London Bound

[Guest Jonboy69]

I plan to visit London for the

first time next Nov. Can anyone

recommend ang good hotels there.

I don't want to spend $$$$, but

I don't want a dump either...And

any advice the best place to meet the local lads ?

[+ glutes]

You are asking a tall order here. Anything you find will be expensive, dump or not. Beware of the Sparticus listings.

[jackhammer91406]

Exactly one year ago I was staying at the Strand Palace across the strand from the Savoy Hotel. The Palace is considered an upscale hotel, but not posh by any means. As most posters will attest, all rooms in London are notoriously small. The Palace is primarily for people who are looking to take in shows as it is centrally located in the west end area. I found that upon arrival, the closet I was assigned to on the "club" level (supposedly more upscale, newly redecorated rooms) was so small, that I could only move if I turned sideways (literally the truth). But as with any hotel, a squeaky wheel gets greased. I was promptly moved to a more acceptable room and enjoyed my 10 day stay. Since my objective wasn't to stay in a hotel room for ten days, the second room was enough for my needs. The Hotel provides a fairly complete buffet breakfast every day , and is located within easy access to tube and trains. I was not familiar with the local gay sites, so can't help there, but for more info, search engines can take you to many pages that link with accomodations and rail transit plans. I purchased a rail pass and a transport pass (bus and subway) and moved easily around the various locations I wanted.(in first class on trains for day trips). This was of course after 9/11 and before the rampant anti=american sentiment that seems to prevail everywhere now, so I found everyone, including the cabbies (a great source for local info BTW) to be friendly and courteous.

Hope this helps

 

;-)

[jackhammer91406]

Also Try some of these links:

 

http://www.london-discount-hotel.com/hotelinfo.php?id=148&hoteltype=Hotel

 

http://www.visitbritain.com/

 

The 2nd link is the one I used to get info and listings for almost everything!

 

;-)

[Guest Tomcal_]

There is a Holiday Inn(not your typical Holiday)at 100 Cromwell rd.

right across the street from the Tube station. This is a smaller(I think 5 or 6 floors) type hotel, with a restaurant and piano bar off the lobby. It has very nice, comfortable rooms and most importantly it is VERY convienent to everything! The next stop on the tube from this location is Earl's court(which is only about a 7-8 blocks walk and has several gay bars and resturants. The other direction on the tube about 12 mins. and you are in Soho/Picadilly Circus area, where the major gay bar area is. I ahve stayed there twice in the last 6 month and would again

[ServeUncutUncle]

Rule 1:

Avoid early November especially World Travel Market 10-13 November

 

Rule 2:

Avoid US based Hotel websites such as Hotels.com and Expedia.com. They add the 17.5% Tax after you book. UK based Web sites always include this and many times also include breakfast.Remember there are usually no extra taxes unlike NYC where you have up to 4 additional payments.

 

Rule3:

Stay in the area you intend to visit most or you will spend much of you vacation on the SubWay or in Traffic Jams.

 

Rule 4:

Try and find somewhere close to the Picadilly Subway line this is the most cost effective way from Heathrow. Avoid the Heathrow Express Train.

 

Rule 5:

A Single room can be a former Broom Closet, but if you hassle reception you can usually get something larger out of them.

 

Rule 6:

Go to Google and search, my own recommendation for good value.

 

http://www.hotel-london.co.uk/hotel.php?hotel_id=75

 

Enjoy

[axebahia]

Check londonlads.co.uk re escorts.

 

Re: hotels, there is no such thing as price/quality ratio in London. Check out some of the web-based discount sites, but plan to talk yourself into an upgrade. It always works for me!:-)

[ServeUncutUncle]

RE: London Bound-RULE 7 - I almost Forgot

 

Visit"

 

http://www.villagianni.com

[BgMstr4u]

There is no one right hotel for everyone in London. London has an astonishing array of hotels, some of the best in the world, and some of the worst. Research beforehand will pay off.

 

A few little suggestions....

1) Single rooms in London are usually exactly that -- single. As in half of a double, a double cut down to 2 rooms, exactly wide enough for a cot and a door, long enough for a sink, a wardrobe, a chair, and if you are VERY VERY lucky, a table. There are a few places which will put single travelers who booked a single room into a room as large as your couple will get (the usual US practice), but not many. This includes some very reputable and expensive places, as well as the bottom feeders -- a virtually universal practice in London. Make sure your room is what you want when you book it. If you want a double room, book a double and pay the difference.

 

2) Inexpensive hotels are usually inexpensive for a reason. Badly furnished, badly cleaned, run by the local reps of the hotel version of the Taliban, Al Qaeda or worse. Do not be seduced by the many ads for converted row houses with great prices. You can end up with a not-clean version of the single above which will ruin your vacation.

 

3) Bathrooms. The bathroom bit is worth a note -- the cheaper hotels usually have shared (down the hall) bathrooms. These can be charming, and give you a taste of the London of yesteryear, if that is what you want. Some of the sleazier places advertise ensuite baths but use a peculiar British invention -- the all-in-one-piece plastic bath-in-a-corner. You do not want one of these little marvels. Trust me!

 

4) Location is important, but not necessarily the only factor. A lot of the gay activity is in the Earl's Court area, but so are a lot of type 2 (above) hotels. Be careful there.

 

5) Read up on other people's experiences. The aol message board on London Hotels is a good one, though very heavy on the ladies-who-plan-till-their-husbands-croak types. Their insights are worth considering.

 

6) The best compromise for a single person I have found is a place called The Lancaster Hall Hotel, on Craven Terrace, about halfway between the Lancaster Gate and Paddington tube stations. It has only one type of room -- double (that is to say, 2 single beds -- but hey, you get the extra space). Basic, immaculately clean accomodations with lovely ensuite (private, in room) bathrooms, and a good continental breakfast in the morning. £57/night for a single.

 

7) If you want to go the deluxe route in London, be prepared to pay pay pay. It is one of the most expensive hotel cities on the face of the earth. Of the major chains, the London Marriotts are excellent, the Hiltons less excellent. One British chain to look at is Thistle -- in fact, there is one in the same block as the venerable City of Quebec, the major rent lad bar in London, at Marble Arch. But the truly great places -- The Connaught, The Carlyle, The Savoy, Brown's, etc., will be a memorable experience all your life, especially as you pay off the £200 and up tariff over time.

 

8) Remember -- the British form of taxation is the VAT -- the Value Added Tax. This does not usually appear separately on your bill. Be sure when you book your room that you know whether the VAT is included in the quoted price of the room (it is at the LHH -- at £57/single and £75/double, a steal). The VAT is 17.5% and can be a nasty shock if you are not prepared for it in advance.

 

Good luck to you!

[axebahia]

I agree with all of that, but I would add that even in luxury hotels in London, the rooms are very small. That is generaly true of European hotels though.

[larbord]

Two hotels I've used in London are the Elizabeth and the Windemere. Both are located near Victoria Station, very convenient to the Tube and the Gatwick express. A single will run about 75 Pounds, and this includes breakfast. Rooms are on the small side, but very clean and comfy.

 

You might want to check out the Thistle Hotel web site. They have some advanced booking rates available that are pretty amazing. I just booked a room at the Thistle Trafalgar for November for 38.50 Pounds per night. Regular rate is about 100 Pounds.

 

London is the best city in the world. :+