WolfvanWeen

Dublin. That's London on a budget. ;-)

tom_MN

The Staybridge is in Stratford, hardly closer than Wembley.

LotusSooty

And Wembley is an HI, not an HIX.

If parking is £25, it's changed in the last few months. Unless you stayed when there was a match on at Wembley Stadium - they have been know to charge then, but even so, it used to be £10.

ojs555

I agree too. If I were a tourist arriving in London, staying at a recommended hotel from The Flyertalk Community, and ended up in Wimbledon... I'd be disappointed.

OP - check out a tube map.

beachmouse

Every time I check out a London tube map, I find myself going 'wow, that's decidedly more complex than a DC metro map, so I'll just close it out now, and worry about it later'

And that kind of parking charge for a place in the 'burbs just reinforces the idea it's insane for novices to drive in London.

Land-of-Miles

But Stratford is closer to everything. Whilst Wembley North is on the jubilee it is much further from Tower Bridge, Westmister etc. than Stratford. Even Bond St us about the same distance and Wembley is about as glamorous as Jersey City, comparatively Stratford seems like Versailles.

BrightlyBob

Beware SBS rates are quoted excluding VAT, so if the quoted rate is £140, the actual cost us £168! Only SBS quotes exclude VAT.

Although London Underground looks complex it's actually relatively simple. See the plan and the yellow line? Well that's the circle line. Most London attractions are within that circle. The rest of the lines radiate outwards like spokes from the circle "hub". Obviously the best locations to stay at are within the circle line area, say Westminster, Piccadilly, Leicester Square, Holborn, etc, etc. the problem is most hotels inside the circle line handsomely exceed your budget, so outside it must be.

If funds are scarce, I'd really look hard at Wembley HI, as London is expensive once you're there. 10,000 points per night is screaming value if you've 50,000. It's close enough to the Jubilee line to get into the centre. If you don't have the points then using the cash and points trick you can generate them at $70 per 10,000 making the cost only £45 night!

BrightlyBob

And don't forget the congestion charge for just driving into the very central area, plus the OUTRAGEOUS hourly rates charged. I visit London for work every month (have done so for over 20 years now) and have only driven once, never again!!! The tube (subway) is excellent and cheap, car facilities are dreadful and frighteningly expensive.

BrightlyBob

Isn't RyanAir trying to rename Dublin Airport as "London West"?

Raffles

I am actually checking out the Hi Wembley next week. The refurb cost a fortune, it even has a pool. Remember that the new 'retail outlet shopping' place is open there now as well.

Hannibal Lecter

HI Wembley is fine, but it's a long walk from the nearest Tube station (there are busses though)

HIX Wimbledon is directly opposite a Tube station and has
also been refurbished recently (same style as HIX Dunstable and HIX Heathrow T5) and cost 15 000 Points only.

view-with-a-room

Two rooms at HI Wembley is 10k points X 2! Rooms can be quite small in London so two rooms for two people is a good option.

tom_MN

Wembley HI: There are 2 tube stations somewhat close by, and a rail line very close that leads, well not quite sure what is around Marylebone. Maybe it would be helpful to give tube or rail times to Charing Cross for comparison of hotels.

Also: A least the lines on the London tube primarily run the same direction, or in a circle. DC metro lines do funky loops and are completely disorienting.

Land-of-Miles

I am sure it had a pool when a Hilton.

Brent Council used to fill it with Albanian asylum seekers then, I wonder if anything has changed bar the nationality?

LotusSooty

Forget Wembley Central and Wembley Park tube stations. If you're staying at the HI, Wembley Stadium overground rail station is right across the road and is between 10 and 12 minutes into Marylebone, non-stop.

On a budget, it's a winner. And I'd feel much safer walking around Wembley than Stratford if I wanted to eat out locally.