Hotel Strategy London December, 2005

Ok, since three people, two adults and one 11 year old, are going, Priceline is out, since I wanted to get just one room and Priceline, realistically, is good for 2 people at most, especially in Europe where you can get stuck with a postage stamp sized room . Also, frankly, I didn't want to hear the complaining if they got stuck with a smoking room or it was awful in some other way.

Too bad since I scored an $80/night room ($68 bid), no breakfast, at the well located Thistle Bloomsbury in October. Lots of people hate the Thistle Bloomsbury, but it was fine for me. Clean, quiet, with a good location one block from the British Museum and 5 minutes walk from Holborn tube station.

Hotwire was more ambiguous than I could handle for this particular trip, with a price of $190/night including everything for a reputed 4*.

Getting a room in London for 3 people is a pain. It seems the big chains have rooms for 3 and that's about it. (Well, I know the smaller places, such as those on Gower have triples, but the en suite bathrooms are so small you literally can't turn around in them.)

Anyway, after making a "safety" booking at the Holiday Inn by Oxford Circus for about $241/night, including VAT, I found a rate of $212/night inclusive of taxes and fees at Expedia for the Radisson SAS Portman, which is in a decent area. So, unless something better comes to mind, that's that.

London Theatre Strategy -- December 2005

Ok, theatre strategy. I like to start by looking at what tickets have been available recently for discount at the TKTS booth. For instance, today's offerings at the TKTS booth include several of Time Out's recommendations.

Although it's kinda cheesy, one of the gang wants to see Fame, which I've found generally available at TKTS.

Musicals seem to have enough energy that you don't doze off in the middle from jet lag. So, Les Miz and Phantom sound pretty good.

Epitaph for George Dillon is billed as a comedy, but, when I saw it in October, it certainly wasn't a laugh a minute. Pretty adult, but the redeeming factor here is Joseph Fiennes in a lead role.

Last, Lion King, which I've been warned off of, but I don't think we'll be going to New York anytime soon to see it, so perhaps this is the right time and place.

End of Year Holidays in London

We're planning for things-to-do in London for the end of year holidays, from late December through New Year's day. The things that are in focus so far as:

• theatre
• museums
• London walks
• the usual attractions.

I've found the Time Out London site a good point of departure for the usual tourist stuff.