Who is BU re splashing out on a fancy hotel?

[Vilanellexc]

DH & I have decided to have a weekend break away in London in December, shortly before Christmas. The plan is that we will be spending out on this experience as an alternative to spending a lot of money on Christmas gifts for one another as we usually do.

We plan to spend one night in a hotel, watch a west end show, look around at the festive things, followed by drinks and fine dining in the evening. I should point out that DH & I have no DC and have a very good combined income. Despite this, we have always stayed in cheaper hotels when on holidays and short trips away (think Premier Inn) and have always ended up walking past the lovely fancy hotels and feeling a bit jealous!

I told DH as it’s a special Christmas treat, I’d like to book somewhere luxurious and high end this time. Having spent the weekend traveling through trip advisor, I’ve found some lovely luxury hotels around the £450-£700 per night mark, all of which look fantastic and are very highly reviewed. DH initially agreed but has since started looking at all of the cheaper hotels available and says it seems silly spending out on a place to rest our heads when we could put the money towards actually doing nice things in London instead. He doesn’t seem to get the fact that staying in a nice hotel is all part of the experience.

AIBU in wanting to spend out on some luxury for once and thinking it is worth it and will really make our trip special? It’s really not as if we can’t afford it. DH thinks I’m being ridiculous.

I understand where you're both coming from OP, but I'm erring towards agreeing with your DP (a little anyway!). We've stayed in a London hotel that cost £150 a night and it was shit (can't remember what it was called though). The Premier Inn in Waterloo cost about £100 a night and was much better than the supposed 4* hotel.

I can totally understand the temptation to splash out and treat yourselves, but you won't be spending a huge amount of time in the hotel/room (or maybe you are, nudge nudge, wink wink!). I'd agree with PPs suggestion of finding a compromise - it's a special treat, so better than a Premier Inn but not quite to the extreme of £700 a night.

The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences on Piccadilly looks lovely and starts from £262 for a standard room for the night on 20th December or £364 for a room with a view of Green Park.

I'd love to go to the Artist Residence London, Indy boutique place

Have a look at The Grange at St Paul's. It is lovely. Very reasonable as well. We stay there loads.

I'm another one who stayed in the Strand Palace years ago and it really was nothing special.

I'm in two minds about this. Obviously you can afford a swanky hotel and it is all part of the experience, but if you're out and about so much, will you be in it enough to really appreciate it?

Are you staying one night or two as I'm not sure from your OP?

I'd probably see if there was something a bit nicer than the Premier Inn, maybe about £2/300 pn and also maybe look at a smaller, boutique hotel, rather than one of the really big ones.

Maybe go for afternoon tea at a big posh hotel instead, so you still get a couple of hours to look at all the fancy, glittery posh bits?

but to get the most out of the experience you really need 2 nights

^I agree. 1 night spending that amount of money is pointless

I’ve stayed in quite a few five star places with work, unless I was super minted I’d never pay for it myself. If you are going out for the night I would rather spend maybe 300 and spend the difference on a really special dinner. Of course if money was absolutely no object I’d be a suite at the Ritz kind of girl, but I’m not so would compromise.

One of the reasons that we are able to travel as much as we can is that we don't use expensive hotels, we don't sacrifice safety although we once found ourselves in Washington DC with a gunfight on the doorstep!
As we just want somewhere clean and comfortable to sleep we use Premier Inn quite a lot.

Bonkers money.

I've stayed in some very high end hotels for arund £250-350 per night. Other than having your personal butler allocated to you or a suite of rooms which are wasted on just 1 night, I struggle to see what else a more expensive hotels can offer to make the extra money worth it.

e.g. The Bloomsbury is about that; I stayed there a couple of years ago and it was really lovely.

Thanks a lot everyone. I have to say you have made good points, we are not going to spend much time at all in the hotel, so I suppose it would be a waste to really splash out! I suppose I’ll have to tell DH he’s right

Have you tried Hotel Direct? Used to be able to get higher end hotel for less money but I wouldn’t as I’d struggle with paying that a night even if I had the money due to be out most of the time.

Yes sorry I agree with your DH - if I'm spending that much, I pretty much don't want to leave the place! And yes, you want 2 nights - otherwise you don't get a proper lie, you have to be up and out.

