Priceline Hotel: London Advice-10 days away

[apobrien]

Ok everyone, I'm in need of some advice.

We are going on a 15 day trip through the UK and we have everything booked and ready to go except our hotels for the first two nights in London. I have been looking on hotwire and bidding on Priceline for months (albeit too low). We arrive in London on September 11th and leave for Ireland on the 13th. The problem is, (even though I had read all about the change in prices in London) in 2010 we stayed in London and got a great deal for $69USD to stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Southwark through Hotwire. Prices have changed so much I just couldn't bear to pay so much for a room.

I thought for sure if I was diligent and patient, something would come up. Also, (to add to your chuckle when you read this) I was staying fairly constrained in my bidding zones. Primarily in Westminster, the city, and Mayfair. Sometimes adding Bloomsbury.

Problem is, now we are 10 days out and I need a room.

So, my question is- what should I do?

- expand my zones (and if so, which ones will allow me easy and convenient sight seeing access relatively quickly)

- wait until the very last minute and snag the very best deal I can (if so, how many days in advance is considered last minute? do I wait until the night before we arrive) It doesn't seem like hotels are filling up, so I am not terribly worried about having to sleep on the street)

-Finally, in all of your opinions, in 2012- what would be reasonable for a good 4* or 3* in a good zone in London. (my lack of realism had me hoping for around $140US for a 4* and not above $110 for a 3*. GAH.

Thanks in advance everyone, hoping your experience can be of assistance to me

[Romelle]

Yeah, I remember those good old days too. I used to calmly budget about $65 for a 4* in London. The pound is actually pretty low right now, it is just that hotel prices have REALLY gone up.

Although people do it, I wouldn't personally take a chance on finding a last minute deal in London. Especially when you are just arriving, all jet-lagged and sleep deprived.

Various possibilities here.

Definitely expand your zones. With the Underground, you can be from one side of London to the other very quickly. On the Priceline zone maps you can zoom in and see how well a particular zone is served. The little Underground symbols red/blue circle and slash are easy to spot. The major sight seeing things are spread out enough you will be moving about anyway. Adding 10 to 20 minutes to the first and last rides of the day won't make that much difference time (and cost) overall. I'd think the whole area around the Olympics might be interesting yet?

Even consider hotels at the airport at which you are arriving. They are definitely less expensive, and the equation might work even when factoring in transportation to/from the city. But do some research on it, as the transport options are different for the different airports.

I see you've looked at Hot.wire for your dates. It canl give you a good general idea of what you might have to pay. Priceline tends to be a bit lower, but not always. Hotwire can serve as sort of a lid for your bidding. Do factor in the fact that Hotwire can be a bit more generous with stars. A 4* on Hotwire can sometimes be a 3 1/2* on Price.line. I did look for your dates. Airport hotels were predictably low. Islington - Shoreditch - Bethnal Green 3 1/2* was $109. Next up was a Nottinghill 3 1/2* at $122. Then a big leap to a 4* Kensington at $176.

On the Support.Page are lots of links to things. Among them is Discount Hotel Reservations which sometimes has some interesting options. I saw an Ilford Best Western there that at least claimed to have easy transport into the city.

In sheer desperation once, I stayed at a youth hostel in London. While it worked, it isn't very high on my list of possible solutions. The place was clean, reasonably quiet and interesting. They had mercy upon me for my age, and gave me a lower bunk. I'm still hoping you aren't quite that desperate?

Good luck.

Romelle

[apobrien]

Just to close the loop on this one, (sorry I didn't sooner) we ended up booking the night before with laterooms.com. Should have booked sooner, but waited and was in a scramble as the date drew near. 

[thereuare]

Thank you for closing this thread with your decision.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.