Cheap hotels in London

So yours truly here at cheaphotelsinlondon was thinking a bit today about the travel market and where it is in general. If you think back just 10 years ago the vast majority of people were still booking/organising their holidays through a vast network of high street travel agents. These shops in your local town or city were really your only option as far as booking a holiday or hotel. If we look forward today it seems like the market as done a complete u turn with the vast majority of trips are booked by people using the internet and booking the separate parts of the trip themselves with individual companies. Its rare now that people even think about a package deal when they just assume that they can get a much better price by cutting out the middleman and going direct to the hotel or airline. This doesn’t just apply to hotels in central London but hotels all over the world, indeed many hotels now report that were they used to deal only with travel agents they now work mostly with online hotel sites like Laterooms or lastminute.com. I suppose for them it doesn’t really matter who they are dealing with as they are paying commission to whoever sends them the booking. Makes me wonder why most hotels don’t spend more on a bit of marketing themselves, i suppose the smaller ones cant afford it but for the larger chains there really is no excuse. Alot are still stuck in a time warp and the internet just seems like a step to far. Eg many big chains in London are still pumping out brochures like its going out of fashion, i mean seriously who wants to order and wait for a brochure when you can just hit a website and find out all you need to know.

So do i think high street travel agents are all going to go out of business? Well not exactly, they can still offer some good deals especially if you have a big booking with a couple of rooms and a long flight. Its in these cases they can use the leverage with the chains to bring the price down. However at the same time you have to realise that they are not well placed for changes in the market (eg the current rescission) as their costs and overheads will be ongoing and constant no-matter the market conditions. Its much easier for a website to scale back on different expenses that a physical shop which will have rent and static staff costs. All this has led to a dramatic rise in internet bookings for cheap hotels in London over the past couple of years, even if it is primarily to check prices and compare hotels. For many its just an automatic thing now to use google or their favourite travel site to get the best deals that i don’t see how high street shops will ever come back. In fact i have found that its not just budget but also luxury hotels in London that have been affected by this shift in public habit. Many business people need to book a hotel with very short notice and as we all know the quickest way to book a hotel now is the internet, even the phone can come second place now as you have to spend so much time giving over personal details and the different room options. Why bother talking to someone on the phone or in a shop if you already know what you want and you can just pick it there and then right in front of you. I suppose we all still take it for granted but the idea that the customer would have access to so much information about a hotel would be crazy just a few years ago. Many sites now have every option possible when it comes to searching for a hotel, you can specify everything from non-smoking to if pets are allowed! I know for some this level of detail is too much but for others it’s a life saver, especially if you do have special requirements like travelling with young children or a disability.

Ok so im rambling a bit too much here i know but i do find it very interesting how the hotel market particularly in London city has changed and how people looking for the cheapest hotels now have the whole market laid right out in front of the them to choose from. As always my advice is to look around as much as possible before committing to anywhere, and the internet is making that easier than ever.

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Hostels are becoming a more attractive option for people these days instead of staying in a hotel. The price drops we have seen as far for hotel rooms in London is really quite astonishing bringing many cheap hotels into the range usually reserved for hostels. This makes staying in a good rated hotel an option now for many travellers who are visiting the city on a budget. This is not to say that many hostels also haven’t considerably increased their standards in order to compete.

Some hostels in London have had some very dramatic make-overs. Such as the YHA in central London which has had over £4 million spent on new decor and amenities for the guests. However with this being said im still a great believer in the benefits of a cheap hotel in London and the comfort and security that it can provide. For many having their own private room and space is a must and while a good 3 star hotel may be slightly more pricey than a hostel i think it is money well spent.

I don’t usually recommend 2 star hotels in the blog as i have often found that the price difference between a 2 star and 3 is quite small but the difference in the hotel itself could be much greater. However i am always looking for great deals and also hotels with character. The Lincoln House Hotel is certified by an outside agency which is always a plus as is still don’t trust self certified to a large extent. The unique thing about this budget hotel is its impressive Georgian architecture which really gives you a slice of authentic period London. Also the accommodation is situated under 2 miles from the city centre which is a huge plus for those wanting to explore the city. You are right beside Hyde park and very close the Piccadilly Circus and the west end.

The rooms are also well fitted out with en-suite and complementary WIFI access throughout. This place would primarily be thought of as a B&B in most scenarios but i wouldn’t let that put you off as the friendly service and homely atmosphere is something many of the larger hotel chains are sorely lacking. You also have many extras like satellite TV plus i am told the mediterranean breakfast is one of the best you can get in London.

For a single en-suite you can expect to pay between £60 - £70 and for a twin between £90 and £100. It is worth noting that compared to other cities London is still quite expensive and its worth keeping this in mind when you are trying to find a cheap hotel in the city as you should not get your expectations too high for price reductions. Hopefully ill have some great tips soon on how you can find the accommodation of your dreams within your budget.

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This is an AA approved 3 star hotel and i think its important to note the difference between a self certified hotel and one that awards its own cert. While im not saying that hotels are over exaggerating their facilities if they are self certified but it is a possibility. Personally i think its always best to go with a hotel that is certified by a good outside agency like the AA as it just gives you that extra bit of confidence with your booking.

Anyway on to the hotel, its on the outskirts of London (under 10 miles). It is quite a large hotel with 2 gyms a spa and swimming pool which is very good for a 3 star in this price range. You can expect to pay around £80- £90 a night for a room which is reasonable. You could say that this would be mainly thought of a business hotel as it has banqueting suites and conferencing rooms with wifi enabled throughout. I know that some business hotels can have a bad reputation but i think this facility may be the exception and a great choice weather you are travelling for business or pleasure.

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So people are often asking me what the most important factor is when considering a cheap hotel in London. Well it’s actually only one thing and one thing only and that is the location of the hotel in the city. How close you are to the city centre and other major amenities is simply put the main factor that determines price in any cheap hotel in any city. Sometimes its hard to visualise the different locations of hotels in a city, especially if you have never been in a big city like London before. It is worth noting however that London has an excellent public transport system compared to most cities so it is much more practical to commute to your destination from your hotel. You can purchase a daily or week long ticket to access the London underground which will get you anywhere you need to be in the city.

Lots of people are still paranoid about booking a hotel that is more than 10 miles from the city centre but i think it really depends on what you are looking for in your accommodation. Eg most hotels in the outskirts of the city will have much more space and a quieter atmosphere which is often said to suit older travellers. Also the price of commuting into the city can very greatly and can be expensive at times but it really depends how often you are going to travel in and also not everything is located in the city centre anyway. Its also very important when considering any hotel that you weigh up the different facilities that it has to offer. I cant stress enough that you should not book a hotel in London or any city that has extra amenities that you are not going to use as more often than not you will find that the price of these supposedly free facilities is still factored into the price of the room. Also if you are paying for a hotel that does have an added extra like a gym you really want to look into what quality it is, after all there’s wide range of types of fitness suite and your ideas may be different from your hotels.

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