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Spin-off thread : where to stay in London / Paris ?
Posted on 4/12/22 at 8:17 pm
Posted on 4/12/22 at 8:17 pm
Heading to London for New Years and will have 4 days there and will finish with 4 days in Paris. Never been to either. What areas would be best for a first time tourist to stay. ? T.I.A.
9
Posted on 4/12/22 at 8:35 pm to jkylejohnson
Hard to say.
I stayed in Covent Garden and Republique my first time in each city and loved it. Both locations I was told not to stay there by this board and also told that’s it’s a great place to stay.
Both cities are epic and generally safe. If you stay near the city center and find a hotel near the tube/metro station, you will be fine.
Work within your budget and pay attention to the hotel chains you are loyal to.
My advice is always this, identify the reasons you are traveling to that city and stay near that area.
I stayed in Covent Garden and Republique my first time in each city and loved it. Both locations I was told not to stay there by this board and also told that’s it’s a great place to stay.
Both cities are epic and generally safe. If you stay near the city center and find a hotel near the tube/metro station, you will be fine.
Work within your budget and pay attention to the hotel chains you are loyal to.
My advice is always this, identify the reasons you are traveling to that city and stay near that area.
Posted on 4/12/22 at 8:47 pm to kciDAtaE
quote:
identify the reasons you are traveling to that city and stay near that area.
Good advice. Much appreciated.
quote:
Chains you are loyal to.
This is where I’m kinda stumped. Debating whether to play it safe and go with a household name or try something unique to the area for a different experience. I’m sure online reviews are key. I see the rooms run super small in both cities for the most part.
Thanks again
Posted on 4/12/22 at 8:48 pm to jkylejohnson
I’ve never been to Paris, but in London my favorite area is Hyde Park. Depending on budget, I like the JW Grosvenor House. St. Ermin’s in Westminster is also a good spot and a little closer for waking to some of the main attractions. But the cabs in London are awesome and make it easy to get around.
Posted on 4/12/22 at 9:03 pm to jkylejohnson
Yes, rooms are much smaller in Europe than the states.
If you don’t have status with a major chain, I’d definitely look at the smaller hotels in Europe as they often have the experience Americans are looking for. It’s more authentic
If you avoid the major chains, things to look for - a/c and elevator. Many hotels in Europe don’t have elevators and you may request the 5th floor balcony until you have to carry bags 5 flights. And A/C can be a major point depending your time of year.
Also research breakfast. A good way to save money on a Vacation is if they provide a free meal each day.
If you don’t have status with a major chain, I’d definitely look at the smaller hotels in Europe as they often have the experience Americans are looking for. It’s more authentic
If you avoid the major chains, things to look for - a/c and elevator. Many hotels in Europe don’t have elevators and you may request the 5th floor balcony until you have to carry bags 5 flights. And A/C can be a major point depending your time of year.
Also research breakfast. A good way to save money on a Vacation is if they provide a free meal each day.
Posted on 4/13/22 at 5:53 am to jkylejohnson
In London, I like The Bloomsbury. Near Covent Garden, British Museum, and the theater district, and a one minute walk to the entrance of Tottenham Court Road tube station, which is a central point on the tube system. It's affordable for the area. Staff is great, and other guests are a mix of tourists and business folks. I sat down in the lobby for coffee and overheard of a couple of Louisiana lawyers talking shop. Small world.
It has an elevator, US style power plugs, USB outlets, wifi, and decent size rooms. It caters to a lot of Americans.
It has an elevator, US style power plugs, USB outlets, wifi, and decent size rooms. It caters to a lot of Americans.
This post was edited on 4/13/22 at 5:55 am
Posted on 4/13/22 at 6:07 am to jkylejohnson
London I like the Savoy. Not just because it’s a great hotel but because of its location. Steps from Covent Garden, White Marble Lane, Buckingham Palace all reachable by a short walk. Easy access to Underground stations. Stayed at the Rubens once as well but didn’t love it.
Paris stayed in the Marais at an AirBnB in the Place des Vosges. Same thing, great location and a cool area.
Paris stayed in the Marais at an AirBnB in the Place des Vosges. Same thing, great location and a cool area.
Posted on 4/13/22 at 8:52 am to jkylejohnson
quote:
Heading to London for New Years and will have 4 days there and will finish with 4 days in Paris. Never been to either. What areas would be best for a first time tourist to stay. ? T.I.A.
We stayed in Westminster. St. Ermins Hotel.
St. Ermins Hotel, Marriot Property
Walking distance to Buckingham Palace, 1/2 block to the tube and very close to shopping/dining. We had our children with us so nightlife was not on our menu.
This post was edited on 4/13/22 at 8:54 am
Posted on 4/13/22 at 9:10 am to jkylejohnson
I usually stay near Paddington Station or St. Pancras. If you land at Heathrow (you probably will) you will take the HEX downtown to Paddington. Either the Hilton or Dolphin are very close to Paddington so there is little baggage dragging involved. The London tube is very useful to get anywhere you need to go from there. St. Pancras is not far, either, and that's where Eurostar leaves for Paris.
