London hotels good for walking to all

[smokeykat]

We are visiting next year beginning of June after our cruise. I am looking for hotel recommendations that are walking distance to many attractions. I was thinking of staying in Westminster and looking for a real British experience. Room cost up to $500 per night after tax is OK. Hotel ambience is key ☺️

If there is another location with great hotels that would work I would love to hear about it. Thanks!

[d9704011]

We stayed at The Clermont, Charing Cross last September for four nights.  It was excellent.  If you book, get the breakfast.  It's pretty well priced and delicious with lots of choices.

 

https://www.theclermont.co.uk/charing-cross

[CruiserBruce]

London is a large city...the sites are spread all over a wide area. However, the subway (Tube") is excellent.

 

As to hotels, Conrad St James is in a great location, and is an excellent hotel. London is not cheap, particularly the downtown locations.

[markeb]

What are you looking for? $500/night may not be as much as you think in Westminster or Mayfair. It's probably too early to book for June, so I'd be WAG ing pretty much on price, but many of the classic hotels (Conrad, Clermont mentioned above, Marriott properties, etc.) are likely to hit closer to £500 or more (in some cases much more), not $$. Especially in June. There are plenty of decent hotels on the South Bank near Waterloo Station that are likely to be priced better. But they may not have that ambience. You're not going to get into Claridge's without paying 2.5-3X your budget...

[Simon-t]

There are any number of good hotels in that budget, so it really depends where you want to be based. My own recommendation would be the Trafalgar St James (now part of the Hilton Group) which is right on Trafalgar Square and easily walk-able to Westminster, Covent Garden, Buckingham Palace and the West End Theatres. The location is first rate and the rooms a decent size (for London...).

[Thejuggler]

A family friend is in London every 4-6 weeks for a couple of nights.  Conrad St James was generally his go to, but he now favours The Dilly, which unsurprisingly is on Piccadilly close to Piccadilly Circus and lots of attractions are within walking distance.

 

Date will be crucial.  Dilly this week is about £250-300 a night for this summer, but certain dates can see this rise dramatically,

 

Another option is to find a slightly cheaper hotel and use the bars and restaurants at more expensive ones.

[MeHeartCruising]

I prefer hotels in the County Hall area, just across Westminster Bridge from Parliament.

[Cotswold Eagle]

27 minutes ago, MeHeartCruising said:

I prefer hotels in the County Hall area, just across Westminster Bridge from Parliament.

Of which, the Marriott County Hall is most likely to satisfy the OP's requirements, although a "real British experience" is a little ambiguous.... And, like the Dilly, it has a swimming pool, which is relatively unusual in central London. 

 

 

[smokeykat]

Thank you for all your suggestions! By a British experience I really mean a fine older hotel with plenty of ambience and history. We are from NY and I was thinking of hotels similar to Lotte Palace, The Plaza ( but not that expensive) in Manhattan.Walking distance to many sites and near good restaurants. Looking at the map Westminster looked good but I will look at all your suggestions!

[Globaliser]

3 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

... a "real British experience" is a little ambiguous.

 

For a "real British experience" in the field of hotels, one needs to go to the Apollo Theatre this summer.

[markeb]

7 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

For a "real British experience" in the field of hotels, one needs to go to the Apollo Theatre this summer.

 

There is that! I was kind of envisioning that for a "real British experience". Along with tiny or nonexistent elevators, uneven upstairs floors, and random level changes from 150 years of renovations...

 

For the OP. There's something of a short distance from "charming" to "oh, isn't it quaint that you'd like a hot shower" at times. The major chains are generally safe, but a lot of them are pretty sterile. And for that local feel not involving a chain, most of the classic places I'm familiar with are likely to be well over your price point. Using the Lotte and Plaza as sort of a benchmark, that's going to be something like Claridge's or the Savoy. Maybe Duke's for the Lotte, although Duke's is only 80-90 rooms. 

 

Throwing some names out for Google searches. It's been decades since I stayed at what's now the Clermont (mentioned earlier); it was just the Charing Cross Hotel at the time. Great location, classic feel at the time and sounds like still. 

 

Royal Horseguards Hotel. I've never stayed there but met co-workers there. Also a very classic feel. I'd check reviews on the rooms as I have no idea. Downstairs was beautiful.

 

Sheraton Grand Park Lane, which is actually on Piccadilly, not Park Lane. Also a very classic feel, but the rooms trended into that "isn't that quaint" territory at times. That's moving into Mayfair, but very close to Green Park and Hyde Park and Tube stops each way. Short walk to Fortnum and Mason and also to Duke's if you'd like to stop in for a drink.

 

Following on the "be close to a nice place" theme above, the Marriott at Grosvenor Square was a very nice place to stay, incredibly convenient to the Elizabeth Line to and from Heathrow, and just a few blocks from Claridge's. Again in Mayfair but an easy walk to Bond Street, Piccadilly, and the like. The Marriott Park Lane is probably a nicer hotel with a slightly more classic feel, but it's been moving up in price and points over the last couple of years. And it's not 200m from the Bond Street Elizabeth Line station!

