I've gone and booked a hotel in London. Way too soon, but I couldn't resist. It isn't any of the places I so carefully checked out earlier but one in Bloomsbury. One dull day at work I was surfing the eurocheapo hotel site and discovered Bloomsbury is similar to Bayswater/Paddington in that it is an area with a lot of cheap B&Bs. However, it is also more centrally located (although obviously not as convenient for Paddington station). It is within a 10 minute walk of the British Museum, the British library and one of the largest Waterstone bookshops. It is also the district around Imperial College so there are lots of cafes and the like that cater to students. How could I resist the lure of such a location?
I've put together a short-list of Bloomsbury B&Bs and then, 6 months to the day, I e-mailed my first choice to make a booking. This place, the Jesmond Hotel, was rated #4 out of all London B&Bs on Tripadvisor. The worst rating was a 3/5. Sounds like a good bet. I've got a single with ensuite for 55 GBP. It is tiny. I've seen someone's photos of my very own room (#3) on Tripadvisor. Still, they say it is clean and the bed is comfortable and the breakfast (cooked to order) is tasty. I had hoped for a room up in the attics. Such fun to be where the servants used to be. However, my room (assuming I get that one) is one the landing between the ground and first floors. Oh well, that will be an experience in itself.
One definite point in the Jesmond's favour is that whoever handles their internet/booking system responded to each of my e-mails within 24 hours. Very civilised. Not like the so-called "Caring" hotel that didn't reply to my query. Mind you, the Jesmond only takes bookings over the phone or via its website. They aren't listed with any of the agencies so they have to pay more attention to their e-mail.
Now I just need to resist booking the B&B in Reading for my last night ridiculously early. Wish me luck.
No comments:
Post a Comment