Great Britain: Accommodations Listings
Included in this section:
58. London: A Warm Look at a Cold City
59. Bath: England at Its Elegant and Frivolous Best
60. York: Vikings, Bygone Lifestyles, and England's Top Church
61. Blackpool: Britain's Coney Island
62. The Cotswold Villages: Inventors of Quaint
63. Mysterious Britain (Dartmoor)
58. London: A Warm Look at a Cold City
Sleeping in London
(£1 = about $1.60, country code: 44)
London is perhaps Europe's most expensive city for rooms. Cheaper rooms are relatively dumpy. Don't expect £130 cheeriness in a £80 room. For £70, you'll get a double with breakfast in a safe, cramped, and dreary place with minimal service and the bathroom down the hall. For £90, you'll get a basic, clean, reasonably cheery double in a usually cramped, cracked-plaster building with a private bath, or a soulless but comfortable room without breakfast in a huge Motel 6–type place. My London splurges, at £150–260, are spacious, thoughtfully appointed places good for entertaining or romancing. Off-season, it's possible to save money by arriving late without a reservation and looking around. Competition softens prices, especially for multi-night stays. Check hotel websites for special deals. All of Britain's accommodations are now non-smoking.
Hearty English or generous buffet breakfasts are included unless otherwise noted, and TVs are standard in rooms, but may come with only the traditional five British channels (no cable).
Sleeping in Victoria Station Neighborhood, Belgravia
The streets behind Victoria Station teem with budget B&Bs. It's a safe, surprisingly tidy, and decent area without a hint of the trashy, touristy glitz of the streets in front of the station. West of the tracks is Belgravia, where the prices are a bit higher and your neighbors include Andrew Lloyd Webber and Margaret Thatcher (her policeman stands outside 73 Chester Square). Decent eateries abound.
Cartref House B&B offers rare charm on Ebury Street, with 10 delightful rooms and a warm welcome (Sb-£70, Db-£95, Tb-£126, Qb-£155, fans, free Wi-Fi, 129 Ebury Street, tel. 020/7730-6176, www.cartrefhouse.co.uk, info@cartrefhouse.co.uk).
Morgan House rents 11 good rooms and is entertainingly run, with lots of travel tips and friendly chat from owner Rachel Joplin and manager Fernanda her staff, Danilo and (S-£52, D-£72, Db-£92, T-£92, family suites-£112–132 for 3–4 people, 120 Ebury Street, tel. 020/7730-2384, fax 020/7730-8442, www.morganhouse.co.uk, morganhouse@btclick.com).
Lime Tree Hotel, enthusiastically run by Charlotte and Matt, comes with 28 spacious and thoughtfully decorated rooms and a fun-loving breakfast room (Sb-£80–85, Db-£110–140, Tb-£145–175, family room-£165–190, , £5 Internet access — but free for those with Rick Steves' guides, Wi-Fi, quiet garden, David deals in slow times and is creative at helping travelers in a bind, 135 Ebury Street, tel. 020/7730-8191, fax 020/7730-7865, www.limetreehotel.co.uk, info@limetreehotel.co.uk, trusty Alan covers the night shift).
Elizabeth Hotel is a stately old place overlooking Eccleston Square, with fine public spaces and 37 well-worn, slightly overpriced rooms (Sb-£99, D-£99, small Db-£119, big Db-£129, Tb-£149, Qb-£159, Quint/b-£169, air-con-£9, Wi-Fi, 37 Eccleston Square, tel. 020/7828-6812, fax 020/7828-6814, www.elizabethhotel.com, info@elizabethhotel.com). The Elizabeth also rents apartments sleeping up to six (£259/night).
Best Budget Options in the Victoria Station Neighborhood
Cherry Court Hotel, run by the friendly and industrious Patel family, rents 12 very small, basic, incense-scented rooms in a central location (Sb-£48, Db-£55, Tb-£80, Qb-£95, Quint/b-£110, these prices promised with current edition of Rick Steves book through 2010, 5 percent fee to pay with credit card, fruit-basket breakfast in room, air-con, laundry, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, peaceful garden patio, 23 Hugh Street, tel. 020/7828-2840, fax 020/7828-0393, www.cherrycourthotel.co.uk, bookings@cherrycourthotel.co.uk).
