The once in a lifetime experience of watching the world’s greatest athletes compete in a variety of stunning stadia, overlooked by an iconic cityscape, means that many will find it increasingly difficult to book the hotel room they want. As such, we’ve listed the fundamental problems that people are going to encounter, with a solution at the end!

Problem 1 – Availability

By next summer there will be approximately 100,000 hotel rooms available for London 2012 spectators. While that might sound like a lot, if you take into account that sixty per cent of hotel rooms have been allocated to local tour operators – coupled with the fact that people were trying to find rooms up to two years in advance – then all of a sudden availability becomes a tricky obstacle to overcome. The grandest hotels like the Hilton are reserving spaces for Seb Coe and his pals, otherwise the rest of the best rooms are filling up fast, with many hoteliers putting people on extensive waiting lists as they decide how much to increase their rates by, meaning you could find yourself waiting around for months – only to discover that you’ve been completely priced out of the place you favoured.

In terms of numbers, it is estimated that London will receive up to 450,000 staying visitors over the course of the Olympic Games, along with 5.5. million day visitors. With a normal population of around 7million, London is busy enough on a daily basis, but with another half a million coming to live, chaotic doesn’t even begin to describe what the city will be like. Given the amount of rooms on offer, there is a real inequity here and people will doubtlessly become frustrated in their pursuit of a place to stay (let alone a reasonably-priced option).

Problem 2 – Prices

As you would come to expect with one the grandest events on the planet, the cost of accommodation in London during next year’s Olympic Games will be exorbitant. Hoteliers are making the most of this eager influx of tourists, with many intending to charge five times the normal tariff. If that isn’t a shock to the system, then see the example below.

More specifically, one four-star hotel has quoted £1000 for a room during the Games, compared with £200 earlier this year. In addition, one hotel is pondering the prospect of a strict 100 per cent cancellation fee. No pressure then.

For people who’ve already begun to look into bookings, you may be expected to pay up in advance too, with some places demanding 70 per cent of fees paid by September of this year. In other words, if you’re going to make a decision, make sure you’re completely committed to it.

Boris Johnson had called for an industry-led ‘fair pricing and practice charter’, under which hotels would agree to charge their patrons sensibly. But it seems as if this is now extremely unlikely.

Already one of the most expensive cities in the world, London’s soaring accommodation costs would almost seem like a nail in the coffin for the wannabe budget traveller. There are, however, ways to make your stay financially viable – relatively speaking!

Solution – Book Early and Be Flexible

With the opening ceremony less than 12 months away, it is strongly advised that you try to book a hotel as quickly as you possibly can. At the same time, however, you will only find something suitable if you couple this with shopping around. For a more reasonable deal, we suggest you look outside Central London if you can.

Be as flexible as you can with your base. Your ticket for the London Olympics will mean you get free travel on London Transport, which is one reason why it is worth staying further away from the stadia – with more flexibility in terms of location you will not only save more on transport but on your accommodation too.

Here at Tube Hotels we’ve made life as easy as we can for you by studying a whole host of different sites, meaning you’ll find the best and cheapest deals on the market. And you won’t encounter any lengthy waiting lists in the process, as the hotels that will appear are ones with a confirmed price. Further to this, many places don’t allow bookings in advance of one year; you will only see the ones that do.

Finally, as the Games will be played out in different parts of the country, if you’re looking to book somewhere outside of the capital head over to hotel comparison site sletoH, where you will be able to find a hotel that is accessible to the area in question.

We hope you’re as excited as we are about the prospect of an Olympic Games being staged in London!

Novotel London Greenwich

There are Novotels all over the city, but this one is a nice and out-of-the-way hotel near Greenwich, which is one of the more scenic parts of London, and an area where you don’t have to deal with the same levels of noise, pollution and manic activity. This four star hotel offers purpose-built family rooms designed to accommodate two adults and two children. The best part is that accommodation and breakfast are both free to the kids, as long as they’re under eighteen years old.
The closest tube station is Greenwich, which services National Rail, the Docklands Light Railway and even has a ferry service running up the river.

