Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
London boasts some of the most famous hotels in the world—temples of luxury
like
Claridge's
and the
Savoy
—but there's still a dearth of the kind of mid-range,
family-run hotels that make staying in Paris or Rome such a pleasure. Even at the
luxury level, you may be surprised at what you don't get. Many of the grand gems are
so steeped in tradition that they lack modern conveniences standard in luxury hotels
worldwide. The best have modernized with a vengeance, but others retain distinctly
Edwardian amenities. While London has an increasing number of sleek, high-tech
palaces—complete with high-end sound systems and gadget-filled marble bath-
rooms—these hotels frequently lack the personal service and spaciousness that
characterize the grand old favorites.
The biggest change to the London hotel landscape this century has been the rise
of the
boutique hotel.
The best of them offer the charm of a B&B with the facilities
of much larger hotels, but sufficient numbers of very ordinary small hotels have
rebranded themselves “boutique” as to make travelers wary. We've sorted the wheat
from the chaff, concentrating on reasonably priced choices with the best that cate-
gory has to offer.
If you are on a tighter budget, there are options other than hotels. London has a tradi-
tion of families turning their homes into B&Bs, and the best of them offer a much more
friendly welcome than you'll find at a budget hotel. Just don't expect all of the hotelier's
bells and whistles. If this appeals to you, your first stop should be the
London Bed and
Breakfast Agency
(
&
020/7586-2768;
www.londonbb.com), a long-running agency
for inexpensive accommodations in private homes for around £30 to £100 per person per
night, based on double occupancy (although some rooms will cost a lot more).
London
B&B
(
&
800/872-2632
in the U.S.; www.londonbandb.com) offers B&B accommo-
dations in private family residences or unhosted apartments. Homes are inspected for
quality and comfort, amenities, and convenience.
Plenty of travelers have found apartments and rooms to rent through
Craigslist.
org
over the last years, but an increasing number of scam artists have made it impos-
sible to recommend. A much better bet is
AirBnB.com
, where owners rent out
everything from single rooms to whole houses, but with a user-rating and verification
system that discourages scammers.
Crashpadder.com
is more focused on the sin-
gle-room booking, but has some real bargains.
Onefinestay.com
is another great bet
for finding characterful homes to stay in—they offer space in private homes (or even
whole houses) while the owners are away, but back it up with add-on hotel-style
services like chefs and maids.
Low-cost airlines and higher standards in London hostels have led to the rise of
“flashpacking”—ultra-cheap, no-luggage short breaks in hostels and the cheapest of
hotels.
Hostelbookers.com
is consistently good for finding these bargain accom-
modations, but be ready to share facilities.
West End
BLOOMSBURY
Very Expensive
Renaissance Chancery Court
This opulent landmark 1914 building
opened as a hotel in 2003, and it's retained some of the best architectural features of
its Edwardian heyday while adopting cutting-edge comforts. The glamorous and
exceedingly comfortable rooms are all furnished with fine linens and decorated in
hues of cream, red, and blue. Some of the best are on the sixth floor, opening onto a
cozy interior courtyard hidden from the world outside. The building has been used as
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