 Staying in London
Jazz Band, Savoy Hotel, London
H. Septimus Power
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There
is an enormous choice of accommodation for visitors to London
ranging from five star hotels to self-catering - in fact, something
to suit every taste and pocket.
Generally speaking, all accommodation
is more expensive in Central London so if price is important
to you, stay outside of this area. As long as the place
you stay has a good rail or underground service you should
be no more than 20 to 30 minutes from Central London. You
can check on the underground links by looking at the tube
map.
Wherever you decide to stay in
London, the extent of the choice can make the decision difficult,
so here is a guide to the different types on offer.
 Hotels
The standard of hotels in London, like elsewhere in the world,
can vary from the super luxurious, like the Savoy or the Dorchester,
to the more basic. For a hotel in the UK to qualify for just
one star from the Automobile
Association (AA) the staff should be polite and provide
a competent service. The majority of rooms should have en suite
facilities and there is a "designated eating area with
a reasonable choice of food and wines available".
To qualify for its highest award,
five stars, the hotel should provide impeccable services
with professional, attentive staff. All the rooms and suites
should be luxurious and the decor, furniture and furnishings
should be expensive and immaculate. The hotel restaurant should
serve superb, well-executed meals and its wine list should have
the best wines.
The AA has a list of all grades
of hotel on its site which you can search by area and price.
Bed
and Breakfast (B&B)
Bed and breakfast establishments are usually privately run,
often by husband and wife teams, and the best provide a good
personal service. Some are so good that people return year after
year.
Strictly speaking, a B&B
provides just breakfast which may be a full English breakfast
of fruit juice or cereal, eggs and bacon, often with baked beans,
sometimes it includes sausages as well. This is usually followed
by toast and jam or marmalade. There is no doubt that if you
can face it, an English breakfast sets you up for the day! Alternatively,
it may be just a Continental breakfast, consisting of croissants
if you are lucky, or bread rolls, with butter, jam and marmalade.
You will probably be offered fruit juice or cereal as well.
The AA also provides a classification
system for B&Bs. They are rated by the number of diamonds
awarded, with a range of 1-5 diamonds. Again, the AA provides
a list of these establishments in London.
Self-Catering
If you prefer self-catering there is a good choice ranging from
budget one-person apartments to luxury houses. For more information
visit Travel
Britain run by the British Tourist Authority.
Recommended
Books
The Hotel : Backstairs
at the World's Most Exclusive Hotel by Jeffrey Robinson.
Take a look behind the scenes of Claridges, one of London's
most prestigious hotels. Find
out more on Amazon.com
 
Copyright © 2001 by Carol
Fisher.
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