Important Things to Know Before Booking a London Hotel | Book Your London Hotel series

Before you book a hotel in London, here are some important things to consider when choosing which hotel is best for your London trip. Keep in mind that the best "area" and "hotel" is different for everyone, London has lots of areas and hotels that are quite different, and the beauty of that is that every type of London visit can find something to suit their needs and budget.
WATCH THE REST OF THE "BOOK YOUR LONDON HOTEL" series:
Mistakes Not to Make When Booking Your London Hotel: • 5 Common London Hotel ...
Best Areas to Stay in in London (near the attractions): coming 21/3
Best Areas to Stay in in London (for a local experience): coming 28/3
Daily London-y stuff on Instagram: / loveandlondon
Free London 101 Guide for first-time London visitors: goo.gl/Eh3HP3
Your first 3 days in London, completely planned for you: loveandlondon.com/3-day-london...
All of my best London recommendations are in The Local Guide to London: goo.gl/qT2XVh
London resources (airport transfers, SIM cards, etc.): goo.gl/nsZZ64
How to say thanks for the free advice: loveandlondon.com/how-to-say-...
MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO (some are affiliate links):
Where to start your hotel search-- Booking.com is what I use for my own travels: www.booking.com/searchresults...
Boutique Hotels to check out...
Firmdale Hotels (link is to the Soho Hotel): www.booking.com/hotel/gb/the-...
CitizenM: www.booking.com/hotel/gb/citi...
Map of the Night Tube: tfl.gov.uk/campaign/tube-impr...
Articles that will help you book your London hotel:
8 Great Areas to Stay in While in London: loveandlondon.com/8-great-are...
12 London Hotels with Rooftop Bars: loveandlondon.com/12-best-lon...
8 Stylish Hotels that Cost Less Than £150/Night: loveandlondon.com/8-stylish-h...
About Love and London:
I'm Jess, I've lived in London for many years, and this channel is a London travel guide for anyone visiting the city that wants to experience it like you live here. Beyond talking about the usual London attractions, I show you some of the cooler things to do in London, that most travel guides don't mention. Watch my videos and you'll feel like you've got a Londoner friend telling you the best kept secrets in the city.

[@evancortez2]

last time I was in London I got a great deal on a hotel in Paddington, but when I got there I found out why, the room was TINY! It had everything I needed, bathroom, shower, TV, but it was so small, I had to go outside just to change my mind

[@jogullekson1173]

I always love your bloopers!! So real! I’m looking forward to my visit to London the 1st week of May. You’ve helped me out so much with my planning. Thank you!

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks Jo! Glad I could help!

[@bobberyank384]

By the way, LOVE the outtakes! Give quite the laugh!! Great job with the tips!

[@elekap]

When we visited London we stayed at Vauxhall travelodge because of the reviews it had on trip advisor. Literally 2 minutes from the tube station, clean and the people there were really nice!

[@bobberyank384]

I stumbled upon the Copthorne Tara in Kensington a few years back. A good price at $100 to $110 a night US dollars. Is perched above the Kensington High Street station and is a nice clean choice that quite a few airlines use. As I am not there to spend much time in the room I find it to be quite adequate for my needs.

[@kazza5599]

I’ve booked in Kensington. Thanks for your advice!!💓

[@alharzm]

I prefer to stay in Premier Inn chain. Fresh clean bedding sheets. Guaranteed good night sleep and of course budget friendly. Don't expect more or less, I mean it's just right choice. Thank you Jess, love ya.

[@etnadayasiv5449]

Hello Sir! Just one question is Premier Inn close to the city? And how much it cost a day? We are planning to go last week of December thank you.

[@ljrigsbee]

I stayed in a clean, basic hotel for around £50 per night in a small room with shared shower facilities near Russell Square. Was mainly just in the room for sleeping and showering anyway.

[@andrewb4556]

Hi Jess THANKS for the vlog and information about London hotel ! Love you're work and vlogs Australia

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks Andrew

[@badgyaldenise9331]

Love it when I went we stayed at Kensington Gardens

[@wvuken111]

Your videos are so helpful. Great content. I am visiting London this March and this is all so helpful. Thank you.

[@loveandlondon]

You're welcome Ken!

[@gloriabloise1618]

your videos are so helpful! Im coming in June.. cant wait!!

