With the Euro now only buying you 75 pence sterling (as of 02/02/’15), London has become even more expensive than it normally is so all the more reason to choose your accommodation carefully — particularly if staying in town for a couple of days. As with all large cities, choosing your location carefully is extremely important if you don’t wish to spend half your time getting from A to B and whilst the term ‘central’ is a relative one in a city the size of London, I don’t think anyone would disagree that the South Bank is about as central as it gets! Located right beside the London Eye (it is literally outside the hotel), the Premier Inn County Hall ticks all the boxes in terms of location. It is just a three minute walk from the nearest underground station at Waterloo (the entrance on Belvedere Road. Not York Road) and is located directly across the river from the iconic Houses of Parliament. The hotel is slightly unusual in that it does not have a traditional reception area but rather a series of self checkin/checkout kiosks with two lectern-type desks from where extremely helpful staff assist guests with enquiries or requests. The rooms are all soundproofed and they operate an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast along with a left-luggage facility where you can leave your bags if you have a flight later on in the day and want to fit in some last minute sightseeing or shopping. The entrance is located around the back of the huge County Hall building which looks like it has been recently given a major clean so you need to approach it from Belvedere Road which is a Cul de Sac. The Jubilee Gardens are located just beside the hotel and the London Aquarium is housed in the same block, just around the front by the Thames. At around £100 per room per night on average, the Premier Inn represents excellent value for money, given its superb location, friendly and helpful staff and proximity to many of London’s major tourist attractions. The hotel also has a bar. The hotel is located at the rear of the building shown at the lower left of the photo accompanying this blog.
Check it out the next time you’re in town.