Jubilee Hotel is a well-run slumber mill with 24 tiny rooms and many tiny beds. It's a bit musty and its windows only open a few inches, but the price is right (S-£39, Sb-£59, tiny D-£59, tiny Db-£65, Db-£69, Tb-£89, Qb-£105, ask for the 5 percent Rick Steves discount when booking, pay Internet access and Wi-Fi, 31 Eccleston Square, tel. 020/7834-0845, www.jubileehotel.co.uk, stay@jubileehotel.co.uk, Bob Patel).
Bakers Hotel is a well-worn cheapie, with 10 tight rooms, but it's well-located and offers youth hostel prices and a small breakfast (S-£30–35, D-£50–55, Db-£60–65, T-£60–65, Tb-£70–75, family room-£70–75, 126 Warwick Way, tel. 020/7834-0729, www.bakershotel.co.uk, reservations@bakershotel.co.uk, Amin Jamani).
Big, Cheap, Modern Hotels
These places are well-run and offer elevators and all the modern comforts in a no-nonsense package. The doubles for £75–100 are a great value for London. Mid-week prices are generally higher than weekend rates.
Jurys Inn Islington rents 200 compact, comfy rooms near King's Cross station (Db/Tb-£89–139, some discounted rooms available online, 2 adults and 2 kids under age 12 can share one room, 60 Pentonville Road, Tube: Angel, tel. 020/7282-5500, fax 020/7282-5511, www.jurysinns.com).
Premier Inn London County Hall, literally down the hall from a $400-a-night Marriott Hotel, fills one end of London's massive former County Hall building. This family-friendly place is wonderfully located near the base of the London Eye and across the Thames from Big Ben. Its 313 efficient rooms come with all the necessary comforts (Db-£109–119 for 2 adults and up to 2 kids under age 16, book in advance, no-show rooms released at 15:00, some easy-access rooms, 500 yards from Westminster Tube stop and Waterloo Station, Belvedere Road, central reservations toll tel. 0870-242-8000, reception desk toll tel. 0870-238-3300, easiest to book online at www.premierinn.com).
Other Premier Travel Inns charging £90–115 per room include London Euston (big, blue, Lego-type building packed with vacationing families, on handy but noisy street at corner of Euston Road and Dukes Road, Tube: Euston, toll tel. 0870-238-3301), London Kensington Earl's Court (11 Knaresborough Place, Tube: Earl's Court or Gloucester Road, toll tel. 0870-238-3304), and London Putney Bridge (£79–89, farther out, 3 Putney Bridge Approach, Tube: Putney Bridge, toll tel. 0870-238-3302). Avoid the Tower Bridge location, which is an inconvenient, 15-minute walk from the nearest Tube stop. For any of these, call 0870-242-8000 or — the best option — book online at www.premierinn.com.
Hotel Ibis London Euston St. Pancras, which feels a bit classier than a Premier Inn, rents 380 rooms on a quiet street a block behind and west of Euston Station (Db-£90–115, up to £150 during special events, no family rooms, 3 Cardington Street, tel. 020/7388-7777 or 020/7304-7712, fax 020/7388-0001, www.ibishotel.com, h0921@accor-hotels.com).
59. Bath: England at Its Elegant and Frivolous Best
Sleeping in Bath
(£1 = about $1.60, country code: 44, area code: 01225)
Bath is a busy tourist town. Accommodations are expensive, and low-cost alternatives are rare. By far the best budget option is the YMCA — it's central, safe, simple, very well-run, and has plenty of twin rooms available. To get a good B&B, make a telephone reservation in advance. Competition is stiff, and it's worth asking any of these places for a weekday, three-nights-in-a-row, or off-season deal. Friday and Saturday nights are tightest (with many rates going up by about 25 percent) — especially if you're staying only one night, since B&Bs favor those lingering longer. If staying only Saturday night, you're very bad news to a B&B hostess. If you're driving to Bath, stowing your car near the center will cost you (though some less-central B&Bs have parking) — ask your hotelier. Almost every place provides Wi-Fi at no charge to its guests.