Nearby attractions:

Greenwich is chiefly desirable as a more relaxed alternative to staying in central London, though it obviously has great transport links to the city. Near the Novotel you will find the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory, but the big draw is the O2 Arena, which is swiftly becoming a major venue for family entertainment, housing a cinema, many restaurants and events ranging from concerts to NBA games to invasions of animatronic dinosaurs.

Base2Stay Hotel, Kensington

Base2Stay has been winning awards and much repeat business for its gently innovative approach to hotels which centres around just being honest and straightforward, with absolutely no hidden fees. Even the minibar has been replaced with a vending machine, so you know exactly what you’re getting at all times. One of its most welcome ideas has been to put a little minikitchen in each room, allowing guests to prepare their own food in their rooms. Ideal for families as little snacks are some of the most expensive things you can buy in Kensington. The rooms are larger than you’d expect as well, and can sleep up to four people. Local restaurants offer exclusive discounts to Base2Stay guests, and will even deliver food to your room if you’re feeling lazy.
This Kensington hotel is within a kilometre of three tube stations: Earls Court, Gloucester Road and High Street Kensington.

Nearby attractions:

Aside from being a few short stops from central London, Base2Stay is particularly close to Albertopolis, which is the home of museums including the V&A, the Natural History Museum and that perennial family favourite, the Science Museum (all of which are free to enter). For more outdoorsy pursuits, it’s also within walking distance of Hyde Park.

The Ritz, Piccadilly

For an extremely upmarket family vacation, check out The Ritz, most venerable of the Piccadilly Hotels, but much friendlier to children than its slightly fusty image would suggest. This beautiful symbol of OTT regency glamour enjoys an enviable location in the heart of London, and offers kids the world, including their own bathrobes and slippers, a concierge specially trained to entertain them, and milk and cookies before bedtime. The clincher, though is that kids are offered free ice cream. A risky gambit, to be sure, but one which could sear the Ritz into your kids’ affections for the rest of their lives.
The Ritz is right on top of Green Park station, but also a short walk from Piccadilly Circus.

Nearby attractions:

You’re not going to run out of things to do in the very centre of London. To the West is the finery of Knightsbridge , including Green Park, Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace, all great for tourism. East of the hotel are more specialist places for kids. Hamley’s, of course, is the centre of the universe as far as kids are concerned, but there’s also Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Planet Hollywood (which I thought was amazing as a kid. Not sure if the glamour has faded there) and Theatreland, where the musicals make for an exciting treat.

Athenaeum Hotel, Mayfair

Taking the family friendly crown, though, is the Athenaeum Hotel in Mayfair. An independent, family-run five star hotel, the Athenaeum makes boasts of its big personality, but this is one place which doesn’t disappoint, and really does have its own unique charm. The hotel’s apartments in particular are fantastic places to stay as a family, offering plenty of space and adjoining apartments for families of more than four people. Before you arrive, the specialist kid’s concierge will be in touch, ensuring that your kids will be greeted with their own personal toy box, full to the brim with toys, books and DVDs, all chosen for exactly the right age and gender. The Kids Concierge will also arrange any tickets you need, come up with great ideas for family activities and bring the requisite milk and cookies at bedtime. If you don’t fancy going out to eat, the apartments all come with their own kitchens, as well as washers and tumble driers, making it a real home away from home.
The Athenaeum is situated between Green Park and Hyde Park Corner tube stations.

Nearby attractions:

Well, pretty much the same as The Ritz, really, if a bit closer to the museums in Knightsbridge. The great thing about the Kids Concierge is that you don’t need to worry about this stuff, though, so why not just relax and let them figure it out?

When evaluating the character of the restaurant, there are few better indicators than which movie quotes they try to sneak into the menu. For Canteen, The Hudsucker Proxy was a good choice. A guileless, hugely underrated film, it is both an object of nostalgia and nostalgic in its own way for 1958, which it replicates with a cosy grey sheen that it shares with Canteen.

