SLEEPING IN LONDON - London 2015 - page 632

Db- £ 225-315, elevator, free guest computer and Wi-Fi, 22 Stanley Gardens, tel. 020/
7727-2777, www.portobellohotel.com , [e-mail] , Hannah).
West of Kensington Gardens: $$$ London Vicarage Hotel is family-run, under-
standably popular, and located in a quiet, classy neighborhood just south of the core of
Notting Hill. It has 17 quality rooms, a modest TV lounge, a grand staircase, and facil-
ities on each floor. Mandy and Monika maintain a homey atmosphere (S- £ 67, Sb- £ 112,
D- £ 112, Db- £ 140, T- £ 143, Tb- £ 184, Q- £ 155, Qb- £ 205, 20 percent less in winter—check
website, free Wi-Fi; 8-minute walk from Notting Hill Gate and High Street Kensington
Tube stations, near Kensington Palace at 10 Vicarage Gate; tel. [phone],
www.londonvicaragehotel.com , [e-mail] ).
Near Holland Park: $ Norwegian YWCA (Norsk K.F.U.K.) —where English is def-
initely a second language—is open to any Norwegian woman, and to non-Norwegian
women under 30. (Men must be under 30 with a Norwegian passport.) Located on a
quiet, stately street, it offers a study, TV room, piano lounge, and an open-face Norwe-
gian ambience (goat cheese on Sundays!). They have mostly quads, so those willing to
share with strangers are most likely to get a bed (Ss- £ 54, shared double- £ 46/bed, shared
triple- £ 43/bed, shared quad- £ 40/bed, includes sheets and towels, includes breakfast year-
round plus sack lunch and dinner Sept-June, £ 20 key deposit and £ 3 membership fee
required, pay Wi-Fi, 52 Holland Park, Tube: Holland Park, tel. [phone] or 020/
7727-9897, www.kfukhjemmet.org.uk , [e-mail] ). With each visit, I
wonder which is easier to get—a sex change or a Norwegian passport?
Paddington Station Neighborhood
Just to the east of Bayswater, the neighborhood around Paddington Station—while much
less charming than the other areas I've recommended—is pleasant enough, and very con-
venient to the Heathrow Express airport train. The area is flanked by the Paddington and
Lancaster Gate Tube stops. Most of my recommendations circle Norfolk Square, just two
blocks in front of Paddington Station, yet are still quiet and comfortable. The main drag,
London Street, is lined with handy eateries—pubs, Indian, Italian, Moroccan, Greek, Le-
banese, and more—plus convenience stores and an Internet café. (Better restaurants are a
short stroll to the west, near Queensway and Notting Hill—see here . ) To reach this area,
exit the station toward Praed Street (with your back to the tracks, it's to the left). Once
outside, continue straight across Praed Street and down London Street; Norfolk Square is
a block ahead on the left.