Travelling to a show? Hotel recommendations.

When I'm spending the weekend in London, I generally stay at the Premier Inn in Stevenage. On the most recent three-night stay, a week before Christmas, the cost was £29 per night on the Saver rate, plus breakfast. You can also get a Day Travelcard that includes rail travel to London and all zones of the Underground for £24 on a weekday and £16 at the weekend. It's a ten minute walk to the Premier Inn from Stevenage station, across a large retail park, while the journey into London takes around 25 minutes on Virgin East Coast or the non-stopping Great Northern services.

The main frustration is the rip-off Left Luggage charges at London stations which is £12.50 for more than three hours, while Great Northern's reliability due to the lack of available train crew particularly in the evening at weekends leaves a bit to be desired (no surprise, it's owned by the same parent company as Southern!). The frequency of services between King's Cross and Stevenage means this isn't too much of a problem or inconvenience but it definitely seems to have got worse in the last few months.

On my next weekend in London in early February, the cost of the Premier Inn at St Pancras was cheaper than usual so I'm looking forward to being more centrally located for a change!

I usually stay in the County Hotel on Upper Woburn Place, just across the road from Euston Station (Northern & Victoria Line). You can walk past the BMA and along Tavistock Square to Russell square station (Piccadilly Line).

If you book directly with them (they are part of Imperial London Hotels), it is £56 for B&B, but if you can get it through Superbreak (not always possible, but I always check it first) it can be about £35 per night.

The rooms are quite basic and there are bathrooms along the floors (2 per every 10 rooms). They do full English breakfast, which is not fancy, but good.

Saveloy, surely?

I just paid £70 just before Christmas at Holiday Inn.

But did say watch the prices when the Manchester Football Clubs are playing at home, prices then go through the roof. All the hotels sell out to.

You get a room in Sidcup for £53 a night, that is ver5y good value, like all things you have to shop around.

Wembley and Greenwich can be awkward to get to the West End, but if the rate is good, then that would usurp any tricky travelling situation.

Wembley? Awkward or tricky to get to? I beg your pardon?

It's 25min tops from Wembley Park to Piccadilly Circus with one change at Baker Street - or no change at all from Wembley Central.

Stayed here for 'The Cure' last month. Great Travelodge; practically on top of the tube, ten minute walk from wembley arena (unless they've 'poisoned' you with their alcohols then you need to get a cab home) and plenty of shops to mooch in. Recommended! 😀

Please do...Emma

I did say if the rate is good, which £34 it is. But try and get 2/3 consecutive nights with no event on at Wembley, that would be hard.

As you say in your post it is 1 change of train at Baker Street (a station I know really well), which is added hassle.

I suggested Sidcup or Lewisham, as you can get a direct train from Charing Cross right in the heart of the West End. I would have suggested Bexleyheath where I live, where there is also a Premier Inn, but it is not near the station, a bus ride away.

I stayed in the Wembley Travelodge after seeing a show at the Arena and got back to the hotel to find just outside the entrance police taped off because there had been a stabbing. Also it was the summer and the room had no A/C and was unbearably hot.

lol no just walking down the stairs from platform 1,3 or 4 and then down the Southbound Escalator.

Obviously if you are young - like you are, this isn't a big issue, but for others it is.

Also if you get from Wembley to the West End in less than 45 minutes you have done well.

Had a look at rates for Sidcup/Bexleyheath for 3 nights for a weekend from 17th March is £139 flex or £107 Saver or £210/£174 for Lewisham, Greenwich £195/£154

So there you are the prices of Prem Inn near where I live, you don't have to use it, my life isn't going to be suddenly fulfilled if you do, it is just a mere suggestion, as we know the thread O/P wanted to find out about cheaper hotels and the suggested Wembley will be affected by events. As we know hotels are like theatre and suffer from the same dynamic pricing structure. The one at at Lewisham will be affected by the 02 arena and Sidcup is next to the countries on of the biggest theatre schools, so these will affected pricing at times. 

I, too, think that public transport in London is great - if it weren't for all the tourists slowly walking next to each other blocking all the walkways so that you can't overtake them.