A fairly unexciting-sounding menu (fish finger sandwiches aside) quickly makes good. Starters were a dainty mushroom salad and a thin chicken broth that definitely warmed the cockles. Still trying to defrost ourselves, we both went for stews that proved rich, comforting and wholesome. My venison was deliciously crumbly and tangy, and was perfectly filling, though the chips ordered as a side were essential for variety, as well as being wonderful in their own right. Luckily, the menu changes throughout the year in much the same way as school canteens of yore, ensuring that you won’t overheat on stew in July. The comfortable booths are outfitted with snazzy lamps, and deeply familiar coathooks on which to sling your schoolbag, but I could have done with a fan by the end of the meal.

For all the talk recently of a renaissance in British cooking, there are still very few places that do traditional British dishes to a really high standard, most restaurants opting to distort the classics for their own nefarious ends. Canteen is unashamed to give these excellent dishes the showcase they deserve, and everything else is secondary.

Canteen is also our choice for the Best Breakfast Near Baker Street

For great deals on hotels near Baker Street, check out TubeHotels.com

If I had known that London was going to endure its coldest winter for one hundred years, with freezing cold temperatures suddenly arriving two months early, I would have done two things. A) I would have booked a hotel that served breakfast rather than apartments which did not, and B) I probably would have just gone to California or somewhere instead. But events conspired and I ended up padding gingerly over the icy streets, hungrily staring into the windows of the Angel hotels and watching people scoff down their Full Englishes, wondering if I could ever be happy like that again.

Help was at hand, though. The Rosemary Branch is a lovely old London pub ten minutes walk from Angel station. From midday, they serve the best all-day breakfast for miles around, and I was saved. The dish arrived promptly, and was huge. Grilled tomatoes, beans, bacon, chips, toast, sausages and some final Unknown Item. I could talk about each element at length, but will try to be brief. The sausages (for there were two) were dense, herby and of superb quality. Chips are usually unwelcome in a cooked breakfast, but these were thick and healthy-looking, with a fine layer of crunch and a beautiful aromatic quality to them. The toast, usually the most boring item in the Full English, was utterly uplifted by the addition of a mustard-accented butter that should never have worked as well as it did. The Unknown Item was mentioned nowhere on the menu, but I believe was added as a substitute for mushrooms and eggs. It resembled a small, solid omelette, and tasted like the filling of a cheese and marmite toastie. It was a strange and unexpected thing, but I enjoyed it greatly, and I love that the chef is willing to improvise and surprise for the customer’s benefit.

The building is a high-ceilinged pub, large but reasonably cosy with the log fire going. It’s very much a theatre pub, with a boutique venue upstairs hosting dance, drama, comedy and pantomime, but for my money the real draw is the kitchen turning out the best pub food in the area.

On a decidedly wintry morning, Shoreditch’s The Book Club at first seemed like more of a summer place. It’s an airy, spacious couple of rooms with high ceilings, wooden floors, and huge windows looking out on to Leonard Street. Its exposed pipes and bare brick are decidedly post-industrial, and not initially particularly cosy. I don’t know whether it’s just good central heating, but the impression is largely dispelled upon entering. The personable nature of the staff and the ping pong table in the next room create an atmosphere of down-to-earth bonhomie, which is something that a lot of Shoreditch venues fall short of.

That the Book Club is a nightclub in the evenings is almost unnoticeable at breakfast time. There are no sticky floors or ironic graffiti left over from the presumably intensive clean-up operation. In fact, it might make a great place to eat off a hangover. The food here is of a hugely impressive standard, especially considering that the venue is more of a bar/club than a typical restaurant. The single buttermilk pancake with maple syrup, raspberries, bananas and strawberries sounded like it might be a bit thin, but the reality was a huge cloud of a pancake that would make a bumper breakfast for anyone. The bacon, from Smithfield’s Market, was salty and perfectly proportioned to come through the richly floral maple syrup. For those that enjoy this combination of flavours, it can be easy to go wrong. If bacon and syrup are incorrectly balanced you can lose one of the flavours altogether, but The Book Club’s chef obviously knows his stuff. The homemade granola was, for me, even better, purely because it’s not usually something I’ll consider. This stuff had an amazing crunch to it, though, and the sheer amount of dried and fresh berries meant that it wasn’t remotely dry, even without milk. The fact that the menu changes each week was honestly surprising; this is a chef who seems to have such familiarity and affinity with his dishes. On the other hand, it’s a great reason to keep coming back, as I surely will.

