Comments on: How to beat high UK hotel rates

By: karen

karen — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:20:01 +0000

Tom, I do agree that an “individual” hotel can offer a much more authentic feel than a chain but you could still get local flavour during the day if you just use a cheap hotel chain room as a bed for the night.
http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2008/03/09/what-is-authentic-travel/

Yes, it is sensible to do research but I’ve been caught out even when I’ve done research which led me to conclude, is it worth reading user generated reviews:
ttp://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2008/03/13/why-bother-with-user-generated-reviews/

By: Tom Meyers

Tom Meyers — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:45:08 +0000

Indeed they can, Karen! Which is why you need to do your research before booking.

Of course, if you just want a place to rest your head, a chain hotel can be predictable and reliable. But I like to wake up in Rome and know that I’m in Rome, and not in a suburb of Atlanta :) Even if that does mean the occasional “funny” night’s sleep!

By: karen

karen — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:37:47 +0000

Thanks for your comment Tom. I find small family run hotels and/or B&Bs can be a bit of a hit or a miss and some are memorable for the wrong reasons.

By: Tom Meyers

Tom Meyers — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:53:47 +0000

Hi Karen,

Indeed, hotel prices are very high in the UK. Thanks for the tip about the budget hotel chains. When we next update our London guide for EuroCheapo, we’ll have to check some of these out! (We did review the Ibis near Euston station, but that’s no 19 pound room!)

Don’t forget to also check out the smaller, mom-and-pop B&Bs in London. It’s true that you can sometimes find bigger chain hotels for the same price, but small independent family hotels (many of which don’t show up on booking websites) offer reasonable rates and a more memorable experience.