Priceline Hotel: 4* London (Kennsington-Earls Ct) Holiday Inn Forum

[lwitchel]

Hey folks -

You were so helpful with the last trip that I wanted to ask some opinions as I do my basic research.

I'll be in London for six nights in November. I'm traveling alone. I'll be there to see the Royal Ballet (I think every night, it's for an article) and that's in Priceline's Mayfair zone, also close to Bloomsbury but both extend at least a 30 min walk away. Is Priceline an absolute no-brainer for a stay of this length or are there alternatives I should look into like apartment stays? Any suggestions on where to finds a cancellable backup? HRS? On my last trip to London in October '03, I got the 4* Marriott Marble Arch on Priceline for 2 nights for about $81/night ($65 actual bid +$10 bonus money) and it was fabulous. I wouldn't sneer at a deal like that again, but I'm not counting on it!

Any other tips or suggestions on restaurants, etc gratefully accepted!

[WillTravel]

At Fodors I haven't seen any stunning London apartment deals posted. The apartments discussed are more along the lines of how can we house a family for less than 200 pounds per night. Maybe singletons just haven't posted about apartments, but I tend to think there won't be any deals comparable to Priceline. Someone posted about her stay in a tiny, tiny single Bloomsbury hotel room for 70 pounds (breakfast included) and was quite pleased, but at that rate I'd stick to Priceline. Occasionally the Thistle http://www.thistlehotels.com/ chain has good breakfast-included rates for single travelers, but I think it still falls short of Priceline. I think I posted a Thistle auction thread too a while back here.

I did use HRS.de for a backup reservation in London but the hotel actually sounded really awful and it was more expensive than Priceline. I guess you could get a backup if you're willing to up your price range more than I was. Or maybe just use Thistle as a backup (I think Thistle Charing Cross would be a great location).

There is Ibis also - but the locations are less than optimal if I recall correctly.

[WillTravel]

There's one other (relatively) inexpensive option, which may or may not be available in November - student accommodation. I haven't tried this in London, but based on my experience elsewhere, it would either include or allow access to kitchen facilities. Other amenities would vary.

http://www.venuemasters.co.uk/holiday_search.asp

[SLC-YYZ]

Just to add another resource I found (and was also referred to by a London friend)...

www.LastMinute.com

[lwitchel]

Gracias, SLC. I've used them for Paris, along with www.hrs.com and www.bookings.nl

All good places to look. WillTravel also is great for combing for sales!

[WillTravel]

When I was in London, the person leading the London Walks mentioned a great accommodation deal he got in central London through his "gentlemen's club". These clubs have rooms that are available through reciprocal arrangements with other clubs. For a relatively low price (not as good as Priceline, I don't think) he and his wife had a lovely ensuite room with a wonderful breakfast buffet. This might be worth looking into if you have any close relatives who might belong to such clubs (or if you do yourself). I'm not sure what sort of club qualifies or any such thing. Truthfully, these "gentlemen's clubs" sounded pretty goofy and anachronistic, but the members seem to like them :).

[marie_scotland]

some good sites are

www.laterooms.co.uk and www.latelets.com

[lwitchel]

Hey folks - I'm just about to bid and I could use some opinions.

I bid 4* Mayfair $90 counter offer to $113 - raised to $95 with a free bid - rejected.

My guess is that if I raise slightly I'll get the Thistle Charing Cross. Doesn't mean I'm right, but that's an educated guess.

The entire point of this trip is to see the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden. I'll be there 5 nights out of 6. So decent convenience to Covent Garden is something I'll pay extra for.

The question is - how much? How convenient is Charing Cross to Covent Garden? Can I walk it? If I can't, should I just go for the cheaper 4* in Gloucester Road - which look like a winning bid would be around $70.

I haven't factored Bloomsbury into this equation either. There isn't much bidding history I can find for it - I stayed at the Marriott Marble Arch last year - fabulous for cheap ($81/night!) but it's a good solid 45 minute walk from Covent Garden if I felt like walking.

What do people think? Pay extra for Mayfair or get a tube card and bid cheaper in Kensington or Bloomsbury? If the Charing Cross is a nice hotel, and it's convenient it would be worth the bid (To me, it would definitely be worth it for the Hilton Waldorf - but I haven't seen that come up in a while.)

[WillTravel]

The web site says Thistle Charing Cross is within a "short walk" of Covent Garden.

http://www.thistlehotels.com/thistle/hotel...h-charing-cross

It lists a special offer where a single person can get the hotel for 55 pounds per night including breakfast, but I don't know if that's good for your dates.

[lwitchel]

Oh no. Here we go with my weird Priceline juju again.

$96 and $100 rejected - no counter offer on $96, just a "raise your bid by $22" offer - I used the free rebid instead.

I was hoping $96 would mean the Thistle wouldn't have availability and I might get the Waldorf Hilton.

Well, I'll bid again in 3 days, but I'll keep the same numbers for a while. WHY do I have such bizarro Priceline karma?

[WillTravel]

What if you get the Holiday Inn Mayfair, though? That wouldn't be particularly close to Covent Garden.

[thereuare]

What are the actual dates?

[lwitchel]

Duh. :)

Monday 11/8-Sunday 11/14

[thereuare]

Not sure how much can be gained from this insight, but the THISTLE CHARING CROSS was just reported as a win for a 10 nite stay in October. This user won at $95 and the best available rate directly from Thistle's website is $124GBP.

From the hotel's website the best rate i could find is $176GBP, so there is a chance that this particular Thistle is a little busier than usualy for your dates (and perhaps you'll get a different property).

Have you considered splitting this stay? Bidding the first 2 nites for example to see if you can get a lower rate. If you can great, if not, a win at a higher level may give you insight as to the hotel you'd get for the last 4 nites and if it's worth the extra money over the alternative zone you're considering.

Just thinking out loud.

[lwitchel]

It is a useful insight. A few weeks earlier I had checked rates at the Thistle for winning days; they had saver rates on them as well.

I think I'm going to hold off before I split the bid until October, though. It's early yet, and though I have no patience, I ought to try :)

[lwitchel]

I lied.

Because of the other travel I just planned, saving $200+ suddenly seemed much more appealing.

Bid 96 again - counteroffered at 112. Rebid at 100, rejected. New bid - $75 on Bloomsbury, rejected. Bid on Kensington $65, counter offer $75, bid 69 - got the Holiday Inn for $69.

[lwitchel]

Bid $65 - counteroffer of $75, rebid at $69, accepted.

Check-In Date: Mon, Nov 8, 2004

Check-Out Date: Sun, Nov 14, 2004

Your Offer Price: $69.00

Number of Rooms: 1

Number of Nights: 6

Subtotal: $414.00

Taxes & Service Fees:

$84.36

Total Charges: $498.36

[thereuare]

Congratulations, glad to hear there's one less thing on your plate to take care of.

So how does this location ultimately work out for your needs?

[lwitchel]

I guess we'll find out! It's a subway ride from Covent Garden, but a direct one on the same line of only about 4-5 stops. If I had finally gotten Mayfair, it looks like it would have been at around $105 for a total cost of around $755. So there's a big difference in price - enough to pay for the hotel in Halifax next month!

I'll report back when I go.