Hotel recommendations in London post-cruise

[ohmyminnie]

We will probably be spending a few days in London post-cruise. Any hotel recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[dcassetta]

So many options in London!

Our favorite is the Royal Horseguards in Westminster right on the river and a block from Embankment tube. It can be a little pricy, but is walking distance to many of the central London sights.

We also like the Kensington area, especially around the Gloucester tube station. The Montana is a little boutique hotel we stayed at twice a number of years ago. Not fancy, but clean and comfortable and includes breakfast.

 

[ohmyminnie]

Great information! Thank you!

 

[BadPinkTink]

London is huge so recomending a hotel can be hard. I used to live in London and now go back to visit friends. The first thing to do is decide the area that works best for you. Go to Google Maps and see where the things that interest you are located.

The areas I would recommend are

1. Victoria
2. Marylebone / Baker Street
3. Covent Garden / The Strand
4. Westminster / Waterloo
5. Kings Cross St Pancreas
6. Knightsbridge
7. Kensington
8. Bayswater

The next thing to do is look at hotel chains and see if they are in your chosen area. You wont find the American Motel style outside corridor type hotels in London, so the motel chains such as Travelodge or Comfort Inn will all have inside corridors and be hotel style not motel style.

If you have a preferred hotel chain, check if they are located in your chosen area. Otherwise chains I would recommend are

• Travelodge
• Comfort Inn
• Premier Inn
• Hilton
• Marriott
• Holiday Inn
• Ibis

The last thing to look at is the distance between the hotel and the nearest tube station. I never stay further than 5 minutes walk / across the street from a tube station. The London underground is the easiest and fastest way to get around London and see things. Yes you can take the famous black cabs in London, but you will get stuck in traffic and the fare will escalate as its metered. The bus network is really good too, but again traffic and it will take longer.

 

[ohmyminnie]

Thanks so much! It is a little confusing, I will just be happy if we can actually travel by August! The planning is fun, though.

 

[belle032]

We stayed at the Premier Inn at King's Cross for 2 days after our cruise. Very convenient, almost directly across from the train (tube!) station. Bonus points if you're a Harry Potter fan!

It's a nice, clean, budget friendly chain of hotels all across London. We stayed in the one in Heathrow Airport the night we arrived and wouldn't hesitate to stay again. If there is one located in the area you're interested in staying, I'd definitely look into it.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I am a fan of staying near the British Museum. There are a number of good hotels in the area but it depends on how many people you want in a room and if you demand an American style hotel room or are more flex.

 

[jjb1974]

So many options in London!
Our favorite is the Royal Horseguards in Westminster right on the river and a block from Embankment tube. It can be a little pricy, but is walking distance to many of the central London sights.

Thought nobody would mention this one, went there on my honeymoon, and wouldn't you know it, first reply mentions it! This is an outstanding hotel. Pricey, absolutely, but you get what you pay for. So glad someone else loves this place!

 

[hrhdhd]

I like the Rembrandt, which is in Kensington directly across from the Victoria and Albert Museum.

 

[cinderella97]

We Love St. Ermin's in Westminister. Its a Marriott. It has 2 beds too!

 

[TikiThunderPirates]

I really enjoyed the Park Plaza Victoria London. It's across the street from Victoria Station, which is convenient after taking the train from Dover to London post cruise and taking the Gatwick express to the airports. The rooms are well appointed and the amenities were good. It was easy to walk to Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Selfridges department store, Kensington Palace and Gardens, Hyde Park, and quick to take the tube from Victoria Station to places like the Tower of London. Two grocery stores nearby and several eateries for quick and easy food.

 

[emilymad]

We love the Ampersand in South Kensington. A 2 minute walk at most from the tube with lots of restaurants nearby. Not the cheapest or the most extravagant but a solid boutique hotel.

 

[sharktums]

I am a fan of staying near the British Museum. There are a number of good hotels in the area but it depends on how many people you want in a room and if you demand an American style hotel room or are more flex.

Agreed! We just stayed at the Doubletree West End which was a two minute walk to the British Museum, 5 minute walk to either the Holborn or Russell Square Tube Stations, and if the weathers nice a 15 minutes walk to the Covent Garden/Leicester Square area. Tons of shops, coffee, food, etc. all around.

 

[piccolopat]

We love the Conrad St. James in Westminster. There is a tube station right across the street and you are within walking distance of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar, Churchill War Rooms and more. We also love sitting in St. James park at the end of the day.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If you have a small party, I've always enjoyed The George, on Cartwright Gardens. It's where my mum would stay when visiting me at school, and I've also stayed there. Clean, compact, affordable.

 

[mmouse37]

We have stayed at a few Thistle Hotels in London on different trips. I liked the one near Marble Arch. I believe it is now called Amba Hotel but used to be Thistle Marble Arch. They did a complete renovation in 2015 (after we were there) but the location was great. Near a Primark and a Marks and Spencer and short walk to Marble Arch tube station.

I have to say that getting around in London by either bus or Tube is so much easier than getting around NYC. I have lived outside of NYC my whole life and still can't figure out the subway system. First time in London and had no problems at all.

Do they still have Oyster Cards? Where you can load money on it and use for both buses and tube? That was really handy.

MJ

 

[pjacobi]

I like the small B&Bs around Paddington station. They are located in old buildings with creaky floors, peeling paint, no A/C, no elevator, but come with a great breakfast at a good price. I prefer an authentic London atmosphere rather than an American-style hotel.

The Heathrow Express makes a quick connection from the airport. There is easy access by rail to the UK and the world, plus there are several nearby Tube stations.


-Paul

 

[CarolynU]

I’ve just booked a night in The Chesterfield Mayfair to celebrate my daughters birthday in June. The reviews are very good. This is a great location.

 

[gilsan]

We like the Premier Inn very reasonably priced and have stayed at the one at Victoria Station, Bankside, and Gatwick. Victoria and Bankside were both in good locations for site seeing and dining choices

 

[dcassetta]

Thought nobody would mention this one, went there on my honeymoon, and wouldn't you know it, first reply mentions it! This is an outstanding hotel. Pricey, absolutely, but you get what you pay for. So glad someone else loves this place!

OT - but the Royal Horseguards will always have a special pace in my heart. In 2005 DH was deployed and managed to get a few days leave at Christmas. We decided to meet in London to save him time coming all the way back to the states. I arrive on Christmas Eve morning to find a message from him at the front desk that his leave had been canceled. Wasn't the first time, or the last, and I was disappointed but fine. The hotel staff was very concerned for me being on my own at Christmas. My room was a beautiful corner room with windows on both sides and a view of the river and London Eye. I am sure this was an upgrade as we booked a standard. I also did not pay for a meal at the hotel for the next three days. I felt very (unnecessarily) pampered.