 

Never stayed at the Conrad (Marriott points, not Hilton) but it has a great reputation and sounds like the Dilly would be worth exploring as well.

 

Good luck!

[Thejuggler]

Waldorf also has a pool, but having stayed a few years ago,  it is only somewhere I'd recommend if it has had a refurbishment in the intervening years as it was very tired,

 

County Hall seems to get suggested, but I wouldn't pay high prices to be there. South bank offers very little later in the evening.  A few years ago we ate at Oxo Tower which was excellent and not far from County Hall,  but leaving at 10pm the area was dead, took us ages to get a taxi and I didn't feel comfortable walking very far.

[smokeykat]

5 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

For a "real British experience" in the field of hotels, one needs to go to the Apollo Theatre this summer.

Planning on the theater of course! We love the theater here in NY and I would like to see at least 2 shows before they come to Broadway on our visit.
🙂

[Eno]

Stayed at the park plaza Westminster last month. Great location.

[markeb]

22 minutes ago, Eno said:

Stayed at the park plaza Westminster last month. Great location.

But very modern. Not sure it’s the experience they’re looking for. 

[princeton123211]

20 hours ago, smokeykat said:

By a British experience I really mean a fine older hotel with plenty of ambience and history. We are from NY and I was thinking of hotels similar to Lotte Palace, The Plaza ( but not that expensive) in Manhattan.

What you're describing is exactly The Savoy (which is also managed by Fairmont like The Plaza in NYC). It's your quintessential London grande dame hotel experience. There are more "British" options (Browns especially, Claridges, The Dorchester and The Connaught come to mind). The Savoy can be a little bit less expensive than those but it can also be wildly expensive depending on the date. Unless you have access to a good corporate rate it will most likely be above your budget-- but it is exactly what you describe you want. (And it also has a very nice pool which, as others have said, is rare). 

[Cotswold Eagle]

1 hour ago, princeton123211 said:

The Savoy can be a little bit less expensive than those but it can also be wildly expensive depending on the date. Unless you have access to a good corporate rate it will most likely be above your budge

As so often on this board (at many price points), there may be a mismatch between the OP's budget and aspiration! At $500/night, which really isn't much in London terms anymore, places like either Clermont are probably achievable, but as you say there is a layer of grand old hotels that won't be.

[princeton123211]

30 minutes ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

At $500/night, which really isn't much in London terms anymore, places like either Clermont are probably achievable, but as you say there is a layer of grand old hotels that won't be.

Very true. I've seen The Savoy recently for as low as 650 GBP but not $500 US.

 

If the OP has Amex Platinum or access to a Virtuoso agent they can get some nice value add with that which could bring the value down to their budget-- like free breakfast (usually worth in excess of $100 a day at The Savoy), $100 F&B credit, upgrade, and late checkout. But the rate is still going to be what it is. 

[Morgans]

Have a look at the Taj, St James Court - lovely hotel and walkable to lots of sights. 

[sawasdee]

First time travelling to London & considering a stay at Clermont Victoria for 4 nights fri-tues then train or Nat Express to Southampton port. Seems like we'd be much closer and walkable to more attractions if we stayed closer to St James area. Even with all the transportation options around Victoria station should we just increase the budget for a more centrally located hotel? Maybe Sofitel, Conrad or St Ermin's? Would prefer to be able to walk back to the hotel in the evenings & be in a nice walkable area but looks like Victoria may require we take a tube or bus back from Piccadilly, Regent St. or Mayfair. Am I over thinking this? Thanks for helping me decide...

[julia]

Getting around the vicinity of London is fairly easy.  We enjoyed several nights in Kensington at the Park Hotel (4*) and found it lovely and walkable.

[Globaliser]

13 hours ago, sawasdee said:

Seems like we'd be much closer and walkable to more attractions if we stayed closer to St James area. Even with all the transportation options around Victoria station should we just increase the budget for a more centrally located hotel? Maybe Sofitel, Conrad or St Ermin's?

 

You need to be careful about "St James area".

 

The Conrad and the St Ermin's are next to St James's Park Tube. But this is about half a mile way from the area known as "St James's", which is on the other side of St James's Park and broadly speaking comprises the rectangular area bounded by Piccadilly, Haymarket, The Mall and Green Park. The Sofitel is at the eastern end of this area.

 

It takes about 10 minutes to walk from St James's Park Tube to the Clermont Victoria, so that's how much further away you would be than if you were to stay at the Clermont instead of the Conrad or the St Ermin's.

[Cotswold Eagle]

4 hours ago, Globaliser said:

It takes about 10 minutes to walk from St James's Park Tube to the Clermont Victoria, so that's how much further away you would be

Or if you end up on the tube, one stop, around two minutes 😀

 

As always, it depends on what sites and attractions. If you moved to St James’s Park, you’re marginally closer to Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, Cabinet War Rooms etc. For Buckingham Palace it’s much of a muchness (depending if you want the front, the back or the Royal Mews). You’d be a little further away from Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, the museums in South Kensington. 
 

But it’s really a marginal consideration, in my view - add it in to your decision matrix if you know what you’ll be doing, but don’t let it dominate.  

Edited Thursday at 04:29 PM by Cotswold Eagle