London Neighborhoods for hotels

[scott_c]

@Ian Sutton

When looking for hotels (and don’t ignore apartments which can offer good value & lots of space/freedom) do be prepared to edge up or down your expected price range & also be somewhat flexible on location, as there are usually a few very good offers on the usual aggregators (Late-rooms, Booking, Expedia etc.). Two that spring to mind for us were the Paddington Hilton (more prestige than I realised - I phoned Expedia up to book and the lady flagged up the deal, which was indeed a good one). More recently we stayed overnight in an apartment near Park Lane that was classy, spacious and well fitted - £200 a night rather than ~ £150 for places that looked average and the reviews were very mixed/poor. Trading up was a no brainer and a genuine ‘offer’. That place was ‘9 Hertford Street’ and I’d definitely recommend it. Run by a very affable Portuguese family. Ours was apparently the smallest of the apartments there (though apparently with the best kitchen).

What websites do you recommend for searching for apartments? We’ll be in London for 3-4 nights (my wife, me, and my parents), and rather than get two hotel rooms, do you think an apartment would be a good option? I wonder if my parents would miss the convenience of being able to get breakfast/coffee from the hotel, someone hailing cabs, carrying luggage, etc.

[scott_c]

Also, while I’m here, and since it seems like the thread has morphed into restaurant talk in addition to neighborhood recommendations, if I had three dinners in London, and my initial plan was Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, and a nice Indian restaurant, tell me whether that’s perfect or crazy, and what you would do differently, if anything.

[e_chin]

Scott checkout onefinestay.com very helpful and responsive. My wife started with airbnb and vrbo and both proved difficult with scam locations. As for restaurants we had a great meal at Daphne’s. A good enough place for Padma Lakshmi who sat at the next table with I assume her kids and nanny. Didn’t even notice her until she left

[Brian_G_r_a_f_s_t_r_o_m]

@scott c

Also, while I’m here, and since it seems like the thread has morphed into restaurant talk in addition to neighborhood recommendations, if I had three dinners in London, and my initial plan was Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, and a nice Indian restaurant, tell me whether that’s perfect or crazy, and what you would do differently, if anything.

I would cancel Dinner. Do Pollen Street Social or St. John’s instead. My experience at Dinner was one of great boredom and extreme disappointment.

[Russell_Faulkner]

For those wanting a small but ultra central room check out Hub by Premier Inn on St Martins Lane. I’ve used it before when just needing somewhere to sleep. Beware not all rooms even have windows.

[Michael_Ferris]

@Peter Hirdt

I like Belgravia. You get the best of Knightsbridge and the parks with short walks to Mayfair/Soho, and those few blocks get you away from the bustle and give you a more relaxed, neighborhood feel.

+1 on Belgravia. The Halkin is a fantastic hotel as is The Berkeley (Belgravia/Knightsbridge border). In the neighborhood is the gastropub Pantechnicon and Ramsay’s Petrus.

[Mont_Stern]

Because of how expensive hotels are in London, it is the place to get the most bang for your buck with hotel points or any type of award travel that can get you a free room.

[Alan_Rath]

@c fu

My wife wants to watch some theater

Have you told her you dislike theater, in fact hate theater?

[Alan_Rath]

I used to stay at The Chesterfield in Mayfair, when it was priced in the range that I could cover on my expense account. A very quaint, old style hotel, very quiet part of Mayfair. Really, I wouldn’t worry so much about the location, you’re going to walk a fair amount no matter where you end up, and the tube will get you wherever you need to go.

[Peter_Hirdt]

@Michael Ferris

@Peter Hirdt

I like Belgravia. You get the best of Knightsbridge and the parks with short walks to Mayfair/Soho, and those few blocks get you away from the bustle and give you a more relaxed, neighborhood feel.

+1 on Belgravia. The Halkin is a fantastic hotel as is The Berkeley (Belgravia/Knightsbridge border). In the neighborhood is the gastropub Pantechnicon and Ramsay’s Petrus.

Agreed, the Halkin is a great choice.

[Ian_Sutton]

@scott c

What websites do you recommend for searching for apartments? We’ll be in London for 3-4 nights (my wife, me, and my parents), and rather than get two hotel rooms, do you think an apartment would be a good option? I wonder if my parents would miss the convenience of being able to get breakfast/coffee from the hotel, someone hailing cabs, carrying luggage, etc.

Hi Scott
No secret insider sites that I know - just mainstream aggregators: Late-rooms, Booking, Expedia

All apartments still have staff on the check-in desk, but without all the extra staff needed in Hotels. I’d always argue that the convenience of an apartment is that you can make your own coffee, freshly ground from a good coffee shop if that excites you. The one mentioned above had a coffee maker and two sealed packs of coffee for guests to help themselves. They certainly offered to help with bags at that apartment, and it really was rather classy (some apartments are a bit Spartan, but that was in keeping with it’s location).

