Priceline Hotel: 4* London (Mayfair-Soho) Hilton Green Park

[bjjfan]

I have never been to London and will be there April 4 for 4 nights. I am not familiar with different areas but like to be close-in. My budget is $100 per night. I appreciate any suggestion on what area to stay and bidding strategy for PL.

Thanks

[thereuare]

I would do a little research first and determine which zone(s) you're willing to accept. Try to figure out some of the things you intend on doing and see if they are spread throughout the city or if most are in a centralized area where you might be able to stay (or at least find which subway lines go to that area and then focus on an area with lots of access to that subway line)

Also, you can enter "london" in the QUICK SEARCH box in the blue banner at the top of the board and by scanning the results see which areas are most popular and bid the most.

Lastly, others may be able to provide a bit more guidance of you indicate what it is that you intend to do when i London (purely sightsee, shop, museums, etc)

Once you decide upon your acceptable zone(s) we'll be in a better position to advise regarding a bidding strategy.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

[Romelle]

IMO London is one of the easier cities in which to move around via public transportation, so lots of the zones could work for you.

If you plan to move about quite a bit, do buy some sort of all-you-can-ride fare card so you don't have to be fumbling with unfamiliar currency with every ride. I've not used it, but I've heard people swear by the "Oyster Card". When thinking about which to do, be sure to factor in a couple of "oops" rides, since they indeed do occur on unfamiliar systems.

When you are looking at the other postings, try to take note of which zones tend to go for lower bids and which tend to go for higher bids. It changes a little from time to time, but I'll give you a clue that Bloomsbury is often a lower one, along with Finsbury/Islington.

The reason for this is you want to bid your acceptable zones starting with the less expensive ones and adding in the more expensive ones as you raise your bid.

Also, it never hurts to take a peek at what you can get via HOTWIRE for your dates (linking through from betterbidding, of course). Those rates can serve as a max on your PRICELINE bidding.

Romelle

[Rhine-and-Roses]

Personally, Mayfair/Soho would be my first choice because of location- central to everything. However, it is by far the most expensive zone.

Second choice for me is South Kensington, but PL combines that zone with Earls Court, which is kind of far out. Look at recent wins to see how many are out that way. This is also by some of the big museums.

I have also stayed in Westminster, but even though it's close, I never liked it as much as the other two.

I agree with Romelle about starting at lowest price in the cheapest zone you would find acceptable, then adding on. Don't add more than what you would feel is fair in the cheapest zone, though.

I would consider staying in the Docklands, if the winning hotels are not too far out. Some of those hotels have had good TripAdvisor reviews. The tube/Docklands light rail make most trips easy, but if you end up having to make lots of connections, it doubles your travel time. The Oyster Card is great for residents, or if you'll be there a while, but I think a Day Travel Card (or Group Travel Card) is probably better for you. You have unlimited tube/bus from 9:00 a.m. on. You probably won't be out and about before that anyway. A day card in in zones 1-2 (central) is about $8. 3 days is about $25 but you don't have the 9:00 a.m. restriction. And you don't have to buy one everyday. Kids cards are cheaper.

However, if you are going to take the tube in/out at Heathrow, you'll need to buy a 6 zone travel card, which is about $30 for one day. It's still probably cheaper than single tickets if you do any other traveling that day. Go to http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtick...ckets/2905.aspx for details. I took the express trains in a couple of times and they were a waste of money for me. Picadilly line runs straight out of Heathrow. Hint: If you buy a day travel card, when you get to Heathrow, give it to someone who looks like they need to save a little money. They can use your card to get back into central London. The cards are not specific to a person, so I do not think this is cheating.

I would weigh whether your time is worth the savings for staying outside of very central London. If you stay in Mayfair/Soho you can walk to many of the places you'll want to visit.

Also consider taking buses instead of the tube. You'll get to see more of what you are there for. WATCH YOUR BELONGINGS on public transportation!

NH hotels have been coming up recently in London. NH Harrington Hall was nice last time I stayed. NH hotels in Germany are quite decent. I don't think I would bid on anything lower than a 4 star, unless you don't mind a real lottery. You could get something very nice, or very iffy. Even some 4 stars in London aren't like 4*s in the rest of the world!

[bjjfan]

Mayfair - Soho

Half Moon Street, Mayfair

London, United Kingdom

44-207-629-7522

Supposedly ****

won $80

Used the PRICELINE link

Thanks for those who gave advise

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Hope you're happy with the results and this works well for your needs.

Do keep in mind that star ratings in Europe are a bit more 'generous' than here in the States, but even so, generally speaking the reviews of this property are pretty good.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board and using our PRICLINE link to begin your bidding.

Enjoy your stay.

[bjjfan]

Yes, the 4 star was overrated. I woud put it more at 2.5 to 3 star. The room were clean but small. The hotel was very old without much amenities. The location was great as it is only couple minutes walk to underground station. I did enjoy staying in Mayfair: Soho area and thanks again for recommendation.