Sleeping in B&Bs near the Royal Crescent
Brocks Guest House has six rooms in a Georgian townhouse built by John Wood in 1765. Located between the prestigious Royal Crescent and the courtly Circus, it was redone in a way that would make the great architect proud (Db-£79–87, Tb-£99, Qb-£115, prices go up about 10 percent Fri–Sat, Wi-Fi, little top-floor library, 32 Brock Street, tel. 01225/338-374, fax 01225/334-245, www.brocksguesthouse.co.uk, brocks@brocksguesthouse.co.uk, run by Sammy and her husband Richard).
Parkside Guest House has five thoughtfully appointed Edwardian rooms — tidy, clean, and homey, with nary a doily in sight — and a spacious back garden (Db-£77, this price is for Rick Steves readers, 11 Marlborough Lane, tel. & fax 01225/429-444, www.parksidebandb.co.uk, post@parksidebandb.co.uk, Erica and Inge Lynall).
Hotels in the Center
Harington's Hotel rents 13 fresh, modern, and newly refurbished rooms on a quiet street in the town center. This stylish place feels like a boutique hotel, but with a friendlier, laid-back vibe (Sb-£79–130, standard Db-£88–130, superior Db-£98–140, large superior Db-£108–150, Tb-£138–180, prices vary substantially depending on demand, Wi-Fi, attached restaurant-bar open all day, 10 Queen Street, tel. 01225/461-728, fax 01225/444-804, www.haringtonshotel.co.uk, post@haringtonshotel.co.uk). Melissa and Peter offer a 5 percent discount with the current edition of a Rick Steves book for three-night stays except on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays. They also rent several self-catering apartments down the street that can sleep up to three (Db-£130, Tb-£150, much pricier on weekends, includes continental breakfast in the hotel, 2-night minimum), and one apartment with hot tub that sleeps up to eight.
Pratt's Hotel is as proper and olde English as you'll find in Bath. Its creaks and frays are aristocratic. Even its public places make you want to sip a brandy, and its 46 rooms are bright and spacious. Since it's in the city center, occasionally it can get noisy — request a quiet room, away from the street (Sb-£90, Db-£90–140, check website for specials, drop-ins after 16:00 may get a better rate if room available, dogs-£7.50 but children under 15 free with 2 adults, attached restaurant-bar, elevator, 4 blocks from station on South Parade, tel. 01225/460-441, fax 01225/448-807, www.forestdale.com, pratts@forestdale.com).
Henry Guest House is a simple, vertical place, renting eight clean rooms. It's friendly, well-run, and just two blocks in front of the train station (S-£40–45, Sb-£55–65, Db-£85–105, extra bed-£15, family room-£135, 2-night minimum on weekends, Wi-Fi, 6 Henry Street, tel. 01225/424-052, www.thehenry.com, stay@thehenry.com). Steve and Liz also rent two self-catering apartments nearby that sleep up to eight with cots and a sleeper couch — email for group prices.
Best Budget Options in Bath
The YMCA, centrally located on a leafy square, has 200 beds in industrial-strength rooms — all with sinks and prison-style furnishings. The place is a godsend for budget travelers — safe, secure, quiet, and efficiently run. With lots of twin rooms and no double beds, this is the only easily accessible budget option in downtown Bath (S-£28, twin D-£44, T-£60, Q-£72, dorm beds-£16, £1/person more Fri–Sat, WCs and showers down the hall, includes continental breakfast, cooked breakfast-£2.20, cheap lunches, linens, lockers, Internet access and Wi-Fi, laundry facilities, down a tiny alley off Broad Street on Broad Street Place, tel. 01225/325-900, fax 01225/462-065, www.bathymca.co.uk, stay@bathymca.co.uk).
White Hart Hostel is a simple nine-room place offering adults and families good, cheap beds in two- to six-bed dorms (£15/bed, S-£25, D-£40, Db-£50–70, family rooms, kitchen, fine garden out back, 5-min walk behind train station at Widcombe — where Widcombe Hill hits Claverton Street, www.whitehartbath.co.uk).
