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AIBU?

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Original poster

To not understand why there are no 1x night a week City London sop overs more readily available?!

89 replies

citygal1986 · 31/01/2023 14:51

I travel to London for work once per week. I need a bed for a night. Usually work late, arrive back at 8pm or so, bed by 9pm, out the door early between 6-7am. I am at a loss at how to make this work logistically.

Pre-Covid, the Travelodge was great. £50-70 a night, sorted.

Now the TRavelodges are double that, easily. Usually more £150+ upwards. Isn't this a lucrative and fairly steady income market. Any suggestions from anyone that does this weekly?! I don't really fancy a shared bathroom, youth hostel or a shared apartment on an Air B & B. There must be alternatives...

OP posts:
HadEnoughOfBears · 31/01/2023 16:57

georgiegherkin · 31/01/2023 15:52

Surely your employer pays

Not if they moved away during Covid and now have to be back in the office 2 days per week or similar

Lcb123 · 31/01/2023 16:59

Yep because everyone is doing what you do - in my experience! Have you looked at YHA? I stayed in a dorm room the other night and it was so quiet. But they have private rooms too. Pretty basic but clean and well maintained

unsureatthispoint · 31/01/2023 17:03

Have you looked at YHA? I stayed in a dorm room the other night and it was so quiet. But they have private rooms too. Pretty basic but clean and well maintained

The going rate for a private room at the Wombat Hostel near Tower Bridge is £170ish 😳

QueenOfWeeds · 31/01/2023 17:06

Have a look along some of the tube lines. There is an Ibis opposite Canning Town tube station with rooms available midweek from about £80. It’s maybe 10-15 mins on the Jubilee line from London Bridge.

Xiaoxiong · 31/01/2023 17:09

My old landlady had a lodger for 20+ years who stayed two nights mid-week, she loved it as she had her whole house on the weekends - maybe look on spareroom.co.uk? Or ask colleagues if they know anyone who needs a lodger?

EmmaEmerald · 31/01/2023 17:10

WineDup · 31/01/2023 14:59

Head to a bar, have a one-night-stand, and then head off early.

Simple.

I didn’t think there were alternatives till I read this 😂

Seriously OP I doubt there is one. A friend in Hackney is doing very very well from her air B and B. That’s the price now. I note you leave early the next morning. What about getting a late train the night before?

SquirmOfEels · 31/01/2023 17:10

Either go a bit further out and get a Premier Inn or similar (the one in Balham, for example, starts at £49 a night and is right next to train and Tube (Northern Line - good for the City)

Or join a club, as members' rates for rooms are usually competitive, and it'll feel more like a proper base.

I think that there's a good business opportunity in opening up a club of that sort, that is still good quality but not as posh as Mayfair

Xiaoxiong · 31/01/2023 17:12

Here's one for £330/ week, Mon-Fri in Streatham: m.spareroom.co.uk/flatshare/london/streatham/16496602

Or Angel for £380/week: m.spareroom.co.uk/flatshare/london/angel/16305775

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 31/01/2023 17:19

Xiaoxiong · 31/01/2023 17:12

Here's one for £330/ week, Mon-Fri in Streatham: m.spareroom.co.uk/flatshare/london/streatham/16496602

Or Angel for £380/week: m.spareroom.co.uk/flatshare/london/angel/16305775

But she only needs 1 night a week

ThreeFeetTall · 31/01/2023 17:19

Maybe this? www.mondaytofriday.com

Or spareroom - you could advertise for what you need.

Chersfrozenface · 31/01/2023 17:21

SquirmOfEels · 31/01/2023 17:10

Either go a bit further out and get a Premier Inn or similar (the one in Balham, for example, starts at £49 a night and is right next to train and Tube (Northern Line - good for the City)

Or join a club, as members' rates for rooms are usually competitive, and it'll feel more like a proper base.

I think that there's a good business opportunity in opening up a club of that sort, that is still good quality but not as posh as Mayfair

That hotel in Balham next to the rail and tube stations is a Travelodge. Next Wednesday night is £99.99 - Wednesday after is £110.99, Wednesday after that £117.99.

Good connections, though, provided there are no strikes.

Leftoverssandwich · 31/01/2023 17:29

I did this for quite a while pre-Covid. Have you looked at Premier Inns/Travelodges out of the centre - I found a few that were a shortish tube journey at decent prices. A bit less convenient than very central ones but I was happier to do a bit of a journey than stay in some of the grimmer cheap options.