Im not an expert on Paris, been there a few times. I usually stay at the Holiday Inn near Gare Est as it's an overnight layover between London and Germany. Gare Est and Gare Nord are five minutes walk apart and there is lots of good family restaurants with middle eastern and far eastern food if you want a quick bite.
Im not an expert on Paris, been there a few times. I usually stay at the Holiday Inn near Gare Est as it's an overnight layover between London and Germany. Gare Est and Gare Nord are five minutes walk apart and there is lots of good family restaurants with middle eastern and far eastern food if you want a quick bite.
Posted on 4/13/22 at 9:14 am to tadman
Looking at the Resident Victoria off palace right beside buckingham palace close to Hyde park. Rated 9.1 Priceline /4.7 Expedia/ 4.6 google. . 200 sq ft and king bed for 198$ night. Most hotels in that area with decent reviews are fetching 300-600$ a night.
Posted on 4/13/22 at 11:01 am to jkylejohnson
In London, I'm partial to Southwark, mainly bc I prefer a more "local" feel. It's not a fancy area, though full of interesting stuff like Borough Market, the Bermondsey St area, Ropewalk Market, etc, and is well served by transit (London Bridge station, close to Blackfriars/Thameslink train station).
In Paris, I like the 6th, and the northern Marais, and areas around the Canal St Martin. Though I did stay on the edge of Sentier near the rue Montorgueil one year and adored having all of its shops & cafes so close by.
In Paris, I like the 6th, and the northern Marais, and areas around the Canal St Martin. Though I did stay on the edge of Sentier near the rue Montorgueil one year and adored having all of its shops & cafes so close by.
Posted on 4/13/22 at 3:42 pm to jkylejohnson
I'd do some research on that one and really dig on ratings. That's cheap for sure. It's a great location, you can walk to a lot of cool stuff. Have a lunch at the Windmill for sure.
Posted on 4/13/22 at 4:12 pm to jkylejohnson
We stayed in Soho in London and Saint Germain- Paris on our last trip. Lots of places in walking distance. Also, easy access to transit. Find what’s close to your interest and pick.
Posted on 4/13/22 at 4:26 pm to Gilly
I appreciate the replies . The Mayfair/soho/ westminister area looks pretty nice.
Posted on 4/13/22 at 7:44 pm to jkylejohnson
While there are chain hotels in Europe, for the most part, there are lots of independent hotels. Which is great — avoid those cookie cutter American style hotels.
For a classic English hotel, I love the Savoy - although it is pretty darn expensive. Coventry Garden is a cool area.
Our go to is the Soho Hotel. The Soho area is pretty skeevy in a good way. Lots of restaurants, pubs and character. The best people watching in London.
A great less expensive alternative to the Soho Hotel is the Soho Nadler. They rebranded as the Residence a couple years ago. Small rooms and basic, but a superb value for that part of London. No big breakfast but there is a Pret around the corner.
For a classic English hotel, I love the Savoy - although it is pretty darn expensive. Coventry Garden is a cool area.
Our go to is the Soho Hotel. The Soho area is pretty skeevy in a good way. Lots of restaurants, pubs and character. The best people watching in London.
A great less expensive alternative to the Soho Hotel is the Soho Nadler. They rebranded as the Residence a couple years ago. Small rooms and basic, but a superb value for that part of London. No big breakfast but there is a Pret around the corner.
Posted on 4/14/22 at 9:53 am to SpringBokCock
Thanks for the helpful replies. Ended up going with these two. So far for round trip triangle flights (for 2)+ hotels I’m into it for 3200$ Resident Victoria Hotel in London and Hotel and Spa De Latour Maubourg in Paris. 4 nights each . I don’t think that’s too bad.
This post was edited on 4/14/22 at 9:56 am
Posted on 4/14/22 at 11:01 am to jkylejohnson
Sitting pretty in both cases.
Make sure to go to Dishoom and Ottolenghi in London.
And da Rosa in paris for snacks and such.
I mean plenty of other places to eat but those are really worth a visit.
Make sure to go to Dishoom and Ottolenghi in London.
And da Rosa in paris for snacks and such.
I mean plenty of other places to eat but those are really worth a visit.
Posted on 4/14/22 at 3:14 pm to jkylejohnson
My wife and I just got back earlier this week from a similar trip. We did Liverpool, London, Paris, and Epernay.
We were on a budget compared to some of the hotels listed in this thread. In each city we tried to stay around $200/night. There are plenty of options that are well reviewed around that range.
In London, we stayed at the Resident Victoria which allowed us easy access to a lot of cool areas. We had never been so we wanted to hit a lot of the popular spots. That location allowed us to walk to Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Natural History Museum, & Hyde Park. We also walked to a show at Piccadilly Theatre & a few of the food halls around the area. Recommend Kricket in Soho for Indian Food. I saw Dishoom mentioned earlier, which I am sure is good, as the line to get in was around the block when we walked by it
We also liked the Seven Dials Food Hall.
