.travelodge.co.uk
Directions from: www.kew.org
The number of hotels serving Canary Wharf has doubled in the past year with hotels available to suit all budgets.
Budget hotels
Located in London's East End both the Travelodge (www.travelodge.co.uk) and Holiday Inn Express (www.holidayinn.co.uk) serve Canary Wharf via a complimentary 15 minute minibus route (usually morning and evenings only). Prices start from around GBP65 and therefore the hotels make a perfect stop for the budget-conscious traveller.
Advantages - cheap and cheerful. Typically relatively new and situated around the Excel exhibition centre so good for attendees to this and Canary Wharf
Disadvantages - Poorly connected to the City (taxi, bus or DLR are your only options) and not much to do in the evening.
Mid-class hotels
Located across the river in Rotherhithe, the Hilton Docklands is not so much in the Docklands as overlooking. Access to the hotel is by free shuttle bus from the nearby Canada Water station (5 min bus ride). Access to Canary Wharf can be achieved via aforementioned shuttle service to the tube and then one stop on the Jubilee line to Canary Wharf or via the boat service which operated throughout the day from the hotel and stopping at the west side of Canary Wharf.
Advantages - Parking can be included in the room rate, prices start from around GBP90 a night. Can be particularly cheap for weekend breaks if you would like to extend your stay.
Disadvantages - Not well connected. Access via shuttle bus to tube or by boat.
When staying at the super slick and eco-friendly Andaz Hotel (formerly the Great Eastern) in Liverpool, book Urban Gentry - insider tour guides and get a real insight into the fashion (or art) tribes of East London. The hotel also has it's own Reader in Residence to tell you bedtime stories, or read you a precis of the day's news.
Andaz, Liverpool Street
www.andaz.com
Very reasonably priced hotel in an excellent location – Earls Court Arena and Earls Court tube station are just one minute's walk away, and there are also lots of bars and restaurants close by. Breakfast was surprisingly good given the low cost of the room and included cereal, lots of toast, fruit, sausages, and bacon and eggs, as well as juices, milk, and coffee. The staff were also very polite, and the front desk was manned 24 hours a day.
11 Trebovir Road, London, SW5 9LS
www.hotels-london-hotel.com/brochure-pages/rushmore-hotel-110310.html
If you are heading to London and want to save some of your precious pennies for something other than accommodation, I recommmend checking out www.hostellondon.com.
It's got heaps of cheap accommodation and all of it is reviewed by former customers meaning you won't end up in a total kip!
I think it is becoming essential to protect yourself against being refused your pre-booked hotel room. After a long flight I arrived at a south Kensington hotel to be told I had no booking and they were full. In future, I will call beforehand to make sure it's all OK. I have found a website page that lists the reasons so you can be prepared.
Situated right next to the city and the bars, cafes and markets of Spitalfields and Brick Lane, the location is ideal. Tube station right next door also. Rooms are basic, but spotless, clean and comfortable. For £65/night at the weekend it's a bargain. Unusually for a hotel, the bar is buzzing and comfortable. The staff are so friendly. Definitely worth checking out.
Commercial Street, E1. Aldgate East tube station.
Weardowney's Artisan Guesthouse was developed by fashion label Weardowney. It is home to a fashionable crowd of artists and models, along with international business professionals who regularly pass through.
There are seven rooms all individually decorated by artists to encourage creativity from its guests. I love the atmosphere the guesthouse provides and the home from home environment to unwind in. This guesthouse is a real treat and once you've stayed the once it'll become your second home!
Everyone is really friendly and helpful and made my stay one of the most comfortable away from home. The rooms are from £68 and are well worth it.
You can find the Gueshouse at 9 Ashbridge Street, North Marylebone, London NW8 8DH. It sits in the quiet back streets of Marylebone where the guesthouse is set within the House of Weardowney's grade II listed building, just up the road from bustling antique colonies Church Street which has a lovely fruit and vedge and fresh fish market on Thursdays. Closest tubes are Marylebone and Edgeware road. WD guesthouse is near various bus routes and also only a 25 min walk from Oxford Street! Contact booking number is 0207 725 9698 and email is guesthouse@weardowney.com. Talk to Amanda or any of the Weardowney team!
What a great place to stay. This budget accommodation is in a brilliant location and is within walking distance of loads of tourist attractions. It is safe and friendly and vibrant and has plenty of facilities on site including a bar, restaurant and internet cafe. Lots of buses and tube stations close by too and no curfew.
229 Great Portland Street
London, W1W 5PN;
www.ish.org.uk;
tel: 020 7631 8310;
Tube: Great Portland Street Underground
This hostel is so unexpectedly swish that you have to stay there once if only to realise that budget accomodation is not as bad as you
think. It's packed full of facilities, including a free all-you-can-eat breakfast, 24 hour reception and a ludicrously cheap,
buzzy bar - and it's only £10 a night. Not bad for a hostel slap bang in the middle of London (between Euston and Kings Cross).
The Generator, Compton Place (off 31 Tavistock Place), London, WC1H 9SE
020 7388 7666 www.generatorhostels.com/london/
Depending on the time of year, prices at the Holiday Inn Express can be as low as £70 a night.
All rooms come with a double bed and fold down sofa, so four of you can cram in (this may involve two of you not technically checking in).
Obviously not a good option for families and people seeking a bit of luxury, but great if you’re looking to spend a cheap weekend on the town in London. The Express on Old Street is particularly well-located near the bars and clubs of Shoreditch.
275 Old Street, EC1V 9LN; tel: 0870 400 9093; nearest Tube: Old Street
You couldn't get much more central in London than this hostel off Piccadilly Circus, meaning you can cut down on transport costs. Some rooms have been refurbished recently with new pod-style dorms, individually painted by selected artists. The style is eclectic but fun. Pod bed prices start at £12.
12 Sherwood Street, London W1F 7BR,
www.piccadillybackpackers.com, 0207 434 9009. Nearest tube is Piccadilly Circus
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