St. Christopher's Inn, in a prime, central location, is part of a chain of low-priced, high-energy hubs for backpackers looking for beds and brews. Their beds are so cheap because they know you'll spend money on their beer (46 beds in 4- to 12-bed rooms-£15–21.50, D-£52–58, higher prices on weekends or if you don't book online, check website for specials, Internet access, laundry, lounge with video, lively "Belushi's" pub and bar downstairs, 9 Green Street, tel. 01225/481-444, www.st-christophers.co.uk).
60. York: Vikings, Bygone Lifestyles, and England's Top Church
Sleeping in York
(£1 = about $1.60, country code: 44, area code: 01904)
I've listed peak-season, book-direct prices. Don't use the TI. Outside of July and August, some prices go soft. B&Bs will often charge £10 more for weekends and sometimes turn away one-night bookings, particularly for peak-season Saturdays. (York is worth two nights anyway.) Prices spike up for horse races and bank holidays (about 20 nights a season). Remember to book ahead during festival times (mid-Feb, early June, early July, mid-Aug, and late Sept) and weekends year-round.
All these recommendations, except for the hostel, are in the handiest B&B neighborhood, a quiet residential area just outside the old town wall's Bootham gate, along the road called Bootham. All are within a 10-minute walk of the Minster and TI, and a 10-minute walk or taxi ride (£3–5) from the station. If driving, head for the cathedral and follow the medieval wall to the gate called Bootham Bar. The street called Bootham leads away from Bootham Bar.
These B&Bs are all small and family-run. They come with plenty of steep stairs (and no elevators) but no traffic noise. For a good selection, call well in advance. B&B owners will generally hold a room with a phone call and work hard to help their guests sightsee and eat smartly. Most have permits to lend for street parking.
At St. Raphael Guesthouse, young, creative, and energetic Dom and Zoe understand a traveler's needs. You'll be instant friends. Dom's graphic design training brings a dash of class to their seven comfy rooms, each themed after a different York street, and each lovingly accented with a fresh rose (Db-£76 Sun–Thu, £88 Fri–Sat, free drinks in their guests' fridge, family rooms, free Wi-Fi, 44 Queen Annes Road, tel. 01904/645-028, www.straphaelguesthouse.co.uk, info@straphaelguesthouse.co.uk).
Abbeyfields Guest House has eight comfortable, bright rooms. This doily-free place, which lacks the usual B&B clutter, has been designed with care (Sun–Thu: Sb-£45, Db-£72; Fri–Sat: Sb-£49, Db-£82; doesn't price-gouge during races, free Wi-Fi, 19 Bootham Terrace, tel. 01904/636-471, www.abbeyfields.co.uk, enquire@abbeyfields.co.uk, charming Al and Les).
The Sycamore is a fine value, with six homey rooms at the end of a quiet street opposite a fun-to-watch bowling green. A little cramped and funky, it's friendly and well-run (Db-£60–65, Tb-£90–96, Qb-£110, lower price is for weekdays, these are special prices with current edition of Rick Steves guidebook in 2010, may be cheaper off-season, free Wi-Fi, 19 Sycamore Place off Bootham Terrace, tel. 01904/624-712, www.thesycamore.co.uk, mail@thesycamore.co.uk, Elizabeth and Spiros).
The Hazelwood, my most hotelesque listing in this neighborhood, is plush and more formal than a B&B (there's always someone at reception). This spacious house has 14 beautifully decorated rooms with modern furnishings and lots of thoughtful touches (Db-£80/90/110 depending on room size, two ground-floor rooms, laundry service-£5, parking; a fridge, ice, and great travel library in the pleasant basement lounge; 24 Portland Street, tel. 01904/626-548, fax 01904/628-032, www.thehazelwoodyork.com, reservations@thehazelwoodyork.com, Ian and Carolyn). Ask about their bright top-floor two-bedroom apartment, great for families and those with strong legs (continental breakfast only).