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks for watching!

[@TripHacksDC]

Great series idea!

[@etnadayasiv5449]

This will be great idea to look for hotels/Inn we are looking for cheaper deals in accommodation but the problem is it's to far from the City. Thank you needed this badly☺

[@kata5182]

Great stuff! We stayed at the Royal Horseguards Hotel which is right next to the Thames, across from the London Eye, fantastic hotel!! Walking easily to the Churchill War rooms Buck House and convenient 5 minute walk from the Embankment tube station.

[@loveandlondon]

Nice hotel!

[@lauraahlqvist3328]

I purposedly booked a hotel from not so center because quality is better for the price and my 7 yo son is sort of a transport freak so using tube and bus alot will be important part of London experience.

[@xar1234]

I like to stay near Paddington Station. There are four tube lines and you get a fifth if you walk five minutes down to Hyde Park. And it takes you only 15 Minutes to get to heathrow Airport. I do not mind to go to one of the more cheapish hotels where the room is just twice the size of your bed and you have to climb a flight of dangerously narrow and steep stairs. :)

[@debschmitt761]

I stayed at the Montana Hotel, a boutique type hotel. Fabulous location as I took the tube from Heathrow to. Glouster Rd station. The hotel is literally across the street. The V and A in walking distance, great neighbor hood with restuarants coffee shops and grocery stores. The best surprise was the free cell hone in the room intended for the guest to use while sightseeing!

[@loveandlondon]

Nice!

[@dreamychelle]

We've been staying in different ibis hotels the last few times we've been in London. The first time we went we stayed in a Premier Inn and we're really happy (the windows didn't open?? not even a small bit) and ever since we're always going with ibis. Usually the one near Wembley Stadium if we're staying a bit longer and want something less expensive but these past two years we've been at the one near Borough market and it's really great, I would totally recommend it to everyone going!

[@loveandlondon]

Windows not opening is pretty common-- for safety :) Glad you found a place you like though

[@lucyb.5131]

I don't know why people say that London is so expensive. I live in Texas and the freakin hotel rooms on the Riverwalk are always from $250 to $600 a night.

[@acbc3543]

So true

[@AnneMB955]

Also, I suggest to book months in advance. Prices can be cheaper than closer to the stay date. Example - ours from 3 - 6 April is now AUD150 more a night than when we booked last September. Thanks Jess, your vlogs always have invaluable suggestions.

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks Anne

[@nikkik8025]

Watching the ads in full because I love your channel that much! 😊

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks Nikki!

[@joostschuur]

'Relatively expensive'. Hah!

[@darealgrady6562]

Great channel!

[@jasoncrobar724]

I've always had really good luck finding hotels in tube zone 3. I find that's a good compromise between hotel price & travel time to Central London. So far, I've stayed in Walthamstow, in East Ham, and on Ealing Broadway, and found hotels that weren't expensive, with travel times averaging about 30 min to get into the heart of the city. I even found a great hotel in Croydon, right by East Croydon station... Five minute walk, frequent trains to Victoria or London Bridge that took about 20 min with 1 stop enroute. Fares were a little higher being in zone 5, but the hotel was inexpensive and beautiful... I saved more on the hotel than I paid for the 2 extra zones on my travelcard.

[@Vally1811]

Hi! Can I ask what the name is of the hotel you stayed in, in Croydon and on Ealing Broadway?

[@hackdroid9717]

Thank you!😘

[@qandrewq5708]

If you're on a budget don't forget that many of the central London student halls of residence are bookable by anyone during vacation times. I often use LSE vacations to stay very cheaply in Bloomsbury near the British Museum.

[@caleandmama6453]

qandrewq how do we book from the students?

[@jsp2018csus]

I recently started watching videos and it's really helpful to organize the right travel information in London, England. I haven't been to London yet, but now the video will be good information not only in England but also in Europe.

[@sheridangay]

Honestly, I really want more of an authentic, local experience when I come to London. Yes, I do want to see sights, but I really want more of a home and laid back experience in this place if that makes sense to you. I had that type of experience in Liverpool last September when I was in England, and I want it again. Therefore, I'll probably need to get outside of the major sights and book reasonably priced hotels not far from the tube. I know that I will not stay in my hotel all day, so I'm not picky on the size of the room as long as I have indoor plumbing and a couch or bed with blankets to sleep. I know the markets will have good and reasonably priced places to eat. I have learned this lesson as I was in Liverpool last year, and I rode the buses to get around which did accept cash.

