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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2018 13:49:46 GMT
You’ll be lucky to get a shortbread biscuit on the hospitality tray! I love getting a shortbread biscuit on my hospitality tray #notaeuphamism
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 31, 2018 15:43:01 GMT
As a foreigner I love the British obsession with tea as even the Travelodges come with a small kettle for coffee and tea (great for a first cup of coffee in the morning before I get going). The kettle is the one thing I miss at the Hub. Hope you remember to boil a full kettle at least twice before making that first cup... and rinse the cups in the boiling water too . My mum had to give a urine sample to a visiting medic last week and as it wasn’t planned they were a bit stuck for equipment suitable for an elderly lady to “collect” it. So she grabbed this fancy, decorative teapot off her kitchen shelf and went to the loo. When she came out the nurse said (jokingly) “I hope you’re not going to make anybody a brew in that now!”. To which Mum replied “I’ll tell them it’s PG tips” 😆😆
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Post by aksis on Aug 31, 2018 20:54:42 GMT
I usually check booking.com and trivago.com depending on the company I will travel with and up to now we have been lucky. I think I enjoyed the Arosfa hotel in Gower street the most. I was by myself and the 1 person room was halfway the stairs. They used the space very well and the breakfast was good. I like to be able to have easy and quick access to central London.
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Post by rockinrobin on Aug 31, 2018 21:26:57 GMT
I have travelled to London for almost 15 years, every month or two. Never counted but I think I've stayed at approx. 50 hotels, hostels, B&Bs, serviced apartments - including some horribly dodgy places in Acton and near King's Cross when I was a poor student. I actually packed my stuff quickly and left a place once because I felt genuinely unsafe. But then, that's another story and another thread...
I'm team Premier Inn as well although I love last minute offers at Double Tree by Hilton or Radisson Blu in November or February (normally I can't afford them since I live on the continent, so I'm always chuffed to bits when I find a nice room for half price, and low season is actually a great time for theatregoing). I did use Airbnb a couple of times but it's not really my thing - the hosts were lovely but I just didn't feel comfortable. I'm getting older and I like my air conditioning, fresh linen, shower and the afore mentioned kettle. Strand Palace is also nice - ok, the rooms are small but the location!
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Post by crowblack on Sept 3, 2018 11:29:09 GMT
I've just noticed Virgin trains' website is showing nothing for December: "no tickets available" for randomly selected dates I've checked. I spoke to a man at the tickets desk in Euston a couple of weeks ago and he said the HS2 situation meant it was going to be problematic for a while - they don't really know what's happening. But it's something to bear in mind when booking ahead. I've got a few things coming up in Dec and Jan that might be difficult now.
Update - apparently there will be a timetable change but no info yet.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2018 20:54:34 GMT
Having stayed at the Stratford Premier Inn this weekend I can vouch for that one. Easy transport links (Central and Jubilee and overground) about 30 mins door to door for central London stuff.
It’s a bit tricky to find the entrance - it’s at the rear of the Westfield shopping centre-but can’t fault it for nearby amenities as a result. Also I enjoyed my first trip to Stratford-nice area to stay in, even had a Potter about the Olympic Park. (Before the West Ham fans invaded)
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Post by ensembleswings on Sept 3, 2018 21:07:13 GMT
Whenever I visit anywhere I tend to stay at a Travelodge. Cheap, clean and personal space are my only requirements and Travelodge hit them. The fact they also have a kettle in the room is a real bonus for me, saves me an small fortune with the amount of tea I drink on a morning. I used to switch between Premier Inn and Travelodge but PI just seem to be quite expensive for what it is these days. Also I never bother with breakfast in any hotel I stay at, always just go to a local cafe/McDonalds and grab something there.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2018 22:01:37 GMT
Premier Inn for me as well, especially when I've got a London trip booked.
I'm very much a 'value for money' person and they have everything, food, comfort, quiet (nearly always). The air conditioning was a godsend during the awful heat in July and the breakfast is far too tempting and served at a humane hour.
One thing that keeps costs down is being willing to travel outside of Central London and further afield. Woking is usually very cost effective for example. I was just looking at a week for later next year and it's £100-£110 for three nights (without breakfast). Yes, you have to get train tickets but the travelcard will also pay for any tube travel. Less than 30 minutes from Waterloo with frequent trains.
Occasionally I've used London Travelodges, the one in Finchley was good when I stayed there.
In Stratford I tend to go very much out of season and have had a B&B all to myself!
I have difficulties with Edinburgh though as the prices are whacked up and VFM is difficult to find. I don't like traffic noise and B&Bs tend to stick solo travellers in rooms that are usually at the front and Edinburgh is full of main roads. If I've miscalculated I have an app on my ipad which creates white noise and so blocks out the noise. It's a constant sound so I get a good nights sleep! If anyone knows of the same on quiet roads with low costs then I'd love to know.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2018 4:27:35 GMT
Usually Travelodge here (but they can be depressing). Has anyone here used hostels ?