Neither of you are being U. He doesn't want to spend so much, you want a special trip. I'd compromise and look for something mid way between the two cost wise, maybe weigh up a few offer sites, such as Wowcher or Secret Escapes?

I stay in London frequently and each time stay at Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel which can have a decent double room for around £250-300. I’ve never once had cause for complaint and the staff are wonderful. I have stayed in other hotels in Southampton Row which are about a mile from the theatres and have been disappointed in both the Thistle Hotel and the Doubletree by Hilton.

I’d agree with your DH that £700 is a bit excessive especially as you will spend so little time in the room itself but there is a compromise with some lovely hotels to give you both what you want.

I'm with you OP, I love posh hotels, but then so does DH. I also don't understand why people quibble at someone spending their own money on this rather than a lot of tat for each other. It really is a fabulous experience and I've never regretted staying in a posh hotel (and paying for it).

1 night is pointless. You won't even have 24 hours for your money.

Another who agrees with your dh.

I mean, not that I'm ever likely to be in the income bracket that would even consider it but, I can sort of 'get' spending a bit more than you might normally if you are going for a Winter's weekend in the Countryside, when you might appreciate sitting round a lovely log fire, or spending part of your day in a swimming pool or sauna or something you wouldn't get in a Premier Inn, but if you are going for only one night and have booked to see a show and are planning other things, then you really are only sleeping there, so it seems daft to be paying out that kind of money.

I love the Premier Inn and their breakfasts 😍

Ohhh - I think it's too much - you could go away on a holiday for a week for that kind of money!! it's only a weekend in London ! I think i'd be with your DP on this one!

Especially if you are only out all day and barely in the hotel!

We spent 750£ on the suite for our Wedding last year (that was the price for 2 nights) and we battled with it for months in the lead up thinking it was an awful lot of money when we weren't gonna be in the room very much!!

Look at boutique hotels as an option perhaps (the standard, south place hotel perhaps??)

I am with you on the not wanting to stay at the premier inn or whatever though - small, budget hotels in London tend to be kind of crap!

I’m with you OP. We did something similar a few years ago (before children wrecked our budget!). Went to carols at the Albert Hall, and stayed in an amazing suite at the Manderin Oriental just opposite Harvey Nichols. Was absolutely magical- our suite had a full sized Christmas tree in the living room! And was fabulous being on Knightsbridge, with all the amazing decorated shops. Worth every penny. Although we did ditch dinner out and have room service to make the most of the rooms!!!!

Nice hotels are my one luxury. It may not be sensible but I think part of the point of luxuries is that they are frivolous.
Sadly I am surrounded by sensible people so OP I'll gladly come to London with you and stay in a fancy hotel. Our DHs can go to the Premier Inn instead

Depending on where you're going in the evening and which station you're coming into

Motel One on the Minories - usually about £100 per night
Premier Inn on Prescott St - usually under £100 but you have to pay for wifi. Bit tired though
Pullman St Pancras - lovely lovely hotel, usually about £200 per night for standard double

I’d go mid range, Citizen M or Hoxton Shoreditch or Holborn around £280 - £350 depending on how busy London is. They have smallish, but lovely rooms. the man focus is the communal spaces which are really cool to hang out in. We always stay in one of these and have never regretted it.

I love a nice hotel but I think if you have plans to do lots in London a nice hotel costing that much is a waste for one night.

I’d stay in a cheaper hotel (£250 a night?) for the London trip and then have a separate trip away to a nice hotel in the countryside where you could get luxury for £300 a night and actually spend time at the hotel!

I am a big fan of luxury hotels but agree with the person who said that it’s important if you are spending some time there and can use the facilities (spa, restaurant, grounds) and spend time in the room.

Your timetable suggests it will be a place to lay your head.

For London there is high end luxury, the Ritz or Goring. They are very expensive and unless you are mega rich not worth it for your trip. But most of the central 4 hotels and even 5, charge a lot but aren’t really that much better than a premier inn and don’t have much in the way of facilities. You are paying for location and subsidising their conferencing business.

My recommendation if you want something that is approximating value for money, would be to go just off central or just across the river. Like the Plaza Waterloo, which always has good deals or try the secret deals on last minute.

I wouldn’t go to Canary Wharf given your itinerary. You may end up pounding the streets and want to take a cab at some point.

Don’t expect premier inn in central London to be cheap either.