[@lizdestefano4905]

I was thinking on booking a hostel! Cheap amd I will be out on the town more than a hotel a but these are great tips and ideas! One night just for fun I do want to spend 1 night at a 5 star hotel, probably my last night! Also I maybe going with friends so we maybe be renting a house for a week or 2

[@DGsa1661]

Love the outtakes at the end😂

[@loveandlondon]

Glad to hear it ! Thanks Diana.

[@airportshotels3060]

Expert advice!

[@markspera5247]

I have had very good luck with Nadler Hotels Book in advance and they have big discounts.

[@matthewparrott8369]

I love your information vlogs

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks Matthew

[@nelenexoxo3567]

I usually book in the Whitechapel area, cheaper and not far from the Tower bridge 😊

[@znicho]

Airbnb or hostel is the way to go

[@firstcynic92]

Don't expect your hotel to have a washer and dryer for guest use, even if a booking site says it has "laundry service". That usually means it will send your laundry to be dry cleaned at great expense. There are laundromats (aka laundrette) around the city. You'll need 1£ coins to use them.

[@loveandlondon]

Laundromats are pretty rare though!

[@calandrasheen5599]

The Ace in Shoreditch is awesome. Uber was perfect

[@flower9636]

Hello calandra....can I talk to u via watsapp coz I need to travel there

[@flower9636]

Need help plz

[@bethpanfile3341]

Jess, loving all your videos!! Thank u for all the great advice! I’m visiting London this July-looking to rent an apartment, but soooo many don’t have AC! I’m baffled. LOL (I’m roasting on the east coast in USA in July w/o AC! Haha!) Am I going to need AC in July in London?? I have a bigger choice of places if I don’t need it, but I don’t want to be miserable! Help! 😃

[@loveandlondon]

Hi Beth, summers don't get as hot here. Most apartments don't have AC because it's usually only needed 2 weeks a year. I can't say whether the time you visit or not will be one of those weeks :) If you're worried about the heat then I would stick with a hotel with AC.

[@bethpanfile3341]

Thanks, Jess!! I’m hoping I don’t hit a heat wave when I’m in London! Haha! I turned my sister onto your videos and she loves them, too!! Thanks for all your advice!

[@capurnikagalbert9733]

What is a tube line?

[@AnkitYadav-lj2rw]

i am coming for london

[@Pablo260492]

London 😍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@surianilisa3624]

any tips for family of 4

[@Mirza247]

You’re so cool

[@shotleylad]

I always use Travelodge when saying in London cheap and clean.

[@jas88cam]

I had a good stay in a new Travelodge near King’s Cross last July - Farringdon I think? Better than the older one a little closer that I’d stayed in before. Staying in a Crowne Plaza in the same area next month - same reason in fact, catching a Eurotunnel train the next morning, but this time it’s our honeymoon so I went for a slightly pricier hotel!

[@duckfan2448]

Did you shoot this video near Royal Albert Hall? The best hotel is one near a tube station and a great pub. I stayed at the Best Western Victoria Palace. Not anything fancy but don't need anything super fancy because I didn't spend much time in it.

[@loveandlondon]

That's the Royal Albert Hall behind me.

[@duckfan2448]

@@loveandlondon I thought that looked awfully familiar. Keep up the awesome vids

[@Scrottobaggns]

So I purchased a Big Bus Tour pass for 3 days, then I didn't realize they only ran for 8 hours out of the day. 08:30am - 4:30pm. Do i just grab another travel pass for regular buses for any travelling after those hours? I'm hoping most of my sight seeing will be done during those Big Bus hours. But i do want to get out at night sometimes and do some night photography, at places like the Shard and maybe along the river etc. I booked my hotel at the Plaza on the River. Hopefully it's nice :)

[@loveandlondon]

Just use an Oyster card :)

[@Scrottobaggns]

@@loveandlondon Thanks for the speedy reply. I will look into that :)

[@virgilhockersmith245]

Will be in London in May. Have Marriott points. Which is best choice? Thanks

[@loveandlondon]

Hi Virgil, completely depends on your needs, travel dates, amount of points you have, etc. Happy to help you out with your situation via a London Trip Planning Call: loveandlondon.com/london-trip-planning-consultations/

[@user-xb4ul8co9h]

like !!

