If you are lucky enough to be able to turn your night at the theatre into a short break then I greatly recommend it. London is a fabulous city and not having to go home after the show; being able to go and explore the next day, being able to see some of London’s world-famous attractions, to do some shopping, to eat at one of its world-beating restaurants, to take a cruise on the Thames or to visit one of its world-class museums or galleries (many of which are free) is truly a very special treat.
As with all capital cities the range of hotels is vast. I won’t talk about specific hotels here but for the purpose of a theatre break I would limit the choice in two ways: stay within Zone One of the travel map and don’t stay at anything less than a three star hotel.
Zone One is basically anything on the Underground map within the compass of the Circle (yellow) Line. It takes in the West End (which is basically Covent Garden and Soho and Mayfair), Bloomsbury, Fitzrovia, Marylebone, Euston, Kings Cross, parts of the City (business district), Westminster, Victoria, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Paddington and Bayswater.
West EndObviously the closest hotels to the theatres are in the West End but they do tend to be the most expensive. That is not to say they are not worth the extra money but the demand is greater here, which pushes up prices. Ultimately it is down to the individual as to what you want to spend your money on.
If the hotel is an important part of your stay then it is worth the extra. If you just want a place to rest your head then maybe you can cut a few corners.
Even a West End hotel could be 40 minutes walk from your theatre, so just check where you are and what you are near before you splash the cash!
Victoria is a good place to stay – close to Buckingham Palace and both Victoria theatres but markedly cheaper than the Theatreland hotels and really quick into the West End on the Victoria Line.
If you fancy a walk after the show then it is a lovely stroll across Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch, along The Mall, past the left hand side (as you look at it) of Buckingham Palace and down to Victoria, but that will take you the best part of an hour.
Just beyond Victoria are Kensington and Knightsbridge. These areas cover a huge area of London with a great variety of neighbourhood. Again you will see the beneficial effect of that little extra distance between theatre and hotel on your wallet when you come to check-out, you’ll see the negative effect when you pay the taxi man. If you’ve got your Oystercard it won’t matter a jot! Lots of nice hotels at the end of your journey though and with the money you have saved it is worth upgrading to a four star hotel as there really are some super deals in the 4 star market.
Bayswater is the home of the cheap 3 star hotels. If you just need a place to lay your head then they are great. No airs and graces, clean and friendly and handy by bus, tube or hired bike – although unless you are going through Hyde Park the walk is not exactly inspiring. Check out the lines of artists selling their works of art along the roadside on Bayswater Road every Sunday.
I wasn’t going to mention Trip Advisor but as I guess most people will use it at some point to check out their hotels I feel I must. I am not going to say the negative reviews on a lot of the Bayswater hotels are wrong, but I do think they should be taken for what they are: the squeaky wheels that get the grease!
OK Bayswater hotels do not do well on Trip Advisor, but if that was fair then every hotel in Bayswater would have closed down long ago. It is all about managing expectations. Negative reviewers tend to compare them with their best experiences, not with something a little more realistic! These are small, cheap, hotels in a city where nothing is truly cheap!
So if you look at the price of the four star hotels in Theatreland and decided to downgrade, don’t still expect to get a four star hotel in the West End!
Bloomsbury is a good place to look. Some great little four star townhouse hotels and some pretty average 3 star hotels (and that’s not meant as a criticism) all within a short stroll of the nearer edges of Theatreland. It is also half way between Theatreland and the mainline stations of Kings Cross, St Pancras and Euston. This is very handy if you are coming into London from the North of the country.
South of the River is considered by many a different country, let alone the same city! But there are two great reasons for staying south of the river. First the prices and secondly the absolutely jaw-droppingly wonderful view from any one of the bridges that cross the Thames on the return to your hotel after the show (unless it is raining of course). Life on the Southbank is pretty lively too: the National Theatre, the Royal Festival Hall, the London Eye, the London Aquarium, the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe, The Old Vic, Vinopolis… it is actually worth a visit in itself!
I’ve said to stick with 3 star hotels and above. Within the category of 3 star hotel the range is so large that if a particular hotel can’t get a third star then I really don’t want to find out why. Also the difference in price between a lower level three star hotel and a two star hotel is negligible anyway, so what are you gaining?
Recent years have been the best time to come to London, EVER. All hotels in London spent the 8 years leading up to 2012 gearing up for the Olympics. No-one wanted to have any rooms out-of-service and no-one wanted to be a three star hotel if a little extra work would get them that 4th star and a few extra quid on the room rate.
So there are now a lot of recently refurbished hotels in London with lovely rooms and pristine public areas. There has also been a lot of new builds and that could potentially mean a lot of surplus rooms and a lot of great deals now the games have finished. I don’t have a crystal ball but 2013 was a bonanza year for the London visitor, in terms of great deals and 2014 could be the same: visitors will certainly not be stuck for reasons to come to London!
A surprising number of hotels boast small gyms, swimming pools, saunas… very few have car parks. Most have a concierge. Three star hotels will at least have a bar and a breakfast room and some, like the St Giles, will have bars, cafe and restaurants all under the same roof – you see: a great variety in just one category!
All four star hotels will have a restaurant and, mundanely, a lift to all floors (in London it can be the only deciding factor between a three and a four star hotel!). Rooms can be bigger but very few standard rooms in London are generous.
Fact: you would need the combined floor space of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle just to give each London hotel room one extra square metre!
It is in the four star category where the best deals can be found – certainly in London.
I’ve never stayed in a hotel long enough to get the value out of five stars and for me a four star hotel is perfect. However if you have got a deal on the ticket you can afford a little luxury and often you don’t have to pay that much more for a 5 star hotel. Check out the Le Meridien, The Courthouse or the Hempel and if you really want to push the boat out, the iconic Ritz and Savoy Hotels: all great five star hotels.
Prices in London are seasonal. There are two low periods for the UK visitor: Mid December to the end of February and Mid July to the end of August. If you want to come to London, come then.
The difference is especially noticeable in the middle of the week as corporate business drops off during these two periods – outside of these two periods corporate demands can make it quite expensive to stay overnight during the middle of the week. Your company may be able to afford it, but can you?
The expensive months are September to early December with November and December being the worst because of events like the World Travel Market and European Bank holidays boosting the pre-Christmas shopping numbers.
Prices also rise in the Spring and early Summer. In spring it all depends on when Easter falls but contracts get renewed in April so if Easter has already been and gone in March, hold onto your wallet in April!