I'm slightly less stupid

[Martin]

I'm not splurging $1500, but I am going to London for one day in August, to see Louis CK perform. The original plan was to do a classic 24-hour blitz - get there early in the morning, spend the day at galleries, in pubs, parks and such, watch LCK in the evening, get a late meal in Chinatown, hang around in SoHo, then take an early morning flight back home. The flight is only 90 mins, and I've done that kind of trip in the past several times, but then I remembered how tiring it is, and I got this awful feeling of not being twenty years old anymore. Why not stay at a hotel? Why stress back and forth like that?

So, anyone got any hotel recos for central London? Preferrably in the SoHo/Piccadilly area, but I'm open to suggestions. I haven't stayed at a London hotel in years, see, I'm usually staying with friends, but they're all out of town.

[Forrest]

I stayed at a place called the Bonnington when I was in London in January. It's in the Holborn part of town, very convenient to everything. I remember it being slightly less than $200 a night and a lot nicer than I expected.

[Joe Rogaine]

Louis CK is always pretty good on the radio, but that whole radio show he hosted wasnt so hot.

[Laurie]

I stayed at One Aldwych last time I was in London. It's located in Covent Garden, which is an excellent location smack in the middle of London.

[Martin]

One Aldwych looks great, but holy shit is it out of my range.

Forrest, thanks - is it the one at Russell Square? I googled and got "the Park Inn, formerly The Bonnington". I actually just looked up The Russell, located at Russell Square, and it looks exactly like the kind of place I want. Perfect location too - I'm seeing Louis at the SoHo theatre, which is only a couple of blocks away.

Jckinnick: what radio show?

[chrisfoll577]

I stayed at One Aldwych last time I was in London. It's located in Covent Garden, which is an excellent location smack in the middle of London.

"One Aldwych – London's award-winning contemporary luxury hotel"

Speaking as a mere commoner, this seems a little pricey, no?

Once the dollar makes a comeback and I'm making a little more money I want to visit london for some soccer, music and history. I've had my eye on eurocheapo for some cheap if not totally dodgy hotels when that day comes.

[Forrest]

That's the one, crimestick. I think it's still popularly referred to by its former name, much like Irving Plaza in New York. You get a lot of bang for your buck there.

[KickTheBobo]

Ah...beautiful London!




...and be sure to stay for rib fest!

[yesno]

OT, but the only thing I'm willing to pay for beyond a bed and a shower, hotel-wise, is location (convenient location in/near the city I'm visiting, plus safety).  A place with nice curtains and soft pillows is nice, I guess, but I'll just always pick the cheap place.  I've stayed at nice hotels and crappy motels and I don't really see much difference worth paying for.

I am basically becoming very Dad-like.

I'm proud that on my last three cross-country road trips (Denver to DC, back to Denver, back to DC) I've timed it so that I stay at the same anonymous Motel Six in Effingham, Illinois, and eat at the same Denny's which is right next door.

ps, more road trip news, I listened to 4 straight Best Shows last Monday while driving, which has to be some kind of record.  Probably not, with you guys.

[Martin]

Thanks, Forrest - I'll look into it more closely. The Russell is still the one to beat though - their old-timey charm is hard to resist.

yesno, I'm becoming more adult-like, in the sense that I'm getting more picky and lazy with where I'm staying as I get older. Nothing unique about that, and it's obviously a money issue as well, but in the past I used to pride myself of being able to sleep basically anywhere and never complain - or, as I said in my original post, not sleep at all. And that was fine. But nowadays I try to live the Good Life whenever my modest wallet allows me, and staying at a nice hotel once in a while is so worth it. And I think this is one of those occasions.

[bobby.]

You probably aren't looking for a hostel, but I think I paid something like £12 or £13 a night for this place. Just somewhere to store stuff and sleep for a few hours, and it's bang-centre, right at the flashing adverts of Piccadilly Circus.

[Martin]

You're right, not exactly what I'm looking for, but very good for future ref.

[emma]

The Cobourg rotary club put on a classier shindig last year:



much more understated.

[yesno]

yesno, I'm becoming more adult-like, in the sense that I'm getting more picky and lazy with where I'm staying as I get older. Nothing unique about that, and it's obviously a money issue as well, but in the past I used to pride myself of being able to sleep basically anywhere and never complain - or, as I said in my original post, not sleep at all. And that was fine. But nowadays I try to live the Good Life whenever my modest wallet allows me, and staying at a nice hotel once in a while is so worth it. And I think this is one of those occasions.

The thing I notice with hotels is that once I attend to safety, location, and cleanliness, I am more or less at a nice hotel.  Cheap hotels are often cheap for a reason.

[bobby.]

I'm not splurging $1500, but I am going to London for one day in August, to see Louis CK perform.

Whoosh, he's just been announced for Dublin on July 26th, the night before the "Daniel Johnston & friends" show.....