Best Budget Option in York
Ace Budget Hotel York is a newly renovated hostel providing a much-needed option for backpackers. They rent 130 beds in two- to 14-bed rooms, most with great views and all with private bathrooms and thoughtful touches such as reading lights for each bed. They also offer fancier, hotel-quality doubles (£19–30/bed depending on size of dorm, Db-£105, family room, laundry-£3, pay Internet access and Wi-Fi, TV lounge, bar, lockers, 10 minutes' walk from the train station at 88 Mickelgate, tel. 01904/627-720, www.ace-hotelyork.co.uk, reception@ace-hotelyork.co.uk).
61: Blackpool: Britain's Coney Island
Sleeping in Blackpool
(£1 = about $1.60, country code: 44, area code: 01253)
Blackpool's 140,000 people provide 120,000 beds in 3,500 mostly dumpy, cheap, nondescript hotels and B&Bs. Remember, this town's in the business of accommodating the people who can't afford to go to Spain. Most have the same design — minimal character, maximum number of springy beds — and charge £15–25 per person. Empty beds abound except from September through early November, and on summer weekends. It's only really tight on Illuminations weekends (when everyone bumps up prices). I've listed regular high-season prices. With the huge number of hotels in town, prices get really soft in the off-season. There's likely a launderette within a five-minute walk of your hotel; ask your host or hostess.
Beechcliffe Private Hotel has seven clean rooms run by a friendly young couple, Ken and Carol Selman. It's located near the waterfront in the quiet area they call "the posh end," a mile or two north of Blackpool Tower, with easy parking and easy access to the center by tram or bus. The rooms are tight, but this place has a homey touch (Sb-£23–25, Db-£46–50, kids half-price, home-cooked dinner-£8, tram stop: Uncle Tom's Cabin; turn left from tram stop, then right at Shaftesbury Avenue, and walk a block away from beach; 16 Shaftesbury Avenue, North Shore, tel. 01253/353-075, www.beechcliffe.co.uk, info@beechcliffe.co.uk). Ken offers transfers to or from the train station for no charge.
Best Budget Option in Blackpool
Valentine Private Hotel is a handy and adequate 13-room place. It's run with care by on-site owner Anthony and manager Steve, with a plush red bar/sitting room and comfortable rooms. It's just two blocks from the train station and one block from the Funny Girls bar, in a neighborhood that's not exactly upscale, but safe and convenient (Sb-£30, Db-£50–60 depending on room, bunk-bed family deals — kids half-price, free Wi-Fi; 2 blocks from station: with back to tracks, exit station far right, go up Springfield 2 blocks to Dickson and turn right, 35 Dickson Road; tel. 01253/622-775, www.valentinehotelblackpool.co.uk, anthony@anthonypalmer.orangehome.co.uk).
62. The Cotswold Villages: Inventors of Quaint
Sleeping in the Cotswolds, England
(£1 = about $1.60, country code: 44)
Chipping Campden and Stow-on-the-Wold are quaint without being overrun, and both have good accommodations. Stow has a bit more character for an overnight stay, and offers the widest range of choices. The plain town of Moreton-in-Marsh is the only one of the three with a train station. With a car, consider really getting away from it all by staying in one of the smaller villages.
Sleeping in Chipping Campden (area code: 01386)
Sandalwood House B&B is a big, comfy home with a pink flowery lounge and a sprawling back garden. Just a five-minute walk from the center of town, it's in a quiet, woodsy, pastoral setting. Its two cheery, pastel rooms are bright and spacious (D/Db-£70–75, T-£90, cheaper if you order a light breakfast instead of full, self-catering apartment sleeps four-£400–500/week, cash only, no kids under age 10, free Wi-Fi, off-street parking, friendly Bobby the cat, tel. & fax 01386/840-091 — preferred method of booking, Diana Bendall). To get to Sandalwood House, go west on High Street, and at the church and the Volunteer Inn, turn right and then right again; look for a sign in the hedge on the left, and head up the long driveway.
The Old Bakehouse rents five small but pleasant rooms in a 600-year-old home with a plush fireplace lounge. Hardworking Sarah lives just up the road — phone ahead with an arrival time, or call her mobile phone if she's not there when you arrive (Sb-£45, Db-£70, family deals, £5 off for 2 or more nights, cash only, free Wi-Fi, fun attic room that sleeps up to 5 has beams running through it, Lower High Street, tel. & fax 01386/840-979, mobile 07702-359-530, www.chippingcampden-cotswolds.co.uk, oldbakehouse@chippingcampden-cotswolds.co.uk).