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Post by kiwi on Sept 4, 2018 6:14:37 GMT
Has anyone here used hostels ? Ive stayed in 3 different hostels in London (Smart Russell Sq, Clink78 & Generator) You couldn't pay me to stay in Smart Russell Sq or Clink78 again. I really hated them. Generator is alright. If I was super tight for budget id probably stay there again.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2018 6:16:02 GMT
Usually Travelodge here (but they can be depressing). Has anyone here used hostels ? See numerous previous posts in this thread. YHA hostels are fine, I would never stay in a St Christopher's Inn again.
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471 posts
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Post by mistressjojo on Sept 4, 2018 6:21:25 GMT
Has anyone here used hostels ? Yes many times, usually the YHA ones ( some of the private hostels have an upper age limit and are more concerned with partying than sleeping) Although sometimes the price for a single room is not much cheaper than a b & b or smaller hotel. London St Pauls YHA- clean & quite except for the bells. Handy to buses and tube, and convenient for the Globe. Edinburgh Central YHA- about a 10 minute walk downhill from Waverley Station ( but remember you have to go back up!) and about the same from the bus station. Clean rooms, singles with en-suite. Rooms overlooking the street can be noisey due to traffic but not excessive. *Single rooms here can cost more than the Premier Inn Hub in Rose Street, so shop around. Bristol YHA - lovely old building on the waterfront near the Arnolfini. Good cafe. Clean rooms. Short walk to Theatre Royal. Manchester YHA - on the canal at Potato Wharf. Purpose built hostel so good layout. Can be noisey with school groups but otherwise clean & good cafe in foyer. Short walk to G-Mex transport or buses around the corner. Lots of others but they're not really relevant to theatre breaks.
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Post by rockinrobin on Sept 4, 2018 14:32:15 GMT
Yup, Generator is ok if your budget is tight - good location, decent breakfast, nice bar, the rooms are clean. That said, it's not a quiet place. And, um, couples (or strangers) having sex in shared bathrooms are not an unusual sight on weekend nights. Although maybe that's just my luck!
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Post by maggiem on Sept 4, 2018 17:01:30 GMT
I've said this on a previous thread, but I offer it again if you're interested. I always book the County Hotel on Upper Woburn Place. It's about a 5 min walk from Euston Station, and one of the cheapest but safest places I know. I have managed to get 3 nights B&B for £113.50 booking it through Superbreak for a November weekend theatre break. I always try Superbreak first, but if their allocation of rooms has gone, I book direct through Imperial London Hotels, although the same no. of nights will cost about £156. The rooms are basic, but clean, and you won't get one in the basement! Bathrooms are shared (4 to each floor) and well maintained. English breakfast is self-serve in the basement dining room, and your booking will enable you to a visit to one of the posher hotels in the group for fancier meals if you wish. All the group hotels are along that road, running past Tavistock Square up to Russell Square. www.imperialhotels.co.uk/en/
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Post by jek on Sept 6, 2018 6:00:20 GMT
Having just spent two nights there I can second what mistressjojo says about Edinburgh Central YHA. It was fine but we were in a room facing the busy main road in to Edinburgh (Leith Walk) and had a window that couldn't be shut. It was quite nostalgic for me though as we lived in Edinburgh for four years and I remember being in a car in the middle of the night racing down that section of Leith Walk as I was in labour with my second child. My daughter and I had a twin room that was £68 per night and the continental breakfast (a bit of bun fight as the hostel was packed with hungry teenagers) was £5.50.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Sept 6, 2018 10:30:52 GMT
Usually Travelodge here (but they can be depressing). Has anyone here used hostels ? Stayed in hostels twice now, once in a shared room, the other I got a private ensuite. I will stay on a hostel again but only if there's a private room. Sharing a room with strangers, for me at least, was awful. There were only 6 of us all together, but the issue was 5 of them were all part of the same group, and I was this Billy No Mates who'd just invaded their space. I felt so alone, and it was rather embarrassing. I had little to no privacy. I always pay extra for my own space now.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2018 10:43:53 GMT
I stayed in hostels a couple of times in NY back in the day (ie about a decade ago when I was young enough for that sh*t) And perhaps it's the only child in me but I value my own space too much! and as single rooms in hostels are about the same as a Travelodge/Cheap BnB etc I'd rather pay the extra.
I will do the shared bathroom thing if staying in Halls of Residence. Another bonus of Halls of Residence is a kitchen- even if just to use a microwave/kettle/fridge if staying more than overnight has been really useful.