Leftoverssandwich · 31/01/2023 17:30

Sorry, I got distracted by a child so ending up typing what a million others already had.

Xiaoxiong · 31/01/2023 17:30

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz yeah I know, but that's still cheaper than £150 a week premier inn, so she might be able to negotiate since those people likely don't want someone around too much (as they've advertised mon-fri only). And one night a week for £200/month might be worth it to someone, who knows. It's worth posting an ad, I'd think.

Leftoverssandwich · 31/01/2023 17:33

Also, I don't know how much control you have over when you're in London but Monday nights are always far cheaper and easier to book than the rest of the week.

InTheFutilityRoomEatingBiscuits · 31/01/2023 17:36

unsureatthispoint · 31/01/2023 17:03

Have you looked at YHA? I stayed in a dorm room the other night and it was so quiet. But they have private rooms too. Pretty basic but clean and well maintained

The going rate for a private room at the Wombat Hostel near Tower Bridge is £170ish 😳

The going rate for YHA is £50-59 for a private room per night at St Paul’s, and if you become a member you get 10% off.

Hostels like hotels are not all the same.

Might not be your bag OP but it’s perfectly serviceable, extremely central and you don’t have to bunk up in the dorms.

Rinkydinkydoodle · 31/01/2023 17:38

I used to do it three nights a week and stayed in the Ibis Borehamwood. Thameslink into town. Even with the price of the train it was still the closest and cheapest (that wouldn’t make you want to hang yourself). Just checked and it’s doubled! Used to be £60 in 2019!
I have also stayed here all.accor.com/hotel/B1C5/index.en.shtml?dateIn=&nights=&compositions=1&stayplus=false&snu=false#origin=ibis it’s pretty central and not gross.

sleepwhenidie · 31/01/2023 17:40

Do you have colleagues who live closer to the office and are on NextDoor for their neighbourhood? Maybe they could put a post on there for you asking if anyone has a spare room with bathroom that you could rent once a week?

EmmaEmerald · 31/01/2023 17:41

Maybe ask at uni halls of residence if you can face that.

HaggisBurger · 31/01/2023 17:44

EmmaEmerald · 31/01/2023 17:41

Maybe ask at uni halls of residence if you can face that.

Are uni halls of residence … stayed in by university students? Except during the summer when they are let out to tourists.

Brava · 31/01/2023 17:46

crazy prices! Worth trying the premier inn in Stratford which is £78 a night

Ponoka7 · 31/01/2023 17:47

I've had rooms in Pimlico for £35 a night last minute. I've just looked and the Carlton (one place I've stayed) is £50 for tonight. As said you'll have to go on a tube line and stay further out.

Swiftswatch · 31/01/2023 17:57

Xiaoxiong · 31/01/2023 17:30

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz yeah I know, but that's still cheaper than £150 a week premier inn, so she might be able to negotiate since those people likely don't want someone around too much (as they've advertised mon-fri only). And one night a week for £200/month might be worth it to someone, who knows. It's worth posting an ad, I'd think.

But OP was complaining £150 was expensive, why would she pay £200 a night instead??

Roundandnour · 31/01/2023 17:58

www.thehouseoftoby.london/special-offer/ House of Toby near King’s Cross, easy to get to from the city

www.hilton.com/en/hotels/lonlidi-doubletree-london-angel-kings-cross/ Double tree angel often has offers, although some of the best deals are gained by calling them

Ibex, premier inn etc around Greenwich and excel usually cheaper than the city/Aldgate ones

mercure London Bridge or Bloomsbry

travel lodge old street
easy hotel old street
z hotel Shoreditch
Premier inn hub old street, Spitalfields and Shoreditch
Monopoly accommodations

dont book as a single person.

Abovr are just a few that are under £100 depending on when you book. And all easy access to/from the city of London

Streptocarpus982 · 31/01/2023 18:05

I know you don’t fancy a shared apartment situation op, but for the benefit of other posters on this thread, my colleague who works in Sutton asked around and advertised on his company’s on-line notice board and he had several offers from young people who lived in the area who were temporarily without flatmates or were away themselves a couple of nights a week, who were willing to come to an arrangement. And because they work for the same company there is already a level of trust there.