Spending 4 nights in London, 5 nights in Paris in October. Hotels?

June 3, 2024 12:30 PM

Would love any current recommendations for hotels no more than 250-280 a night. Are we crazy to try and hit that low of a rate? We are (2 adult) traveling n00bs, so if we have to pay a bit more just for our general peace of mind, that's fine.

Priorities, in order from most important to less important:
*clean/fairly comfortable
*small is fine. that seems to be normal.
*proximity to public transportation
*close proximity to the general touristy stuff or position relative to several touristy things
*general ambiance - still fairly important, in that I would not want a room without a window, or in a terrible area

My dream hotel would have a window onto a lovely street, a comfy bed, a bathroom with a door, and right by a tube/subway stop. we do not care about things like hotel restaurant or breakfast.

We are doing the general touristy things one does when they first go to these cities, with a special focus on good food/drink.

Thank you! I've been researching a lot on the ol' askmifi for suggestions on tours, walks, etc. and it's been so valuable.

posted by fillsthepews to Travel & Transportation (14 answers total)

In London, I recommend the London House Hotel, which should hit about your range in October, I believe. You can request a garden suite that overlooks Kensington Garden Square and checks all your other boxes, PLUS has a small fridge. It's super close to multiple tube lines (Bayswater station, Queensway station), in a great neighbourhood with good restaurants and shops and near to Kensington Park. I have stayed there a number of times over the years and it's simple, but great.
posted by urbanlenny at 12:40 PM on June 3

We stayed here in 2022 for about that price range in US dollars (a little less, maybe). It was lovely and delightful. Gorgeous room, great location, cute pub, etc. Please note: you have to be okay with a walk-up.
posted by thivaia at 12:48 PM on June 3

When we stayed in London and our initial lodging fell through at the last minute, we ended up at the Novetel Paddington (https://all.accor.com/hotel/6455/index.en.shtml) . It seems to be more of a corporate hotel, but it is right around the corner from Paddington Station, and we found that we could get anywhere on the tube pretty quick. Not the "prettiest" view, but very safe, and a short walk to a "main" shopping street with tons of food and such.
posted by niteHawk at 12:51 PM on June 3

It's not for everyone, but my favorite in Paris is Hotel Esmerelda. It checks all your boxes. It is inexpensive, well under your price range. It is a little shabby, but comfortable. All rooms are en suite these days, as far as I know. There is no elevator, but they'll help carry your bags up. The location is great and the ambiance is lovely. It's a 17th century building, there are views of Notre Dame, and it's right across the street from a park. It's right around the corner from Shakespeare & Company, which isn't necessarily a huge selling point but if you are interested in going there you can go first thing before the tourist lines form. It's a few hundred meters from the Saint-Michel metro station, which is a hub, and it's also within easy walking distance to like seven other stations. It's walking distance to dozens of touristy things. You should be able to tell from the room photos whether or not it's up your alley, but I've stayed there many times and love it!
posted by CheeseLouise at 12:56 PM on June 3

I stayed at Sonder Edgeware Road a few years ago in London, when it was a different brand. Rates stated on the link are within your range, so once any hidden fees come in it might be pushing it. Tube stop a block away, coffee shop on the first floor, grocery store across the street, I felt like it was in decent proximity to a lot of things and it didn't feel sketchy.
posted by LionIndex at 12:59 PM on June 3

I stayed at MotelOne Friday night. Not sure about the view but it is maybe 300 yards away from Aldgate station and close to plenty of stuff and within your price range.
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:09 PM on June 3

We stayed at the Hotel Opéra Maintenon in Paris at Christmas and it was comfortable and nice. Rooms overlook Rue Sainte Anne, which is a lovely little street. The bed was comfortable, the bathroom had a door. It was very close to the Pyramides stop on the Metro and was walking distance to the Louvre, the Tuilieries Gardens, and several other sights. It lists for $230 US per night in October, give or take, though some dates are booked up already. The rooms look a bit more lived in than the photos, but it was still a nice vibe.

Hotel Opéra Maintenon is in the part of town with many of the Japanese shops and restaurants. Ironically, my spouse had not found a yukata she liked in her size in two weeks in Japan last summer, but found a gorgeous one for a fair price at a shop nearly across the street from this hotel in Paris.

I would advise that although there is an elevator, it does not stop at the ground floor, so you have to walk up one set of stairs to get to it.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 3:03 PM on June 3 [1 favorite]

That is actually a very high budget for Paris or London! I actually recently made a reservation for two nights in Paris in August (post-Olympics) for about half that price. My observation has been that both cities have tons of rooms in small historic buildings; the rooms are cramped compared to many American big city hotels but substantially more affordable.
posted by yarntheory at 3:18 PM on June 3 [2 favorites]

You don’t specify the currency or say where you’re travelling from so I assume it‘s pounds for London and euros for Paris. For London, you should be able to easily find something within that price range, especially if you’re willing to compromise on the view.

Budget hotel chains like Travelodge and Premier Inn will be fine: they’re all over the city (including near tube stations and tourist attractions) and they’re generally clean, consistent and safe. (If you choose Premier Inn, be careful not to accidentally book the ultra-budget Hub by Premier Inn, which has miniscule sometimes windowless rooms.)
posted by kyten at 4:17 PM on June 3 [1 favorite]

We just had a really nice stay at Lehman Locke in London in that price range. 1/2 block from a Tube stop, quick walk to Shoreditch and Spitalfields, which may be on your radar. Not classically in a tourist area, but we found that having that Tube station right there meant that we had good access to everything.
posted by BlahLaLa at 4:25 PM on June 3 [1 favorite]

We stayed at the Hôtel du Jeu de Paume and I cannot begin to tell you how awesome the location was for us. Our friend who lives part time in Paris was a little derisive about its location on the Île Saint-Louis ("my mom likes it; tourists and old ladies love the Île"), but it turned out to be a short walk from multiple metro stations on different lines. That made it possible to get to most of the places we wanted to go with a single transfer if we simply walked to the right origin station. Our friend was not wrong about the lack of nightlife right around the hotel, but that quiet neighborhood was excellent for sleeping.
posted by fedward at 6:01 PM on June 3 [2 favorites]

When I'm traveling in big busy cities I actually prefer staying a little bit further out than the really central touristy neighborhoods. A couple reasons for this are price/niceness of hotel, staying in a neighborhood that's 15 minutes on transit from a really high demand area is often quite a bit cheaper. It's also really nice to get a sense of a part of the city that's more of a "real" neighborhood and there also tend to be better places to eat, grocery stores, less street noise, et cet.

In London I rented an apartment in Kennington which was a really cute and convenient area I never would have seen if I had stayed really close to the touristy sites I was visiting. It was a little more time on public transit (but London and Paris both have amazing bus systems) but coming home to a quiet neighborhood with lots of good places to eat and a friendly neighborhood pub where I could chat with the regulars after a long day of sight-seeing was totally worth it for me.
posted by forkisbetter at 6:32 PM on June 3

As forkisbetter says, you'll get a nicer experience if you stay a bit outside tourist Paris. I highly recommend Hotel du Midi in Paris' 14th arrondissement. It's right next to the D'enfer-Rochereau transit hub, with RER and Metro trains as well as Orlybus. Yet it feels like a real neighborhood spot. Very French, so small rooms, but some have views of Place Denfert-Rochereau, where the Catacombs are located. Fits your budget, I think. For that amount of money you're not going to have a view view, unless you get a fifth floor walkup with no air conditioning.
posted by wnissen at 10:39 AM on June 4

I like the tiny & cheap Hotel Agenor.
posted by diodotos at 10:34 AM on June 8