Define cheap? What are your musts-haves or dealbreakers? Some folks do bunkbed hostels and shared bathrooms. Others insist on en suite baths and double beds. It's all about what you're willing to do to save money...

Check out hostels.

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London in general is not the cheapest of cities. You are looking at one of the most expensive districts in town.

As others have said, check out Premier Inn. They have locations all over London. I stayed at the one right by Westminster Abbey last September, and it was great. Paid $144USD/night, for a larger room, with breakfast included. Very reasonably priced, in my opinion, although summer is typically a more expensive time of year.

Happy travels!

Try California Hotel right by Kings Cross a block from The Standard, staying there next week, looks nice and rates were relatively cheap compared to others in the area.

It depends on what your definition of cheap is I guess... Mayfair is one of the most expensive parts of London - if you can afford to shop in Mayfair your definition of cheap is likely a lot less than the rest of the world...

Now, if you're really looking for less than 300GBP a night - stay in another neighborhood and take the Tube to Mayfair...

Doing Halfprice hotels and apartments hmu

Cheap and Mayfair don't usually go hand in hand. We stayed past the Marriott near Marble Arch stop which wasn't too far to Mayfair.

I’m a Londoner so can’t speak to what the hotels are like, but:

1. Old Street/Shoreditch is a cool area (or it was ten years ago). Historically where all the tech brands and startups were. Loads of bars, great food, good shops, just a really buzzy place to be but pretty built up. Depends on whether you like that! There are a couple of tube stops in the area which will connect you to everything else, loads of buses, or the Overground – which is great but potentially less handy for main tourist sites.

2. This is right by Tower Bridge and Tower of London so the views and surroundings are probably much more appealing to a tourist. Less cool places to eat and drink on your doorstep but super easy to get everywhere by tube and lots of nice routes to walk to most tourist sites easily.

3. Earl’s Court is a bit of a weird one for me, not much going on round there and quite quiet, but very well situated for the big museums in west London and well connected on the tube (if you can figure out the platforms! I commute through twice a week and still seem to end up on the wrong branch lol). Probably the greenest and quietest spot.

If it’s your first time in London and you want to be in a picturesque spot and walkable to everything, I’d go for number two!

Of those 3 hotels, the best views will be at the Tower. The Mornington is on a rather dull side-street and the art'hotel is on a busy, and ugly, main road.

The art'Hotel's closest tube station is Old Street, which is awkwardly placed in the network. You would probably have to change trains to get to places you want to go. Tower's is Tower Hill, which is on a direct line that however does take a little time to get to the centre. The Mornington's is Earl's Court, which will take you anywhere you want very easily and quickly. (Also it's the most convenient for Heathrow.)

Otherwise, there's not much obvious to choose between them. Mid-range hotel standards in London are pretty consistent these days.

I would consider SeaContainers Hotel on the South Bank - you are much closer to walk to many attractions from here.

The three hotels you have listed are a bit further away from the West End.

> Would also appreciate any itinerary tips/suggestions! We plan on doing the main touristy things like checking out museums, landmarks, and markets, but we are open to more unique experiences as well

Have a read of the many other posts about London. The vast majority of people coming to the UK are coming to London, and lots of tips have already been given in previous posts.

May be a little pricier than you want, but have a look at the Conrad London St. James Park. It literally across the street from the St. James Park tube station, two blocks from Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Westminster Bridge and the Southbank, three blocks from Buckingham Palace, etc. it is incredibly convenient to everything. Not a whole lot of nightlife in the neighborhood, but there are a couple of good pubs right outside. Easy to get to from Heathrow. Piccadilly Line to Hammersmith. Walk across the platform to the District Line to St. James Park station. Leave the station, walk across the street, and you are there.

Look for Premier Inns. They’re a chain of cheap but nice (and clean!) hotels here. Travelodge is also fine, not as nice imo (still fine) but definitely cheap and clean.

Rick Steves guides usually have reliable recommendations for inexpensive, no frills hotels that are still clean / have decent service. Try starting with his recs and cross checking against reviews on another site You can usually find his books at your local library.

Are you opposed to a private room at a hostel?

Use Booking.com and look at the cheapest options. Maybe call the hotels and see if they'll give you a cheaper price

We stayed at Cherry Court Hotel last summer. No elevator but affordable, clean, and about a five minute walk to the tube. http://www.cherrycourthotel.co.uk/your-stay/checking-in-and-out/

What was the road noise like as Marylebone Road never stops. Was your room roadside or at the back of the building?

Thanks for the summary. Good to know

I spent one night there in March as I was coming from Wales by train, going to a concert at Royal Albert Hall, then flying home from Heathrow the next morning. I spent about 10 hours in the room, but despite its compact size, I thought it was incredibly well laid out. The shower was a good size, the bed was really comfortable and the breakfast was good. It was easy to find and I didn’t feel nervous walking alone in the area after 11 pm. I agree this is a great inexpensive option if you don’t plan to spend a lot of time in your room.

An out-of-town (in an outer suburb) Premier Inn is value for money. Good breakfast, good room - nothing spectacular mind, but what you’d expect from a good quality place. Search on Premier Inn website for London then set the price filter to lowest first, then take your pick.

There’s a rail/subway line direct from Heathrow to central London. Cheap and easy.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/travel/downloads/tube_map.html

Small hotel prices are fairly reasonable this time of year. Use TripAdvisor. Not sure what to make of the notion that you don’t have locations locked six days before you get there.

Check out the Hubs by Premier Inn. They're our go-to when we visit London. Very small rooms (almost like university accommodation) but very modern, stylish, comfortable. The prices do vary depending on location, date, etc but we've had a room in West Brompton for as little as £50.

More detail would be helpful.

London is huge; this is like saying “where should I stay in Los Angeles county?” And the “budget” question is just as broad.