Two hotel rooms can either give you a necessary break from each other, or takes away from your time together and removes the opportunity for a relaxed chat on the sofa / at the kitchen or dining table. Even with two of us, we very much appreciate the extra space and the freedom to rise early or late - our schedule, not the hotel’s.

We recently shared an apartment with friends in Bologna, and didn’t feel we were tripping over each other. If the space is there, it really does help to keep things relaxed.

regards
Ian

[scott_c]

Thanks for the thoughtful response, Ian.

[Andrew_Kotowski]

Headed over this week. Will be staying a couple of places (The Athenaeum and Le Meridien), but nailing down some restaurants. Looks like Bubbledogs is closed while I’m there, as is Cinnamon Club.

Good friend recommended “Riding House Café,” so will hit that up. Also have a work dinner at “Duck and Waffle,” so hoping that pans out. Need to fill one last gap on Sat, Aug 22 for dinner. Pollen Street Social has a slot, but it’s at 10:15 Hrmm, looks like Wed, Aug 26 is open now, as well

[Andy_Steinman]

Two Mayfair area Hotels, both on Half Moon Street, if you are looking a lower tariff:

Fleming’s
Hilton Green Park

both are converted townhouses.

[Andrew_Kotowski]

@Andy Steinman

Two Mayfair area Hotels, both on Half Moon Street, if you are looking a lower tariff:

Fleming’s
Hilton Green Park

both are converted townhouses.

Really appreciate the advice; went with the Le Meridien because it’s on a corp approved/preferred list that I’m more or less stuck with and with the Athenaeum because I got it for under 200 GBP (including VAT).

[Jay_Winton]

Mayfair is my favorite but there are lots of options. St Johns Wood might be worth checking.

[Andy_Steinman]

@Andrew Kotowski

@Andy Steinman

Two Mayfair area Hotels, both on Half Moon Street, if you are looking a lower tariff:

Fleming’s
Hilton Green Park

both are converted townhouses.

Really appreciate the advice; went with the Le Meridien because it’s on a corp approved/preferred list that I’m more or less stuck with and with the Athenaeum because I got it for under 200 GBP (including VAT).

The Atheneum is quite nice! The exterior is sort of bleh-modern but once you are inside, you’ll never know it.

[Andrew_Kotowski]

Nabbed dinner resos on the 26th at Pollen Street! Definitely expect to see some highlights in the Epicurious Exploits section

Still need to figure out Sat 8/22; last minute trips are a pain when it comes to weekend reservations

[Andrew_Kotowski]

General thoughts on trip.

Restaurants:
Riding House Café was decidedly mediocre. Skip.
Duck and Waffle - great cocktails, good food, phenomenal view (40th floor of the Heron Tower). If you’re a newcomer to London and want to see the city from one of the tallest buildings in the country… it’s worth a stop.
Pollen Street Social - food/service was incredibly good. Will post pics at a later date.
Dehesa - great Spanish/Basque food in SoHo. Big fan, especially if you can sit outside, as it’s people watching central. Will post pics at a later date.
Artesian (bar at the Langham Hotel) - top ranked bar in the world for Drinks; had some amazing cocktails. Presentation was a little gimmicky and the pricing was 18 GBP per drink
The Bull Inn (Reading) - dates to the 1600s, feels like a hobbit-house. Was ok. Apparently George Clooney hangs out a lot here, as one of his many houses is down the street. I have a hard time seeing a 400 year old English pub serving nachos, but hey.

Hotels:
The Athenaeum - Mayfair (on Picadilly across from Green Park). Couldn’t recommend more highly, especially if you can get a corp discount. At 198 GBP / night, the rooms were nice, beds were comfy, Nespresso in the room and all of the other things you’d expect from this kind of a hotel.
Le Meridien - Picadilly. Mediocrity on a good day. 269 GBP for a King bed and wow. Le Meridien sold out their brand for a location and I sold my soul for Starwood points. We’ve all been there, I guess. Think hotel in Tmes Square, but from the 40s. The bathroom is down a hall that shoots of the side of the room and has a stair halfway through. Shower “wand” is at least 50 years old, and the mounted shower nozzle has no pressure. No Nespresso machine, either. Bah.
Fobury Hotel (Reading) - relaxing place, but stuck in the 80’s with hokey wallpaper, romantic music playing in the room when I arrived and no sense of AC. Restaurant downstairs (Cerise) is good and the bartender I had knew his stuff, which was a surprise, as Reading feels like Timbuktu after being in London.

Hope this was of use to someone else; always appreciate the time and notes from other board members when it comes to travel/restaurants.

[Marc_S]

Headed to Pollen Street tonight. Did you do the tasting menu or go a la carte? What stood out to you?