In Paris, we stayed at the Hotel Opera Maintenon. Again for this price range we were able to walk pretty much everywhere we wanted to go. We were able to walk to the Louvre, d'orsay, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, and Sacre Coeur. Also visited Versailles which is easy to get to if you are willing to navigate the train system. A dinner that I would recommend is on the Don Juan II. You cruise down the river while enjoying a Michelin star tasting menu. We also ate at Georges (Recommended to us), which had a great view. What we probably enjoyed the most though was finding random cafes and popping in for a glass of wine.
Travel was easy both places. We used the train system each time we moved on to a different city. Also, uber was reliable anytime we had to go somewhere that was farther than a walk. Cabs are plentiful at the airports and train stations. The most stressful part was probably the covid test we had to take the day of our flight back to the states
Enjoy your trip!
We were on a budget compared to some of the hotels listed in this thread. In each city we tried to stay around $200/night. There are plenty of options that are well reviewed around that range.
In London, we stayed at the Resident Victoria which allowed us easy access to a lot of cool areas. We had never been so we wanted to hit a lot of the popular spots. That location allowed us to walk to Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Natural History Museum, & Hyde Park. We also walked to a show at Piccadilly Theatre & a few of the food halls around the area. Recommend Kricket in Soho for Indian Food. I saw Dishoom mentioned earlier, which I am sure is good, as the line to get in was around the block when we walked by it
We also liked the Seven Dials Food Hall. In Paris, we stayed at the Hotel Opera Maintenon. Again for this price range we were able to walk pretty much everywhere we wanted to go. We were able to walk to the Louvre, d'orsay, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, and Sacre Coeur. Also visited Versailles which is easy to get to if you are willing to navigate the train system. A dinner that I would recommend is on the Don Juan II. You cruise down the river while enjoying a Michelin star tasting menu. We also ate at Georges (Recommended to us), which had a great view. What we probably enjoyed the most though was finding random cafes and popping in for a glass of wine.
Travel was easy both places. We used the train system each time we moved on to a different city. Also, uber was reliable anytime we had to go somewhere that was farther than a walk. Cabs are plentiful at the airports and train stations. The most stressful part was probably the covid test we had to take the day of our flight back to the states
Enjoy your trip!
Posted on 4/14/22 at 6:34 pm to jkylejohnson
Good choices. I like both areas.
Here are some restaurant recs:
London -
Your hotel is in or near Mayfair. Scott's in Mayfair is an excellent seafood restaurant an easy walk from your hotel.
My favorite restaurant in London is Rules near Covent Garden.
Paris-
Your hotel is near rue St. Dominique. That is one of my favorite restaurant rows in Paris. It is also near rue Cler, a nice little pedestrian street with markets, shops and cafes.
There are dozens of good restaurants on or just off of rue St. Dominique. Here are a few of my favorites:
Le Violon des Ingres - Excellent upscale restaurant
Les Fables de la Fontaine (small place, very good seafood)
Le Fontaine de Mars (our go to place on Sunday nights)
Chez L'Ami Jean - Fun lively bistro a block or so off rue St. D.
Au bon Acceuil - Gourmet bistro a couple of blocks off rue St. D.
Josephine Chez Dumonet - Near the other end of rue Cler.
This will be a great trip.
Here are some restaurant recs:
London -
Your hotel is in or near Mayfair. Scott's in Mayfair is an excellent seafood restaurant an easy walk from your hotel.
My favorite restaurant in London is Rules near Covent Garden.
Paris-
Your hotel is near rue St. Dominique. That is one of my favorite restaurant rows in Paris. It is also near rue Cler, a nice little pedestrian street with markets, shops and cafes.
There are dozens of good restaurants on or just off of rue St. Dominique. Here are a few of my favorites:
Le Violon des Ingres - Excellent upscale restaurant
Les Fables de la Fontaine (small place, very good seafood)
Le Fontaine de Mars (our go to place on Sunday nights)
Chez L'Ami Jean - Fun lively bistro a block or so off rue St. D.
Au bon Acceuil - Gourmet bistro a couple of blocks off rue St. D.
Josephine Chez Dumonet - Near the other end of rue Cler.
This will be a great trip.
Posted on 4/14/22 at 8:03 pm to Joben88
quote:
Joben88
How was Resident Victoria ? Location looks to be great but wondering about the hotel itself. Appreciate the info. Sounds like you guys had an awesome time.
quote:
Geauxpurple
Thanks. I was hoping someone would drop me some more restaurant recs. This is a trip that I’ve been wanting to take for a long time. The only trip I’ve taken outside the US was to Jamaica and Mexico
Appreciate the info and recs. It’s a ways off but really looking forward to it. 
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