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Accommodation

There are almost 100,000 hotel rooms in the capital and, at the start of the year 2000, a further 4000 rooms were under construction. These accommodations include the traditional luxury of well-known establishments, the chic of modern designer hotels, reliable chain hotels, intimate guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, and crowded hostels. Standards vary enormously but even the least salubrious establishments can become fully booked in the summer.

London has a wide selection of cheap and cheerful bed and breakfasts. They offer few luxuries apart from a place to sleep and eat a filling breakfast. Host and Guest Service (tel: (020) 7385 9922; fax: (020) 7386 7575) is an agency specialising in bed and breakfast rooms. Even cheaper accommodation is available in London's network of IYHA Youth Hostels (web site: www.yha.org.uk). As a general rule, visitors should avoid the very cheapest of the guesthouses and independent youth hostels, as the standards are frequently poor.

Developments in the luxury market continue apace, although there has been a trend in recent years for an expansion in mid-range hotels. The most famous upmarket hotels, such as The Ritz, The Hilton, The Dorchester and Claridge's, can be found in Mayfair, St James's, Piccadilly and Park Lane, and many offer special weekend rates on their internet sites. Budget travellers should try the areas around Paddington and Victoria stations. Islington and the City have been earmarked by London Tourist Board for future hotel developments in the budget to mid sectors.

London Tourist Board
has an accommodation booking service (tel: (020) 7604 2890); and two web sites (www.laterooms.com and www.lastminute.com) often offer good late deals on London hotels. All prices quoted are for a double room excluding breakfast.

The Lanesborough

1 Lanesborough Place, Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA
Tel: (020) 7259 5599. Fax: (020) 7259 5606.
E-mail: reservations@lanesborough.co.uk
Web site: www.lanesborough.com
Cost: £399-£517.

Magnificently opulent, this former hospital is possibly the most luxurious hotel in London. Regency decor dominated by rich colours and even richer fabrics creates a positively regal atmosphere in the public areas, while the light and airy Conservatory restaurant serves international food. Other facilities include banqueting rooms, business centre, limousine services and the Library bar. The 95 guest rooms feature every amenity, including fax machines, two phone lines and personalised stationery; guests are waited on hand and foot by their own butler.

The Savoy

Strand, London WC2R 0EU
Tel: (020) 7836 4343. Fax: (020) 7240 6040.
E-mail: info@the-savoy.co.uk
Web site: www.savoy-group.co.uk
Cost: £387.75.

A late-Victorian hotel with a reputation for unsurpassed grandeur and an enviable waterfront location, The Savoy has long been a favourite with politicians and international stars. Room services include CD player, fax/modem point and ISDN line. The hotel also offers grand banqueting rooms, fitness centre, swimming pool and limousine services. Guests can eat in style at all times of day: mingling with MPs in The Grill Room at lunchtime, people-watching in the Thames Foyer over tea and gazing out at the River Thames from the River Restaurant in the evening.

The Ritz

150 Piccadilly, London W1V 9DG
Tel: (020) 7300 2308. Fax: (020) 7493 2687.
E-mail: enquire@theritzhotel.co.uk
Web site: www.theritzhotel.co.uk
Cost: £382-453.

The Ritz
needs no introduction. Opened in 1906, César Ritz's hotel has long been the watchword for glitz and glamour and still competes favourably with pretenders to its crown. The guest rooms are lavishly decorated with Louis XVI furnishings and the restaurant features chandeliers and a trompe l'oeil ceiling. Four lavish meeting rooms allow visitors to conduct business in style. Afternoon tea in the Palm Court should be booked well in advance.

One Aldwych

1 Aldwych, WC2B 4RH
Tel: (020) 7300 1000. Fax: (020) 7300 1001.
E-mail: sales@onealdwych.co.uk
Web site: www.onealdwych.co.uk
Cost: £345-417.

The award-winning One Aldwych has garnished a string of accolades since it opened in 1999. Housed in an Edwardian building, this stylish hotel combines minimalism with understated luxury and top drawer service, looking often more like an art gallery than a hotel. The suites are stunning and nice touches include modern sculpture in the lobby and Mozart piped out over the 18m (59ft) swimming pool.

St Martin's Lane


45 St Martin's Lane, WC2N 4HX
Tel: (020) 7300 5500. Fax: (020) 7300 5501.
E-mail: stmartinslane@hotels-london.co.uk
Cost: £315-595.

