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.

As you will be out in London, an expensive hotel is not worth it. Save some money and use it to go to a hotel elsewhere where you can make use of the facilities.

I have to say that an expensive hotel in London is always worth it. I’ve stayed in a few of the classics but over Christmas the Corinthia is amazing around Christmas, the rooms are luxurious too but the hotel itself is beautiful. The floral arrangements are to die for, and their spa is brilliant.

I’d splash out! It’s a treat, realistically £200-300 isn’t going to get you somewhere memorable in central London.

We love splurging on hotels and have stayed in lots of places around the £500-£700 mark. It’s always been worth it, it’s completely different from being in a regular hotel. We live in London and are staying in a well known hotel older hotel in London for a few nights over Christmas as it’s so nice to just have afternoon tea, drinks at the bar, hang out in the spa, sit by the fire - the older/fancier hotels are great at that time of year.

I’d go for the Ritz, the Savoy, Langham or the Shangri-La at the Shard.

No offence, but we don't need to hear about non parents squabbling over how to spend their spare £100's.

And you don’t have to. It’s pretty obvious from the title what the thread is about, so you can scroll on by. And MN is made up of all sorts of people - it’s not up to you to decide what people are allowed to post about.

Yanbu! Me and DH spent a night in the Shard a few Christmas’s ago and it was amazing, we also saw a show so didn’t spend massive amounts of time in the room but it just made the trip. Oh and we have kids so it was a massive extravagance but we loved it. Just do it!

You’ll get a lovely room for the £250-£300 in a central location or if you like the South Bank, the Mondrian Sea Containers is a great hotel. That said, the best hotel room I have ever stayed in was The Hayward Suite at the Renaissance Hotel St Pancras. That was pure luxury and is around the £700-£800 mark (we were upgraded from a £400 room).

Yanbu but like your husband I can imagine myself having a wobble about spending so much.

You don't need to spend that much. Look for secret hotel offers. Last Minute used to offer central London hotels as secrets really cheaply. Also look for discount codes and use hotel's own websites. They guarantee to be cheaper usually. Accor have some lovely hotels in central London. Charing Cross Hotel is also lovely, think it's a Thistle hotel. Or IHG group to name a few. The Thistle Barbican boasts a pool and spa for £72 a night... and their four star hotels in amazing locations are around £150 a night. Also try Red Carnation for a more boutique experience.

We just stayed in a £350 a night hotel for one night and it was awful having the check out the next morning. You don't really get the full benefit when it is just 1 night.

I hope to have these kind of dilemmas one day..right now its more baked beans or spaghetti hoops.

Just because a London hotel is £700 means nothing. I've been into some amazing ones at this price and beyond. I walk away thinking, glad I wasn't paying.
Trip Advisor reviews can be hilarious reads for London hotels.

Great that you are able to afford such a treat, but not really the most tactful forum to be asking such a, question. Most of us on here are parents struggling to pay the bills and keep our broods fed, clothed and happy. No offence, but we don't need to hear about non parents squabbling over how to spend their spare £100's. Just saying!

The op could have children and still post. People come from all backgrounds here. People post asking about high-end hotels, cars, bags etc all the time. Just the same as some people ask how to improve income, make cutbacks etc.

Great that you are able to afford such a treat, but not really the most tactful forum to be asking such a, question. Most of us on here are parents struggling to pay the bills and keep our broods fed, clothed and happy. No offence, but we don't need to hear about non parents squabbling over how to spend their spare £100's. Just saying!

Speak for yourself. I've got kids. Stay in nice places regularly.

Great that you are able to afford such a treat, but not really the most tactful forum to be asking such a, question. Most of us on here are parents struggling to pay the bills and keep our broods fed, clothed and happy. No offence, but we don't need to hear about non parents squabbling over how to spend their spare £100's. Just saying

There's plenty of extremely well off parents on here too and a one off spendy London pre Christmas break is far more accessible than a lot of the other purchases that people unashamedly talk about spending their six figure salaries on here such as buying the right family house in the right area near the right schools with a bedroom for each child, complete with double bed, weekly £200 grocery shops made up of organic everything from Waitrose or high end 5* AI holidays at that Ikos place or villas in the posh end of Mallorca, in August.

Corinthia is lovely, we stayed in a fab room there while they had a soft opening, also the principal in Russel square...

I love a luxury hotel. But usually books refundable premier inn and look for a deal.

V happily stay in PI too as the rooms are quiet.

No kids but DH does.

£300 is more than enough, especially if you will be out and about most of the time, how about a suite at the Park Plaza?

I am a skint single parent. I don’t find this thread in the least offensive; it didn’t even occur to me. In fact I posted a reply earlier on.

People from all backgrounds post on Mumsnet. It would be a dull place if it consisted only of the LTB threads and the ‘how do I make one tin of beans and a loaf of bread last a week’ threads.

I quite enjoyed a few moments living vicariously through the OP and considering her particular dilemma!

I'm pretty skint and I'm definitely not offended. I just added a few places to my fantasy hotels to stay in when I win the lottery list. Now, can one of the well off people explain tipping at posh hotels and I'll put the lottery on?

I agree with the you're hubby. Spend on a good hotel outside London for another break. Hotels in London are a mixed bag.

Take a look at SLH.com They are a group of small luxurious hotels around the world. You get points which give you free nights. But you also start with upgrades, free breakfast etc. We are in London staying at one for Christmas and they don't have to be so pricey. Try Flemmings in Mayfair or The Ampersand in South Ken

We have splashed out a few times for big birthdays but never above £400 and I have to say I have rarely been blown away by the high end experience.

Stayed at a very posh and well known London hotel which is actually near Watford for husbands 40th a few years ago and frankly I felt like we were staying in a slightly larger premier inn. It was really rather crap.

I love Premiers.... consistent... reliable..
Epic breakfasts.... I'm with your husband....

I have to say I’m making a list for future London visits!

@GabsAlot Strand Palace has just finished a multi million pound refurbishment. Granted the room sizes haven't changed, I'd book a deluxe if you want space, but it's a really nice 4* now

Thank gawd for that, the Strand Palace was a legendary shit hole.