Assuming the airport in question is Heathrow, there are loads of chain hotels, including budget chains, on Bath Road, which is parallel to the North Perimeter Road at Heathrow.

Look at Premier Inn and Travelodge, which aren't usually on booking agent sites, as well as what comes up on the likes of Booking.com/Hotels.com.

Heathrow is 16 miles from central London. If you stay there then it's likely you will have at least a 1 hour commute each day into London and back. And to be honest, having a rental car wouldn't make much difference anyway, as driving in London is a nightmare. You need to find out where the shoot location is and then come back to us.

Where’s the film being shot?

London is huge. Unless you want to waste hours a day commuting to the set, then find somewhere near it.

What’s your budget?

Indeed. The production will need various licences to film. The OP will need a work visa in order to take part. Flying in and staying implies they believe they are not a background actor / extra, as you would source those locally. Unless the OP is doing a film student friend a favour, this has scam written all over it. I wonder if the OP has paid someone to appear to build their folio? Still very sus though.

check premier inn ...they are quite affordable.

Another vote for Premier Inn. Really comfortable beds (Hypnos mattresses) and good showers, usually in good locations with the basic facilities you will need. Nothing fancy and don't expect good views but always feel safe, clean and comfortable.

look at point a hotels, small but affordable and clean rooms in top locations

Search for family rooms. The ones I found had two double beds and one twin bed. I remember staying in a Premier Inn and some other non-chain small hotels with this option.

Premier Inn is certainly the most affordable. They do have a few hotels in London City centre. Slightly more expensive are the Ibis hotels, they are also a bit more outside the centre (there's one near Wembley stadium). Some hostels will also do separate family rooms, but I've personally never used a hostel for a separate room. Have a look at booking.com they usually have some good offers, but they'll at least give you the chance to put in the dates you're going and then you can see which places still have open rooms for the time you're there.

The Hart Shoreditch is my go to. The neighborhood really makes it for me. The hotel is also top quality with a great restaurant on site and many great restaurants within a few blocks. Really good access to public transport and very friendly staff.

I know this hotel doesn’t get discussed much but it’s definitely worth a look. The skylight suites are awesome rooms!

Hilton London Paddington has the absolute best location

I’ve been to a lot I would recommend the double tree hide park or the Hilton in Hyde park both very good and next to the tube I live in London and work in a Hilton in London there are a lot you shouldn’t go to like the Conrad st James park and the Bankside Hilton

Conrad St James had the most disgusting red wine out of any club lounge I have ever visited.

Bankside is the best by far. Great location only five minutes walk from Borough Market, nice rooms, the best executive lounge in London, nice little swimming pool and a great breakfast

New Yorker here, have also lived in London and my partner and I travel there quite often. We’ve stayed in or are familiar with all of these properties. As others have mentioned, the IC Park Lane is top notch in both service and lounge amenities. Previously, our favorite location was the Crowne Plaza Kensington, but they are no longer with the brand. Let me stick to your list and touch on what others have said: -Bloomsbury, Clerkenwell and Kings Cross are not areas you want to stay in -someone else mentioned Indigo Leicester Square. That would be like staying in Times Square. It’s a beautiful new property and obviously central, but if you’re not looking for that tourist buzz, then that’s not it.

• Yes to anything in Kensington. That Indigo is well maintained and Kensington is our favorite area to stay in. Yes it’s close to Earls Court, but we find that to be a bit drab and instead walk a few blocks to the Gloucester Rd station as it’s quite lovely and SO many viable food options in the area. -we have also stay in HI Hammersmith more than once but it’s been many years. We do find you get what your pay for with HI and they tend to be consistent. It’s NOT as far out as it seems. It’s only 2 stops from Earls Court and it’s a direct line to central London. The area is very quiet at night which we liked. Hope this helps

I really like HI Regents Park, 15 minute walk from Euston Station, 10 minute walk from Oxford Street and literally round the corner from Great Portland Street tube station. I’ve stayed there 3 times now and will be staying again in August and September. The rooms are standard size I would say, not as big as larger properties but not as small as an Express. The Premium rooms are also nice and come with more amenities etc

I live in London and based on your choices listed, I would pick Indigo Kensington which is close to Earls Court Station and that station is a hub which means it serves multiple lines which to get you all over London. Bloomsbury would locate you within walking distance of most things in the city but does not have a good underground connection for all of London. Regent's Park is located in an area too quiet and boring at night with most likely homeless people roaming those streets in the evening and night and Clerkenwell is a business area more than a leisure area. Hammersmith is indeed far out IF your focus would be central. Kings's cross is also an area that attracts homeless people after sunset and during the day for that matter.

IHG does not have the best hotels in London with the best locations. Hilton and Marriott win in London when it comes to that.

Our go to is the Staybridge Suites in Vauxhall. Large rooms by London standards, close enough to major attractions, free breakfast and evening reception. Always very clean and friendly staff. The Vauxhall tube and national rail station are a quick walk across the park from the hotel and several convenient bus lines stop nearby as well. And to top it off, there’s a solid pub next door and a tea house with wonderful desserts close by as well.

I don't have an answer for you, but your post got me curious about how much points have spiked. Almost exactly a year ago, my wife and I spent 4 nights in London and we booked IC Park Lane. I booked it a year out, so I booked in May/June 2023 for a stay in mid-May 2024. At the time I booked, I got 4 nights (including the 4th free night) for just over 200K points. It's now 90K points a night even with the 4th night factored into the rate.

I'm almost never ahead of the curve on things like this, but we got lucky. It was a great stay - I had Ambassador status and got a suite upgrade, plus we paid for lounge access since the room was paid for in points. It was totally worth it and within walking distance to a bunch of places. But I wouldn't have paid 360K points for it.