Sleeping in Stow-on-the-Wold (area code: 01451)
Stow Lodge Hotel fills the historic church rectory with lots of old English charm. Facing the town square, with its own sprawling and peaceful garden, this lavish old place offers 21 large, thoughtfully appointed rooms with soft beds, stately public spaces, and a cushy-chair lounge (Db-£85–145 depending on season, closed Jan, pay Internet access and free Wi-Fi, off-street parking, The Square, tel. 01451/830-485, fax 01451/831-671, www.stowlodge.com, enquiries@stowlodge.com, helpful Hartley family).
The Old Stocks Hotel, facing the town square, is a good value, even though the building itself is classier than its 18 big, simply furnished rooms. It's friendly and family-run, yet professional as can be. Beware the man-killer beams (Sb-£45–55, standard Db-£90, refurbished "superior" Db-£110, Tb-£120, family deals, ground-floor rooms, attached bar and restaurant, garden patio, off-street parking, The Square, tel. 01451/830-666, fax 01451/870-014 www.oldstockshotel.co.uk, info@oldstockshotel.co.uk).
Best Budget Options in Stow-on-the-Wold
West Deyne B&B has two grandmotherly rooms, a garden, a fountain, and a small conservatory overlooking the countryside (D-£50–60, T-£85, cash only, Lower Swell Road, tel. 01451/831-011, run by Joan Cave).
The Stow-on-the-Wold Youth Hostel, on Stow's main square, is the only hostel in the Cotswolds, with 48 beds in nine rooms. It has a friendly atmosphere, good hot meals, and a members' kitchen (dorm bed-£18, non-members-£3 extra, includes sheets, some family rooms with private bathrooms, evening meals, reception closed 10:00–17:00, Internet-£1/15 min, lockers, reserve long in advance, tel. 01451/830-497, fax 01451/870-102, www.yha.org.uk, stow@yha.org.uk, manager Rob). Anyone can eat here: Breakfast is £4.65, and dinner is £9.25.
Sleeping in Moreton-in-Marsh (area code: 01608)
Treetops B&B is plush, with seven spacious, attractive rooms, a sun lounge, and a three-quarter-acre backyard. Liz and Ben (the family dog) will make you feel right at home — if you meet their two-night minimum (large Db-£65, gigantic Db-£70, ground-floor rooms have patios, free Wi-Fi, set far back from the busy road, London Road, tel. & fax 01608/651-036, www.treetopscotswolds.co.uk, treetops1@talk21.com, Liz and Brian Dean). It's an eight-minute walk from town and the railway station (exit station, keep left, go left on bridge over train tracks, look for sign, then long driveway).
63. Mysterious Britain
Sleeping in Dartmoor (in and Near Chagford)
(£1 = about $1.60, country code: 44)
Easton Court offers five bright, flowery rooms overlooking the gardens where Brideshead Revisited was written (decorated with a faux stone circle to ponder). A bit less "colorful" than the other accommodations here (in a good way), it feels like the ideal thatched-roof English guest house (classic Db-£65–70, superior Db-£75–80, Sb for £15 less, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, parking, tel. 01647/433-469, www.easton.co.uk, stay@easton.co.uk, Debra and Paul). It's at the crossroads called Easton, just east of Chagford, right on A382.
St. Johns West is a good-value B&B renting three quiet rooms in a spacious stone farmhouse dating from 1833, and includes a giant yard and gorgeous views over the moors. Colorful, chatty, well-traveled Maureen and John West used to be entertainers on the QEII — and they still love to entertain their guests while they cook up breakfast. Maureen's giant personality is as memorable as her hospitality and good cooking (Sb-£35, Db-£70, cash only, off-road parking, tel. 01647/432-468, http://stjohnswest.cjb.net, johnwwest@btinternet.com). It's a mile and a half northwest of Chagford, above the village of Murchington.
Updated for 2009. For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' Great Britain, Rick Steves' England, and Rick Steves' London guidebooks.