Budget Travel - London "Budget" Hotel

I like the Premier Travel Inn County Hall, just 2 blocks from Waterloo Station (tube/Eurostar to Paris) and just 2 blocks from Westminster Bridge, Big Ben, and Parliament. L 92 is the rate, which is high, except for the fact that one is in London. This is a great location, right next to the London Eye. I stayed here in 2001 and again this month.

Rooms were simple but clean; place was quiet; and there is a decent restaurant esp. for breakfast.

Eurostar is to move to San Pancras station in 2007, so the convenience of Waterloo will be less of a factor.

You can get much cheaper than GBP 92 in London. The Travelodge at LCY is currently offering prepaid deals (non-refundable) at GBP 26 per night. OK, not as convenient - but still fairly central.

The Travelodge at Liverpool Street (apparently one of the nicer ones in town) has had the £26 offer on recently, too. Very convenient, just a 5 minute walk from Liverpool St and 10 from Bank.

Don't forget about the Priceline options. At the beginning of April I stayed in the Holiday Inn - Kensingon Forum for $75 (£49). Not bad for London and only a block from the Gloucester Road station. ^

Again, not sure if I can agree that £92 for a room in London is a budget option.

I'll be staying in the newly opened Travelodge High Holborn (between Holborn and Tottenham Court Road) later this month for a weekend. Again, price was £26 a night. NOTE: this hotel has been renamed - it's now 'part of' Travelodge Covent Garden which will operate as two seperate buildings with separate receptions. To get into the brand new building - try to request a family room, the old Covent Garden Travelodge never seemed to offer these.

Another newly opened centrally located Travelodge is the one in Marylebone (near Baker Street Station, just North of Oxford Street). I saw many £26 rooms there quite recently.

3 people rooms are often available for the same price.

Otherwise, I agree that Priceline can give some good options. I've stayed at the Thistle Marble Arch once for around £35 inclusive (downside is that they'll often give you a twin room instead of a double) and found rooms for a 10 day stay for family members at The Tower, with a magnificent view of Tower Bridge, for £51 inclusive (the most I've ever paid for a London hotel :) ).

Next year, www.yotel.com should be offering luxury capsule rooms in central London (LHR and LGW late this year)

Travelodge provide reasonably good value - especially if you get the cheaper rates. Plus they have a good spread of locations

At LCY there is also an Etap - basic, but at 39 a night, one can't expect much!"

Central House Hotel - Victoria
http://www.centralhousehotel.co.uk/

Prices are starting around £50 this summer it seems for advance bookings. It's about a 15 minute walk from Victoria tube but the neighborhood is safe, there's an internet cafe on the way from the tube to the hotel as well as a Sainsbury. Their continental breakfast is very edible and you should factor that in as well since you won't need to account for breakfast in your travel budget.

There's always easyHotel.

I personally do not like prepaid deals. I recently stayed at IBIS EUSTON just next to Euston Station (www.accorhotels.com). rates are about GBP 70 to 80 and in july and august tehy have an additional GBP 10 off promotion. hotel is decent and just 2 tube stops away from oxford circus - so in my opinion very centrally located.

Just got back from a weekend break in the centre of London (at the moment I'm living at the fringes of 'Greater London'.

I booked a room at what was advertised as Travelodge 'High Holborn' - with an opening date of early July 2006, back in March for £26 a night for a 'family room' - double bed with sofa.

Checked in on Friday afternoon. Entrance is on High Holborn (near the corner of Museum Street) half way between Tottenham Court Road and Holborn Station.

Check in clerk was super friendly, and the experience of checking in was a pleasure. When he asked us whether we 'needed' a family room, I understood that something was wrong. I got the guy to tell me that they didn't have enough of them. As we didn't require a sofa bed, I asked if he could just make sure that we could have a high room instead. Visibly relieved, he booked us onto the top floor (the 13th). Frankly, I was delighted with this arrangment and told him so. Once we'd checked in, and everyone was happy, he then gave us a couple of breakfast vouchers good for a 'full English' and worth £6.50 each ^ as a token seeing as our booked room wasn't available. It was an unescessary sweetener, but much appreciated.

Lifts worked well (if a little slowly) and we stayed in room 1373. Room was large (approx 30m sq) if a little spartan, everything was brand new and very clean. Bed was a large double, 2 plump pillows plus another spare. TV served as alarm clock (5 terrestial channels only) there was a desk and a chair. No airconditioning, alas, just two small fans. A small kettle and two cups with ingredients to make a couple of teas and coffees.
Bathroom was immaculate - shower worked beautifully. Tiled, functional interior. Colour scheme designed to help those who are visually impaired (something I approve of). The only towels were two huge bathsheets of good quality - only amenities were two plastic cups and a small bar of soap. No hair drier.

Best part though, was the view. It may not be what you see from the London Eye - but it isn't that far off!

This Travelodge has one of the best panoramic views of any London Hotel!

Scanning right from the far left of the window I could see the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the tower of Westminster Cathedral, the golden statue of the glass dome at Picaddily Circus and the top of Swiss House, Centre Point, and the Telecom Tower seemingly jutting out of Regents Park - sun sets behind this area.

Anyone on the other side of the hotel would see St Pauls cathedral and the city of London sky line - this alternative view was easily visible from the staircase that ran down next to the elevator shafts. A glimpse through the closed doors at the opposite end of the building lets you see the undulating roof of the British Museum.

The real downsides to this hotel are the lack of airconditioning in the summer and the luggage policy. Still, we were there for one of the hottest days of the year - the window opens slightly, and once the fans have been blowing, it wasn't too bad. The problem was compounded because the only cover for the bed was a duvet. There were no top sheets. Please note that Travelodges will not hold on to your luggage, either before or after you check out. If your bags aren't cases and aren't too big, you can leave them at the nearby British Museum cloakroom for a while - there is a £1 charge.

On our first night we slept only on the bottom sheet. The second night was a little cooler - I ended up using the towel. I guess one could extract the duvet from its protective cover and use that, towel worked fine for me.

MrLapLap used both the breakfast vouchers (I insisted, as I don't eat meat) and thought the food was OK - usual Hotel fare. Lots of good cheap dining options available locally, including a couple of supermarkets for drinks and snacks.

Although what the Travelodge offers is so basic it is a 2* hotel - the quality of the bed and shower at this particular hotel is that of a 3*.

All in all, a very happy experience and our break turned into a rather romantic weekend.

It's such a shame there's no guarantee of a room with such a breathtaking view here. If there was, I could almost recommend this hotel at their standard £89 rack rate.

Nevertheless, for £26, or even for £55, I thought this was a marvellous place to stay. Much, much better than the Thistle Marble Arch on Priceline - for the view and the location, but also because you run the risk of ending up with two single beds at the Thistle :td: :td: :td: .

Essential information for those staying at a Travelodge.

http://www.visitbritain.com/VB3-en/transport/gettingaround/usefultips/leftluggage.aspx

Facilities open from 7am to 11pm Monday to Friday (except 25 & 26 December) at these stations:
Victoria, Paddington, Euston, Waterloo, King's Cross, Liverpool Street and Charing Cross. Cost: £5.50 per item.
Additional facility at Earls Court Station.

Thanks for the detailed report LapLap !

Now if the d%#&n fares and especially fuel surcharges would come down to reasonable levels I could go see London again :)

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