What makes a perfect London hotel? The right price is a good first step, but it’s not so good if the hotel is in the wrong location. A modern hotel is great, unless the customer is looking for that quaint English charm. In fact, it would really help to know the ratings and services of all the hotels in the right location and price range, but none of that helps if they’re already booked or closed for renovations. These two hotels sound almost perfect, but what do they really look like? That seaside inn is quite charming, but maybe not in the wintry gales of December. What new hotel is trying to attract attention with great specials on luxury suites?
London’s a big city with world-renown museums, theater, parks, sporting events, and attractions. Maybe it would be fun to spend a couple of nights in a luxurious four-star hotel near the West End and then set up base camp in a cheaper inn near Paddington station for day excursions. That means the customer has to find two perfect hotels with two completely different criteria. Okay, the perfect hotel is a mirage, and every question answered begets two more unanswered questions. How can the customer judge competing claims when she’s halfway around the world and doesn’t know London? Surely, there must be experts one can turn to for advice.
An airline or travel agent will be happy to steer the customer toward one of the four hotels they’re supposed to push, but they aren’t really experts. Their package tours are convenient but offer a very limited selection in hotels. Whether this is your tenth or first trip to London, you want your hotel to be memorable. Don’t let a faceless airline make this choice for you – it’s possible to do it yourself.
What about that picturesque lodge near Battersea Park that Uncle Harry said not to miss? The travel agent has never heard of it, and Uncle Harry isn’t sure of the name. The guidebooks are confusing and make every place sound basically the same, except for the prices, and some of the information is way out of date. Ads and brochures don’t help much, because they make every lodging in London sound terrific. To believe the ads, the only difference between a four-star and a two-star hotel is the mint on the pillow. No, what you need is an unbiased counselor with encyclopedic knowledge of London and its environs, someone who knows where the bargains, specials, and vacancies are. Read the rest of this entry »