Opened in late 1999, this West End accommodation has quickly established itself on the London hotel scene. The brainchild of Ian Schrager and style guru Philippe Starck, the decor and furnishings grace the fine line between minimalism and clinical cold, with an ambience that is at once stylish and comfortable. Each room has floor to ceiling windows, interactive lighting and some also feature a kitchenette. There is also a health club and an extremely hip bar.

The Metropolitan

Old Park Lane, London W1Y 4LB
Tel: (020) 7447 1047. Fax: (020) 7447 1147.
E-mail: res@metropolitan.co.uk
Web site: www.metropolitan.co.uk
Cost: £299-380.

The Donna Karan-clad doormen are an instant indication of the designer chic of this Park Lane hotel, where the opulence of traditional hotels is traded in for postmodern minimalism and sleek furnishings. White and beige dominate in the 155 rooms, the best of which have views over Hyde Park. All feature high-tech gadgets, including climate and lighting controls, modem points, ISDN lines and three telephone lines. The hotel also boasts the exclusive members-only Met Bar and the Nobu restaurant, serving Japanese and South American cuisine.

London Marriott County Hall

County Hall, London SE1 7PB
Tel: (020) 798 5200. Fax: (020) 7928 5300.
Web site: www.marriott.com
Cost: £288-318.

Overlooking the River Thames, the London Marriott County Hall offers spectacular views from many of its 200 rooms and was voted London Tourist Board's 1999 'Group Hotel of the Year'. Centrally located across from Westminster and close to the BA London Eye, this new hotel has already emerged as one of the city's most popular accommodations with its state-of-the-art gym, 25m (82ft) swimming pool, comfortable rooms and quality restaurant.

The Hempel

31-35 Craven Hill Gardens, London W2 3EA
Tel: (020) 7298 9000. Fax: (020) 7402 4666.
E-mail: hotel@the-hempel.co.uk
Web site: www.the-hempel.co.uk
Cost: £287-335.

The Hempel
is a temple to minimalism. Five terraced townhouses have been transformed into stunning, white, empty spaces where Zen simplicity reigns. Eastern influences are in evidence throughout the hotel from the Burmese oxen carts in the foyer to the I-Thai Restaurant, which serves a fusion of Italian and Thai food. The hotel consists of 41 rooms and six apartments, all of which feature CD-players and fax and modem facilities.

Holiday Inn Nelson Dock

265 Rotherhithe Street, London SE16 1EJ
Tel: (020) 7231 1001. Fax: (020) 7231 0599.
E-mail: reservations@holidayinnnd.co.uk
Web site: www.holidayinnnd.co.uk
Cost: £170-190.

Located on the south bank at Rotherhithe, this modern hotel on an eighteenth-century dockland site combines the reliable facilities of a chain hotel with some unusual welcoming touches, such as river views and real log fires. There is a pleasant garden, and the hotel restaurant is located in a traditional Clipper floating on the River Thames. The hotel has several meeting and convention rooms and extensive health and fitness facilities.

Five Sumner Place Hotel

5 Sumner Place, London SW7 3EE
Tel: (020) 7584 7586. Fax: (020) 7823 9962.
E-mail: reservations@sumnerplace.com
Web site: www.sumnerplace.com
Cost: £152.

Winner of the London Tourist Board 1999 'Bed and Breakfast Hotel of the Year', the Five Sumner Place Hotel offers great value without sacrificing style and comfort. Centrally located in South Kensington this converted Victorian townhouse still feels like a private home and is one of the best-value accommodations in the city. A highlight is the atrium where guests enjoy breakfast.

London County Hall Travel Inn

County Hall, Belvedere Road, London SE1 7PB
Tel: (020) 7902 1600. Fax: (020) 7902 1619.
Web site: www.travelinn.co.uk
Cost: £69.95.

Without doubt, this is one of the best deals in what is a very expensive capital city. Located only a stone's throw from the River Thames in sight of the BA London Eye, the rooms here are simple, with no added luxuries, but spotlessly clean and comfortable. The hotel is equally suitable for businesspeople or tourists on a tight budget. Facilities include a restaurant and swimming pool.

NGH Apartments

Neil Gwynn House, Sloane Avenue, London SW3 3AX
Tel: (020) 7589 1105. Fax: (020) 7589 9433.
E-mail: nghapartments.co.uk
Web site: www.demon.co.uk/hotel-net/ngh.html
Cost: From £270-1050 per week.

NGH
offer 150 quality apartments in the Chelsea area, ranging from studios, through to one- and two-bedroom apartments. Maid service and 24-hour porterage is included; parking and business facilities are available.



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