Going to London next March, but don't know where to stay. Do all hotels have private bathrooms/showers in room? Any suggestions on where to stay...affordably? Thanks.

It depends on what one calls affordable. Keep in mind what you call affordable might not be the same as an affordable London rate. The easist thing for you is to check Orbitz for rates and availability. If a hotel room is advertised as en suite, that means a shared bathroom. These are also the cheapest rooms, as you can imagine. When in London, I prefer the St. James, but have stayed at the Kensington Palace Hotel (near Hyde Park) several times with very pleasant experiences at about half the cost. [And there is a nice French sandwich shop around the corner!]

What you should not expect to find inside London are rooms that approximate American interstate rates. It costs a bit in the big city no matter where you are, and London is no exception. I recommend that when you land at Heathrow, take the Heathrow Express train to Paddington Station and catch a black cab to your hotel from there. It will save you a small fortune. And when returning, don't make the mistake of taking the Heathrow Local - as it makes several stops and could wreak havoc with your schedule.

From Gloucester today, for nearly the last time!

Cheers,
Intl Doc

Safe travels, intldoc, Passport Season Two awaits, and a government that is going to be curious about why we visit this website so often. I can't say that I really could explain it if asked...

Silvasword,
I recall that Samantha, in her London Passport episode,very wisely suggested acquiring a London Streetfinder Guidebook or London A-Z book, and when Samantha speaks, you've gotta listen to her. You will definitely need good maps for planning your trip, and to help you find things once you get there. As a frequent London visitor/resident, I would recommend finding an "affordable" place to stay in the vicinity of the Bayswater, Queensway or Paddington underground stations, which are centrally located and full of fairly inexpensive options, (meaning in the vicinity of $100/night if you’re lucky) which are fine if you will be spending most of your time outside of the hotel. Within walking distance of the expansive Hyde Park, too, which is very nice, especially on Sundays when there is always sidewalk art and Speaker's Corner.
Find out whether or not there is a private or shared bath, and also if a full English breakfast is included or not. The Comfort Inn Notting Hill and Central Park Hotel are decent, but I have low standards. The Earl’s Court and Gloucester Road underground stops on the Piccadilly line also have many small hotels that you can walk to from the station, also very convenient to Heathrow and central London. Go to Google and type in London Budget Hotels, where you will find a great number of websites that will help you out, including www.hotels.com, which has sponsored “Great Hotels” on the Travel Channel, so I like that one best! Travelstay.com lists the Hyde Hotel near Paddington Station at under 20 pounds per person, with the Comfort Inn at Earl’s Court at 35 pounds, which is pretty low priced for London. There’s always the hostel option, too.
If you are going in non-touristy March and are willing to take a risk or two, wait until the last minute and book through Priceline.com where you will hopefully be able to bid on and snag a much better hotel room than you might usually be able to afford.

Following up on what intldoc said above, although the Heathrow Express train (not underground) is your fastest and simplest way to central London from Heathrow, it is not the cheapest. Both the Airbus and the trusty Tube (Piccadilly Line) will get you there just as well, and a multi-day London Transport pass for Zones 1 and 2 will serve you well if purchased at Heathrow (with the necessary extensions for the extra leg to the airport and back), The pass will allow you to have unlimited travel on the busses and underground trains within the designated boundaries which will save you the hassle and extra expense of buying tickets whenever you want to get somewhere. Budget travelers would be wise to avoid cabs, especially ones that are not black cabs.
That’s about it for my two pence worth of advice. Perhaps others have more specific or better suggestions.
London is a great city to explore! Have fun with it, and always watch your wallet and look both ways before you cross the street.

Briefly, be careful of where you stay near Paddington Station as there is a rather prominent red light district in Little Morocco just a few blocks from the station, not far from Sussex Garden. And as in all hotels, you get what you pay for.

Regarding train travel to/from London, I've never felt comfortable dragging suitcases on either a bus or local underground (e.g., London's Tube or the Paris Metro) - but that's just me, and hence, the reason I recommended the Express. Yes, indeed, the Picadilly line will take you to/from London quite nicely if it doesn't break down. [Capttuttle is the resident expert in the field of disfunctional transportation, if he is available to consult.]

A Heathrow Express ticket is ₤14, a cab about triple that. The last Express train leaves Heathrow at midnight, so if you have a late arriving flight, the Tube may be your only inexpensive alternative.

Best to the Family O.

Bon voyage!!!

Intl Doc

I've always thought the hotels around Paddington Station (a station I dearly love, I hasten to add) a little on the sketchy side, but I have no real reason for saying that as I have no experiences with them. But I've used a (very spartan) little inexpensive one in Bloomsbury for years now that's always turned out pretty well. Not exactly photogenic, though. But fabulous location, and so much of London is walkable from there, which I love doing. Bloomsbury and Gower Street is, if not part of the University of London (and the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts!), almost all little hotels, no doubt of "varying" quality but you ought to find one there to your liking that won't be crushingly expensive. Wish I were there right now.

Usually I just s--- it up and take the tube in from Heathrow myself. Spectacular people watching, at least. I've never had a problem on arrival or departure days (but yes, dread the very name of Edgware Road).

Hope IntlDoc has a smooth trip back himself. He'll find the price of gas (if nothing like UK levels) a tad higher now than when he was last home.

quote:

Originally posted by silvasword:
Going to London next March, but don't know where to stay. Do all hotels have private bathrooms/showers in room? Any suggestions on where to stay...affordably? Thanks.

I stayed at the 3 star Park International twice last summer. It's nice hotel in Kensington, near the Glouchester Road tube stop. I think I paid on average 20-25pounds/night for a single room with shower and free breakfast. The best deals were found through their website www.parkinternational.com They also have a USA 1-800 number listed on the site.

Hey I have one The Ritz
it may be expensive but it sure is nice.