To ask for an alternative to Central London prices!

[Onelifeliveitright]

From up North! Want to spend 2 - 3 nights in London (or close by). Just checking out prices and even for Premier Inn these have tripled in cost to what we usually pay. We need 2 rooms as 3 adults and 1 teen. Not bothered about staying bang in the centre anywhere within easy commute would be fine. Have no idea where to consider. Areas with local restaurants/bars (family) would be a bonus then we could travel into the centre to do day stuff. Help please!

And that could work for OP too, Travelodge is usually cheaper than Premier Inn and Clapham Junction is really easy for getting into Central London- 5 minutes on the train to Waterloo or Victoria

You beat me to it!
PI Romford Town Centre is brand new and walking distance from the Elizabeth Line train station.

From the north, try Hampstead. Easily accessible on the Northern line, and you might get a Premier Inn room for not too much more than £100 per night. Wimbledon and Clapham are way too far out.

The prices this year are insane.we usually stay at Premier Inn Chiswick i paid £99 for 1 night in 2019 £116 last year and this year for the same sat night in June want £240!! I looked at staying further out but couldn't find anything under £150 for 1 night. We are now coming to London on train early sat morning back in the evening sleeping in our own bed back to London again early Sunday morning and back Sunday evening. All for £80 train tickets in total for 3 of us.

This is 15 mins from Brixton

https://www.melrose-house.co.uk/

Have a look at the Premier Inn Stevenage. Good train service in and out of King's Cross.

Another vote for Stratford!

What is your budget and when do you want to stay?

Thanks for the tips @FlounderingFruitcake and @Stopsnowing , as someone who lives in the sticks it's really hard to know what would be practical for travel (where I am public transport stops at 8pm, so it's hard to think outside of what would be walking distance!)

Oh that’s where I used to stay to force exh to parent the kids sometimes whilst we were getting divorced!

I also recommend premier inn Belsize Park (Hampstead) and if you can get it at the right price the Clayton in Gunnersbury - I've often got it cheaper than premier inn and Gunnersbury tube is 2 minutes walk- handy for meals out in either chiswick one way or Richmond/Kew the other way

Southgate (north London suburb) has a Travelodge. It is small and cute (from the outside) and next to a nice pub with a beer garden. It has free parking. Southgate is calm and quite village-y and you can get Piccadilly Line into central London.

It's a nice area to visit too, and you have the Heath if you fancy a walk! And plenty of eateries on Haverstock Hill.

Thanks for the ideas everyone will check them out. We will be travelling from Leeds on the train to King's Cross. Then happy to go on tube to wherever!
Preferably the weekend before or after half term. First choice of dates would be Fri 27th Oct for 2 or 3 nights.
Definitely want a budget hotel or 2 bed air bnb.
In London we will see a show (if can get reasonable tickets) then not sure what else yet. Any ideas with older teens welcomed! DH fancies a ghost hunt! We've done so many of the typical tourist things before would be great to do something new.

Go on the 2fo1 London website. Cheaper tickets for lots of activities and places, and maybe a few musicals (not sure)

If you want a London show it is worth signing up to the TodayTix app. They often release cheap tickets.

I've recently discovered that nobody likes front row seats (so DH and I watched a play at the Lyric Hammersmith for £15/each a couple of weeks ago). There are websites where people upload views from particular seats in theatres if you are contemplating cheap seats/restricted views.

If you want something a bit different (though not cheap), the Gunpowder Plot is a fairly new immersive experience that I have heard good things about:

gunpowderimmersive.com

There is a Monopoly Game that often gets either praised or slated and war of the Worlds might still be running.

@Brieandme Beckenham has a Travel Lodge (I think!) and is 10 mins on the train straight into Brixton. Just check the train back goes late enough after the end of the gig but I’m sure they should, super easy.

This also close, 15 min bus.