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Post by grannyjx6 on Sept 6, 2018 21:46:06 GMT
I've said this on a previous thread, but I offer it again if you're interested. I always book the County Hotel on Upper Woburn Place. It's about a 5 min walk from Euston Station, and one of the cheapest but safest places I know. I have managed to get 3 nights B&B for £113.50 booking it through Superbreak for a November weekend theatre break. I always try Superbreak first, but if their allocation of rooms has gone, I book direct through Imperial London Hotels, although the same no. of nights will cost about £156. The rooms are basic, but clean, and you won't get one in the basement! Bathrooms are shared (4 to each floor) and well maintained. English breakfast is self-serve in the basement dining room, and your booking will enable you to a visit to one of the posher hotels in the group for fancier meals if you wish. All the group hotels are along that road, running past Tavistock Square up to Russell Square. www.imperialhotels.co.uk/en/
Thank you for your recommendation. I've just booked this for November also, but a mid week break for us. I looked at the trip advisor reviews which varied from people complaining that it wasn't (surprisingly) the Ritz to others raving about it and all things in between. Three nights for me and my husband for £207 which is incredible. The lack of an en suite was a bit of a problem but it would have been at least another £50/£60 for something of similar standard and not in as good a location, so we decided to risk it. I just need to get some bargain tickets for a few shows now.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 7, 2018 6:32:07 GMT
No shared bathrooms for me, thank you. The thought of going in and finding ‘evidence‘ of another human is . It’s probably an age thing but the days when I was prepared to go away and put up with substandard accommodations because “you’re only sleeping there” were over a long time ago. There used to be a place in Earls Court called The Philbeach. Goodness, the stuff that went on in those bathrooms! In fact not just in the bathrooms, if you weren’t careful you’d have blokes in their underpants walking into your room 🙂 These days I need a minimum level of facilities or I’d really rather stay at home, and Premier Inn pretty much meets that minimum. Travelodge, just no. Gloomy, depressing, electrical sockets on the other side of the room, dim bathrooms, thin towels... Never again (although I understand they’re going through a programme of upgrading their rooms). One thing really annoys me about PI though. The soap and shower gel. Surely it’s the same product in that dispenser and how tight are they not to fill the damned thing up properly? It’s like “we don’t trust you not to waste our cheap gel so we’re rationing it”. So much for the hospitality industry.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2018 8:16:49 GMT
I agree on the soap dispensers!
Also if anyone is curious the whole 'good night guarantee' thing in Premier Inn isn't a lie! we once raised an issue of a noisy heater/air conditioner unit with reception, just so they could get it fixed because I don't know I'm that person. And immediately they offered the free night thing. Clearly some people might take the piss but it's nice to know it's actually real.
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Post by meso77 on Sept 7, 2018 10:16:00 GMT
I'm definitely in the Travelodge only bracket as I'm someone who won't pay more than £50 a night for my theatre trips.
My trick is to look if they are opening any new hotels and then book as soon as they put them on sale, they are usually really cheap. This year I've mostly been in the new one at Acton and only payed on average £30 a night. Decent hotel as well, and only 20 minutes on the central line into London. The new rooms even have USB chargers next to the bed. Unfortunately it looks like the prices are rising here as everybody catches on to the value.
My other target Travelodges that are usually cheap are Raynes Park and Wembley High Road.
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Post by showgirl on Sept 7, 2018 14:05:10 GMT
OH & I once had to claim this but we'd have preferred - wouldn't anyone - a decent night's sleep. No difficulty with the refund as the staff had asked the offenders to be quiet, but in vain. Taught me a painful lesson though: now I always ring ahead with a room request; quite general so easy to meet but it ensures a quieter room location.
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Post by wickedgrin on Sept 7, 2018 22:12:39 GMT
Premier Inns for me too whenever I stay over in a city on a theatre trip. I like to know exactly what I am getting. No "boutique" B&B's for me! The beds are super comfy!
For a quiet nights sleep though it is always better to be at the far end of the corridor away from the stairs and lift so you have few people passing the door. A longer walk to the room but worth it I've found.
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Post by cheesy116 on Sept 7, 2018 23:12:52 GMT
I used the MegaBus Gold from Glasgow to London several times for abou 3/4 years until it got discontinued last January. I'm now a user of the Caledonian Sleeper and the usual Virgin west coast trains.
If I stay over, I stay at the EasyHotel in Victoria. The most basic of hotel rooms and probably the smallest room in the whole of London but I've managed to get it for as little as £25 a night if you book at the right time and off peak. I've also stayed at a few Travelodges such as Kings Cross and Covent Garden.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2018 8:17:04 GMT
This is kinda off-topic, but for me no theatre break is complete without a full English breakfast.
Where do they serve the best one in your opinion?
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