Stopover in London

[SheriDan1985]

We are booked on the Grand European River Cruise on July 9, 2020 for our 35th anniversary.

We plan to stop first in London for 2 nights, and we're trying to find a decent hotel near Paddington Station, that won't cost us an arm & a leg...I

 

Can anyone help with some info?  How far ahead can we book a hotel in London?

[Host Jazzbeau]

I don't recall much discussion about London on this board.  You might get more replies on the British Isles/Western Europe forum here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/148-british-isleswestern-europe/

 

Also TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g186338-London_England-Hotels.html

[flyfishingwidow]

SheriDan1985, Congratulations on your 35th anniversary.  A few years ago DH and I stayed at the Royal Park Hotel which is very near Paddington Station.  The hotel was perfectly fine.  However, I personally would not stay again in that area if you want to spend your time enjoying London.  It really isn't within walking distance of much that you might want to see.

 

In April my granddaughter and I stayed at St. Ermin's Hotel which is in Westminster--walking distance to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Thames, Parliament, Big Ben, Churchill's War Room, and the London Eye.  I paid 263 GBP per night with the senior discount.  This is a highly rated 4 star hotel with great service, complimentary wine served in the lobby from 5:30-6:30 in the afternoon and a lovely afternoon tea.  It is also within walking distance of two theaters (right now playing Wicked in one and Hamilton in the other).  It is 3 miles from Paddington Station.  DH and I will be staying there in November before hopping on the Heathrow Express at Paddington.

 

I have other recommendations (but not right by Paddington).  Please let me know if you're interested.

 

Hope you have a lovely trip.

 

Terry

 

 

[sumiandkage]

'Decent' and 'not an arm and a leg' are pretty subjective criteria. London's an expensive hotel city too. What is your usual hotel night rate all-in in USD or pounds and what do you expect for that? 

 

If you're willing to play the credit card game, you're also far enough out to find and execute some useful sign-up bonuses to get a free night or two, and the chains are moving toward having a few brands in their portfolio that aren't cookie-cutter.

[Turtles06]

4 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I don't recall much discussion about London on this board.  You might get more replies on the British Isles/Western Europe forum here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/148-british-isleswestern-europe/

 

 

Agreed.  OP: where to stay in London is s frequent topic on the British Isles board, and there are a number of local experts who post frequently.  

 

As for when to book, the earlier the better. Probably about a year out, then watch the prices. 

[pontac]

I have some questions.

 

Why Paddington?

 

Are you flying into and out of Heathrow airport? Do you know London? Is there anything in particular you want to see in London?

 

And some answers.

 

Land is limited and very expensive in London, hence hotels are expensive and rooms much smaller than you'd get in the USA. You can book ahead as far as the hotel website allows.

Hotels closest to the station are the Hilton and Mercure (you may not have heard of Mercure but its one of a French owned group of hotels chains.)

 

Hotel booking site Booking.com gives a useful map and list of hotels - see here. We've used Booking.com to make hotel reservations and it has been very satisfactory.

 

Travel around London is easy using the underground railway (tube). If you have a contactless credit/charge card you can use that and get best fares.

 

For info on the Heathrow Express (which is presumably the attraction of Paddington), Paddington & etc see https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/lhr_rail.htm

[notamermaid]

I was wondering about the attraction of Paddington (probably not the bear stories ), but if that is the terminus of the Heathrow Express that makes sense. Mercure is a good choice for simple hotels I would say, pontac. Best Western is another chain, presumably not costing an arm and a leg, even in London, and perhaps a bit higher in standard, as well as old-world-feel, depending on which one is chosen. Some are new, some are old. From what I have seen on various sites, bookings at many hotels are already taken for 2020. It is worth trying out.

 

Paddington is close to the parks, I recommend a trip into the green lungs of London. Hyde Park is nice, but I prefer St. James's Park.

 

Have a great time on your anniversary trip.

 

notamermaid

 

[doverboy]

find a hotel, we stayed in the Earl's Court section of London and walked to Harrods. their metro system had a stop nearby and navigating the system was pretty easy plus the Metro employees are more than happy to help in the stations. Use a London Cab to get from the train station to your hotel just so you can say you rode in one and enjoy the city. I don't recall the Metro being excessively expensive, there were 3 day passes (I think), cab to airport didn't break the bank.

Rooms were very nice and about 135 per night

[pontac]

6 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Best Western is another chain,

 

Best Western are independent hotels who pay to use the Best Western name and central booking system so, although they're supposed to meet a minimum standard, there's a wide variety in the hotels.

 

I've not stayed in either hotel I mentioned, it's just that they are actually located at Paddington Station, so if one is arriving at the station one can walk a few yards to them. If one wants to go further then there's a huge variety of hotels but I guess the OP will be coming with bags, they'll be tired from an overnight flight and disorientated in a foreign country and strange city.

 

I think we need to know how much @SheriDan1985 price that 'arm and leg' and then we'll have better idea of the price range.

 

 

 

 

 

[notamermaid]

Pontac,

Thank you for pointing that out about Best Western. I knew that they are independent ones connected under this umbrella, or however it can be put, but I should have mentioned it to the OP. One needs to look at each individual hotel under the BW name, as I said they can be old-style or modern.

 

It is a long time since I have stayed in the capital, nowadays I always stay outside of Greater London and take the train in, for day trips. The tube/train system is very convenient.

 

If the OP has never been in a London taxi, I also recommend investing in the expense.

 

notamermaid

 

[alcpa1]

Just got back from London.

 Consider a car service like Blackberry or Hummingbird from either Heathrow or Gatwick and seek another location for your hotel.

We have stayed in multiple locations and sites are often walkable but spread out. 

It's hard to see much if your first of two days is arrival day and you choose an inconvenient location.

Paddington has both train and tube. An Oyster Card is good for both busses, some zonal trains and tubes.

Use the Cruise Critic British forum and Trip Advisor for additional help. There are multiple booking sites which can help you define your geographic focus.

You can book a hotel about 330 days out but I strongly recommend you book a refundable rate and keep monitoring to watch for rate adjustments or alternate hotels. And do check to see if there are bank holidays (we just got caught in two) or major events that would affect your hotel rate and sightseeing options. If one of your days is a Monday also note that some museums are closed. Museums closings do vary widely in London. 

Enjoy your anniversary!!!!

[vistaman]

if it must be around Paddington , have a look to the Royal Lancaster

or Hilton Hyde Park   - recently refurbished

[SheriDan1985]

We are flying into Heathrow from US, then out of Heathrow to Amsterdam for a Viking River Cruise.

 

I am hoping to keep the hotel as close to $150 as possible.  The first night we will be totally exhausted from traveling, the Day 2 - in the morning, we are going to do the Hop On Hop Off Bus; we thought this would be the best (when we have such a short time in London) and we fly out the next day.

 

Thank you to everyone helping with suggestions.

 

Sheri