For Hotels in Shoreditch, check out TubeHotels.com

The Lanesborough

Although its name is less well-known than that of the Savoy or the Ritz, The Lanesborough may well be London’s ultimate hotel; an exclusive fortress of luxury that manages to make the other Hyde Park hotels look downright approachable. The Lanesborough was opened in 1991, in a former hospital on the corner of Hyde Park. The building itself dates back to 1844, and shares its formidable grandeur with London’s various palaces, centres of government and museums. The rooms here are the most expensive in the city, going up to £8000 a night for the Royal Suite. The rooms, decorated with amazing elegance, have played host to celebrities, presidents and royalty, and all feature unobtrusive luxury touches such as a complimentary laptop and a 24-hour butler service. The Lanesborough’s afternoon tea is a legendary institution, but the hotel’s real culinary muscle is Apsleys: Heinz Beck’s first restaurant outside of Italy and London’s fastest ever recipient of a Michelin star.

The Ritz

Opened in 1906 and built to resemble a stylish Parisian block of flats, the Ritz is the greatest of the Piccadilly Hotels, and is one of the most famous hotels in the world. Its rooms are decorated in excessive opulence, with a more OTT style than is found in most modern hotels. For feeling like you’re staying in Buckingham Palace, it’s probably the one to beat. While the rooms have all the usual bells and whistles, the Ritz’s stand-out feature has always been its Afternoon Tea. Served in the spectacular Palm Court on those little three-tier silver stands and featuring a selection of small sandwiches with simple fillings, followed by tasty scones and a few pastries, ‘Tea at the Ritz’ is a British byword for fanciness. If you plan on attending, it’s £40 per person, and you’ll need to book ahead. There’s also a dress code in place, so no jeans, running shorts or bondage paraphernalia, and gents will need a coat and tie.

St Martins Lane

In stark contrast to the fripperies and fineries of the capital’s older hotels, St Martins Lane looks like the underwater hide-out of a James Bond villain, albeit one obsessed with different types of chairs. This boutique hotel is fiercely designed by renowned Frenchman Philippe Starck, and has a revelatory modern aesthetic that surprises at every turn. The guest rooms understandably go a little easier on the hard angles, with a smooth white sheen to everything that gives you the feeling of being a genie trapped inside an iPod. The hotel provides access to Gymbox, one of the city’s best gyms, and to the hotel’s legendary cocktail bar Asia de Cuba; an establishment which has recently introduced its chocolate menu, wherein each cocktail is also made available as a gourmet chocolate. Obviously an idea so brilliant as to render the rest of this amazing hotel almost irrelevant.

The Savoy

Slightly eclipsed in the public imagination by the Ritz, the Savoy is arguably still the greater establishment, with a history that stretches back to its founding in 1889 as Britain’s first luxury hotel. Created with money funnelled from the Gilbert & Sullivan operas, the Savoy’s initial manager was Cesar Ritz, who established an extraordinary standard of service that has continued unceasingly for more than a hundred years. The building itself has been recently renovated, and seamlessly blends English Edwardian and Art Deco styles to incredible effect. Its position directly overlooking the Thames is the envy of all the other Charing Cross Hotels. The hotel’s afternoon tea predates that of the Ritz and is just as splendid. The icing on the cake is the Savoy Grill, once a favourite of Winston Churchill and now under the management of Britain’s most notoriously divisive celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

