Holy $$$$, London hotels are expensive! I’m trying to find a place near Covent Garden, Soho, or the West End for under US $200 a night. Is this an impossible dream? Are there other areas of London that I should consider staying in? Looking around 14 March-17 March.
Try the Hotel Ibis at Aldgate East.
I have had great luck on Priceline. The last couple years I booked a couple rooms at four star hotels for about $180 a night. Two of them were in Kensington, one just a stone’s throw from Marble Arch.
ETA: I should clarify I did the name your price option.
I’m strongly considering Priceline. I’ve used them in the USA many times, always ended up with a decent hotel.
We have stayed at a few premier hotels and can say they are very good, and cheap.
The London tube is so good you can get away with staying most places on the circle line with little inconvenience.
We stayed at Twenty Nevern Squarein Earl’s Court (just west of Kensington) and loved it. Earl’s Court in general might be a good neighborhood for you to find something – well located, but not too expensive.
If you want something near Covent Garden, you should look into the B & Bs near the British Museum and Russell Sq. I have been staying with the same family-owned one since the 1980s, and currently pay about £50/night for a single.
It’s been several years since I stayed in London and I have very low standards for a hotel, but Eurocheapo was useful back then.
You’ll also find B&B type hotels in the Bayswater / Paddington area for a lot less than the West End, although read reviews carefully because quality can vary wildly. These are mostly small, individually run places rather than chains.
Premier Inn and Ibis are both reasonable budget hotel chains, but be wary of additional expenses for things like Internet access - that can add to the bill quite rapidly.
Several years ago we stayed at the Citadines @ Holborn. Good price, and it also had a kitchenette. It is close to Covent Gardens, Holborn tube station, and is right by a grocery store.