[@LauraNap]

I’m curious to know how late the black cabs operate. Is it 24/7?

[@loveandlondon]

Yup!

[@mbradythomas]

Any suggestions for a service apartment for 2 people (no kids) for 3 months over the summer?

[@loveandlondon]

Hi Marilyn, afraid I can't help with stays for that long that aren't for people living here, sorry!

[@titheekshag8561]

Can you suggest currently some options that are cheap for family at the outskirts of london?

[@loveandlondon]

All of our accommodation recommendations are in this section of our site: loveandlondon.com/category/london-accommodations/

[@nickwalter9630]

Hey Jess. Out of curiosity...do you get paid for dropping any hotel groups?

[@loveandlondon]

Anytime that something is sponsored (which, sadly, is extremely rarely) it's very clearly marked across the video and in the video description. Any time that a link is an affiliate link, it's also very clearly marked.

[@YusufChittorwala]

can you please recommend any economical stay near Northolt, London ?

[@loveandlondon]

All of my accommodation advice can be found in this part of my website: loveandlondon.com/category/london-accommodations/

[@evancortez2]

by the way, is the Royal Albert Hall behind you?

[@loveandlondon]

It is

[@tiawatts9198]

What are your thoughts on airbnb and hostels?

[@loveandlondon]

Go for it

[@jesusisking5952]

Hi there...can you recommend me a cheap hotel next to the eurostar station for 2 adults and 1 child? We are going to Disneyland Paris in September. Thanks 😊

[@loveandlondon]

We don't offer a hotel recommendation service at the moment but have a look at our fave hotels: loveandlondon.com/category/london-accommodations/

[@asirnewaz212]

Will it be a problem if I get a room directly from the hotel counter after arriving in London?

[@loveandlondon]

If they have availability, nope.

[@_ancient_nomad]

Love from India

[@JoseRodriguez-dg9hw]

I am traveling in June 2023 to London. Which would you recommend? The Hard Rock Hotel or the Park Plaza Victoria London?

[@loveandlondon]

Meh.... I think you should have a look at our hotel reccs in this part of our site: loveandlondon.com/category/london-accommodations/

[@effie-montreal]

Hi Jess we watched a lot of your video they are great....But we have decided to postpone United Kingdom trip and go to Asia instead for now way too expensive for us

[@loveandlondon]

Yeah London is wayyyyy more than many parts of Asia... can't really compare

[@effie-montreal]

@@loveandlondon I understand but it is what we can afford.....I really wanted to visit UK

[@loveandlondon]

Nothing wrong with Asia! I'm saying it's a much better place to go if you're on a budget :)

[@Lovely.Rodriguez]

What hotel with a nice view at night not so expensive do you recommend?

[@loveandlondon]

Views are expensive in London! Here are all of my recommendations for London hotels and aparthotels: loveandlondon.com/category/london-accommodations/

[@fx7540]

Jess, how is the street at 0:34 called????

[@alharzm]

Most probably it is Cromwell Pl, Kensington where is The Pelham 5 star boutique hotel is.

[@pintpullinggeek]

It is fairly typical of the types of houses found north and south of Hyde Park in the small squares often just off the main through roads. Unfortunately London is a real mix of styles so you get lots of small areas that look like other areas.

[@gaetanomaximus8650]

Jess, if you happen to read this, could you do a video on Christmas and New Year's in London? If so, thanks!!

[@loveandlondon]

We already have them :) We also have articles on our site for that stuff, with more on the way!

[@johnjanevlog6209]

Hi, Jess. My hubby and I are budget travellers. This is our 1st time in London. Pls advise us to which area should we look for accommodation. We are going there mid May 2023. Ur helps really appreciated and tqvm.

[@loveandlondon]

Hi! All our accommodation recommendations and info can be found on our website: loveandlondon.com/category/london-accommodations/

[@johnjanevlog6209]

@@loveandlondon ok tqvm

[@rose1226]

I just realized how much my school has to pay to take 15 kids from 7th and 8th grade to go to London....

[@deltaforce6288]

Airbnb all day long

[@keshittrivedi5723]

delta force hey