Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Start by browsing the websites of several chains to get a sense of typical rates and
online deals. For listings of no-frills, Motel 6-type places, see “Big, Good-Value, Modern
Pricier London hotel chains include Millennium/Copthorne, Thistle, InterContinental/
Holiday Inn, Radisson, Hilton, and Red Carnation. Auction-type sites (such as Priceline
and Hotwire) match flexible travelers with empty hotel rooms, often at prices well below
the hotel's normal rates.
My readers report good experiences with these accommodation discount sites:
www.londontown.com
(an informative site with a discount booking service),
athomein-
london.co.uk
and
www.londonbb.com
(both list central B&Bs),
www.lastminute.com
,
Many of my recommended hotels have three floors of rooms and steep stairs. Elevators are
rare except in the larger hotels. If you're concerned about stairs, call and ask about ground-
floor rooms or pay for a hotel with a lift (elevator). Air-conditioning is rare (I've noted
which of my listings have it), but most places have fans. On hot summer nights, you'll
want your window open—and unfortunately, in this big city, street noise is a fact of life. If
concerned, request a room on the back side or on an upper floor.
“Twin” means two single beds, and “double” means one double bed. If you'll take
either one, let them know, or you might be needlessly turned away. Most hotels offer fam-
ily deals, which means that parents with young children can easily get a room with an
extra child's bed or a discount for larger rooms. Call to negotiate the price. Teenagers are
generally charged as adults. Kids under five sleep almost free.
Be careful of the terminology: An “en suite” (pronounced “on sweet”) room has a
bathroom (toilet and shower/tub) actually inside the room; a room with a “private bath-
room” can mean that the bathroom is all yours, but it's across the hall; and a “standard”
room has access to a bathroom down the hall that's shared with other rooms. Figuring
there's little difference between “en suite” and “private” rooms, some places charge the
same for both. If you want your own bathroom inside the room, request “en suite.”
If money's tight, ask for a standard room. You'll almost always have a sink in your
room, and as more rooms go “en suite,” the hallway bathroom is shared with fewer stand-
ard rooms.
