Where should DM stay in London?

[MNDaughter]

DM, widowed, wants to spend 10 days in London. She knows some people, but mostly wants to go to museums, shop, walk, maybe go to a play or a concert.
She is talking about staying at a serviced apartment. It looks nice, and it's in a pleasant neighbourhood. She says she doesn't want to eat alone in a restaurant and wants to be on her own schedule for breakfast.
I think she should stay in a certain small, cosy hotel. Breakfast is optional. There is a restaurant/bar and they do an afternoon tea. She won't have to buy groceries or load/unload the dishwasher all on her own, just as she does at home. I think a serviced flat hotel will have more families, so there will be fewer guests like herself.
The apartment costs more, so the savings of home cooking doesn't really apply.
What do MNers think?

PS - Obviously she's a big girl and can make her own choices (!) but I'm just curious what others might think about the serviced apartment idea.

There might be a lot of people on their own for work. Does she have to organise her own dinner?

I can actually see why she doesn't want to eat out on her own. I do it occasionally if I have to - but a whole week of it would probably bug me.

Does the serviced apartment include a cleaner who will do that type of thing? I have stayed in serviced apartments abroad and they did washing up. Got back from work to find everything done. Was good.

The service hotel, it’s what she wants and gives her the food freedom as she doesn’t want to eat at a restaurant, doesn’t really matter if there’s more families as she will be eating and sleeping in the apartment doesn’t really matter what the makeup of the other guests are

It’s up to her. Hotels are nice for short trips, but for longer trips a serviced flat is usually my preference too. I’m in a hotel now that is £500/night and my stomach is a bit upset at eating restaurant food every meal for the past 2 days.
I am tired of being stuck in one room- really missing having living space.
But it’s ok, as I check out tomorrow morning.

Generally anywhere for more than 4 days, I want a flat or cottage.

I'm 64 and know London well. In your mother's shoes I'd want the serviced apartment. I'd be very miffed if my dd were trying to manage me.

Yes, she would have food freedom, in a sense. But I'm not sure it's practical to stock a kitchen with fresh ingredients for 10 days - my guess is she would get ready meals.

The serviced apartment has daily housekeeping, but there would still be things she would have to do, e.g. if the dishwasher wasn't finished by the time they came in, she would have to unload it.

@LoremIpsumCici do you mind if I ask, how big a room do you get for £500 a night?

What would lead you to choose the serviced apartment?

She won't be miffed because I don't intend to try to manage her! As I said upthread, I'm just curious about what others think about the plan.

I think a serviced hotel is the best of both, especially for a longer trip. I know you aren't looking for recommendations in your OP but I've stayed in this chain on work trips in London. The one near Waterloo is well located and all rooms have kitchenettes. They've got a restaurant on site as well I think.

https://www.marlin.com/waterloo-aparthotel/?partner=2532&gadsource=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3qWR2ILiiQMVy6WDBx2THAEGEAAYAiAAEgLx88DBwE

For a ten day stay, a serviced apartment would be more comfortable with presumably a sofa and living area to relax in, more spacious than a hotel room. She doesn’t need to ‘stock the fridge’; she could get a cafe breakfast, and buy just what she needs (bring coffee pods/teabags, snacks.) Check out reviews to see if there is a 24-hour manned reception, if it’s noisy, etc.

I'd opt for a hotel myself in same circumstances. She needs to realise that people eat alone in hotels all the time, half the guests or more on a weekday are likely business travellers.

Some hotels provide microwaves too but again it's normal to see people dining alone

For 10 days I'd take the serviced apartment every time.

Yes, she may need to buy some food/snacks and empty the dishwasher but presumably if your DM is independent enough to spend 10 days in London walking, going to concerts and seeing friends then she is capable of doing these things.

The positives... she'll have space to come back and watch TV or read a book without having to lie on the bed, make tea/coffee/meals as and when she wants them, not have to fill the teeny tiny kettle up in the bathroom every time she wants a cuppa and not be restricted to hotel meal times.

I think there are pros and cons of both and she's presumably weighed these up when making her decision.

For ten days I'd probably prefer the apartment. For a short trip I'd for or a hotel, but not a 'small and cosy' one, a big anonymous one.

Breakfast is always optional. I'm not sure there is any hotel in the UK where they tie you down and force feed you breakfast. I think that's just a rumour.

What on earth is wrong with getting ready meals?
I would choose an apartment over a hotel every time, but especially for longer stays. I wouldn't want to stay in a hotel for 10 days. You can make yourself more at home in an apartment. Your mum is clearly a very sensible woman.

Where is the apartment vs the Hotel ?
My Db and Sil stay in an apartment when in London and really like it. When I am away alone I like a smallish hotel, as I find it comfortable, easy and I like that there are people around. So I suppose it depends a lot on how she wants to spend her evenings (ten days is a long time in a bedroom, unless she can get a small suite with a sofa), vs whether she likes talking to people every day.

