london location

[Fortythreeandfatasfuck]

Hello All,

I've only ever really travelled to london for work, but want to take me ds (7) this summer for 3 or 4 nights away to see the sights - any recommendations as the best place to try and find a hotel? I am clueless, thanks

There's no right or wrong location. It depends on what you're after and your budget.
The West End (Covent Garden, Soho, Leicester Square, Oxford Street, Mayfair) is a very central district with most of London’s theatres, top art galleries, excellent, varied dining for all budgets and much of London’s nightlife. 4-star and 5-star hotels dominate, with some midrange bargains. Easy to walk around and handy public transport connections to other parts of London.
Just north of the West End, Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia are also centrally located, walkable to West End, with lots of bookshops, quiet streets, and the British Museum as the star attraction. Wide range of accommodation, cheaper than the neighboring West End. King’s Cross, with its train stations, is north of Fitzrovia. It’s low on sights, but has some inexpensive guesthouses and chain hotels.
Kensington is southwest of the West End. It’s on the Piccadilly line, useful for reaching both central London. Plus, it has several star attractions and while the area has numerous 5-star hotels, there is something for all budgets.
South Bank and Bank Side are across the Thames from the West End. Numerous attractions here, and London Bridge is nearby. Some boutique hotels here as well as chains.
City of London is good for sights, with some budget chain hotels and weekend bargains at pricier ones.
Camden and the East End – bargain accommodations but less convenient for sightseeing.

I'd look around South Kensington as you're right on top of the museums (Science, V&A), which are a good starting point. It's also slightly more bearable if you go during a (rare) hot spell.

thank you so much for the advice... got some research to do

Overheated London buildings are seriously nasty in summer. Obviously due to night time noise and drunks open windows don't work. Think about this regarding location if you are used to quiet nights.

My favourite part of London to stay on a visit is Bloomsbury - lots of decent but budget (for London) hotels, easy walk to Covent Garden/Soho etc but (if you avoid hotel on a main road) away from the noise and therefore nice and quiet at night. Easy and quick to get anywhere on the tube. Convenient if you are arriving/departing by train from the north of England or Scotland (or France!) as Euston and Kings Cross are nearby. Most of the small hotels on Cartwright Gardens are decent if you are on a budget.

I have also stayed on Brick Lane which was great and fun/interesting to see a different part of London but a bit further from some of the main sights if that's your main reason for going.

I don't normally like chains but some of the Premier Inns can be good for families if you can find a good price - this is less likely in summer though as they use dynamic pricing (price goes up when demand is high) so can actually be as expensive as more fancy hotels - but you might be lucky and find a bargain - Sunday nights are often cheapest and Friday/Saturday the most expensive.

You could also look at somewhere like Citizen M near the Tower of London or South Bank area is also good for kids and near most things. Booking direct can be cheaper than using the booking sites as sites like booking.com charge the hotels up to 25% commission. I have got some really good deals that way for example at the Grange Lancaster (Bloomsbury) when they had some offers on their website for booking direct.