What are the locations?

I'm a similar age and would potentially also choose the apartment (unless money was literally no object), my reasons being...

1. I very often am not hungry in the evenings these days especially if I've had a big lunch, so it's not so much that I'd want to cook a whole evening meal from scratch and more that I'd want to be able to have some nice things like cheese and biscuits, olives etc and perhaps a nice bottle of wine in the fridge (with a plate and a sharp knife to cut with and so on) and snack on those in the evenings, rather than having to commit to a restaurant meal - I might want that some evenings but with the flat you have the choice. Similar with breakfast, I really can't make the most of a hotel breakfast these days so that part of the cost tends to be wasted...
2. Laundry, yes yes I know it's a boring answer and who cares about laundry on holiday, but it's actually a right PITA packing enough stuff for a 10 day holiday (with layers and wet weather gear, essentials in London at all seasons) if you're trying to travel light and be able to manage your own luggage on the tube etc (I can still lift a heavy suitcase up stairs OK but it's getting harder with some minor injuries and aches and pains that you tend to accumulate as you get older so I try and go easy on the packing where I can). I don't want to waste time finding and sitting in a launderette and hotel laundry services are usually hideously expensive - I could probably replace my wardrobe for cheaper than what it would cost to get a full load done at a London hotel!
3. Somewhere to sit in the evenings - your mum may be out some evenings but she might feel the need for the odd quiet one in (us oldies can't always easily go all day walking and sightseeing then every evening out at the theatre, I'd need at least one night 'off' personally) - and if so I'd want a nice comfy sofa or armchair to watch telly or read a book. Often in smaller/budget hotels you really don't get much space, fine if the room is literally for sleeping in and of course if money was no object you'd get a suite at the Ritz or similar but in the real world an apartment is much more practical. She might even want to invite a friend in for coffee or a nightcap or something and you can't do that in a hotel room (I know they could have a drink in the hotel bar but that's more public - sometimes in your 60s you want somewhere a bit quieter for chat).

I'd let her choose whatever she likes. You've recommended the hotel, so if she wants to use it she will. Or she could go there for tea/a meal and decide to stay the night? But if she doesn't want to eat in restaurants alone then I presume she'd be happy ordering deliveroo or cooking in the apartment? Help her find something that suits her, but don't be offended if she doesn't take your advice.

I think a serviced apartment is ideal for that length of time. If she's doing lots of exploring during the day and has had a few evenings out at the theatre, she might occasionally like to come back in the evening and sit in front of the telly with a ready meal.
Breakfast would be a lot more relaxing too (could eat it in her dressing gown!!)
As for afternoon tea, the hotel might not be where she is at 4pm on any given day. She can just pop into Fortnums or wherever.
Out of interest where is the appartment?

I'd want the freedom, the anonymity, and the independence of it. And everything maxelly and others have said. I'm sure your mother's perfectly capable of emptying a dishwasher. It will probably only go on twice.

I think it's great she's planning a trip.

I've travelled alone a lot and much prefer a larger hotel, and for ten days certainly wouldn't want the bother of engaging socially about what I'm up to and having my movements noted.

I like staying in hotels but for a 10 day city visit would prefer the serviced apartment, assuming it's conveniently situated.

Ten days of hotel breakfasts would get boring and there will be days when you don't want to shower, dress and head to the restaurant or local cafe before you face the day!

I wouldn't have thought she's going to have to buy too many groceries as am sure she'll eat meals when she's out and about and get M&S ready meals, etc for some evening meals.

@Westfacing assuming it's conveniently situated.

Yes, that's become part of the issue.

We had a chat this morning, and she's having second thoughts.

It wasn't easy to find a serviced apartment of high quality with the facilities she wants. The one she chose is in a convenient area, but not the kind of neighbourhood she prefers, and she hates the décor. The hotel, on the other hand, is in a neighbourhood she likes, and she finds the furnishings and general environment attractive.
To be continued ...

20 sq m. Deluxe Queen room. Luxury hotel in posh part of London.

I think it very much depends on her budget, how much she will be out in the evening and how she feels about eating out alone. However, 10 days in a hotel eating out for all meals can get a bit boring after a while and all the sightseeing could be exhausting. I would be tempted to do two shorter trips of 5 days and stay in different hotels.

If she won’t be going out much in the evening and wants somewhere relaxing to return to, she could always stay somewhere slightly out such as Wimbledon Village (Hotel du Vin on Wimbledon Common with Cannizaro Park and restaurants/ pubs in the village) or The Petersham in Richmond. She could also think about clubs, such as the University Women’s Club in Mayfair. Of course, if money is no object, she could stay at somewhere such as The Lanesborough or The Goring.

I'm in Finsbury Park and it's lovely, feels very safe and enough restaurants to not need to go into the centre on the evening if I don't feel up to it.