The Wellesley

Honorary fifth place on this list goes to young upstart the Wellesley. The Wellesley is in fact so young that it hasn’t even opened yet, and aims for some time in 2011, but the early press releases of the hoteliers involved are claiming that it will be London’s first six star hotel. As no certification body currently awards more than five stars, this will be a tough nut to crack, but the Wellesley gets marks for ambition. This all-suite hotel is going to feature the largest single suite in London, with a view over Hyde Park and a private lift. The hotel will feature a jazz bar, Italian restaurant and Britain’s largest bespoke humidor. In contrast to the aim of six stars, these are modest claims (and in the case of the humidor, slightly surreal), but what will really be interesting about this hotel is the surprises that it will throw out and the lengths to which it will have to go in order to justify its headline-grabbing hype.

On the Tube:

- The London Underground is one of the oldest in the world, and is in no way equipped to handle the volume of customers it receives. There’s no air-conditioning, so it can get extremely hot and extremely crowded. As customers have occasionally suffered heat exhaustion on stopped trains in the summer, it’s definitely worth staying hydrated with a bottle of water.
- Despite being deep underground, the Tube’s construction can make it extremely windy down there. Stay away from the platform edge, especially during busy times or when trains are coming and going.
- The overcrowded and often vertiginous escalators are witness to many injuries and deaths each year, so take care not to slip. And remember, right-side is for standing, left-side is for walking. If you get this wrong you could make people pretty unhappy.
- After the terrorist attacks on 7/7, vigilance has become a bit of an issue on the tube. The measures are barely noticeable most of the time, but it’s wise to keep an eye out for unattended bags, and obviously make sure that you don’t leave your own luggage lying about.

On the Street:

- While London doesn’t have problems with kidnappings or false guides, it’s still very unwise to get into an unlicensed minicab. London black cab drivers are heavily monitored and train for years to learn their craft and their knowledge of the city’s streets. Unbooked minicabs have no regulation, and are little better than getting into a stranger’s car.
- Pickpockets can be a problem in some of the busier areas like Oxford Street. Try and keep bags closed, and close to your person.
- The city is generally safe at night, although it’s best to keep to well-lit main roads and not listen to music as you walk.

In Bars and Restaurants:

- Again, keep an eye on your bags. Many pubs will have clips or hooks under the tables where you can fasten your belongings and keep them close.
- Don’t lose sight of any friends that you’re with. For women especially, there’s safety in numbers.
- Along the same lines, if you’re concerned about your safety in a club then try sticking to bottled drinks that aren’t as easy to spike. Even better, try and stay sober

Lastly:
- If you, like Bernie, are the type of person who can afford to encrust your Italian girlfriend in jewels, just consider this: ‘Hm. I’ve already got £10,000 worth of diamonds about my person. Perhaps if I leave the other £10,000 in the safe at my fancy Hyde Park hotel this time.’ I promise, no one in the Formula 1 office will notice. They’re only interested in cars anyway.
- London’s very safe, and the police are eager and numerous. Take care, but don’t forget to have fun.

Situated on London’s South Bank by Waterloo station and close to several Waterloo hotels, the National Theatre is a popular venue in which to see a British play. The Lyttelton Theatre, being the second largest auditorium in the complex, often features many exciting shows. The Stall seating section of the auditorium is located on the ground floor of the auditorium and is closest to the stage. Many theatregoers like to sit here to feel a part of the show, yet sitting right at the front in the Lyttelton is probably not your best bet as the seats aren’t raked and you may feel a little too close to the action.

The Circle is located above the Stalls and due to a steep rake, all seats have clear views of the stage.  The front row has the best seats in this section, and they are priced slightly higher because of this. Legroom is fairly good in this section.

Looking at a Lyttelton Theatre seating plan will further aid your decision in which seats to buy, but there are great views from most seats in this auditorium, with no obvious restricted views. The seats mentioned here, however, offer the best views and should be considered if you want a theatre experience that you won’t forget, for good reasons!

Stall seats are located on the ground floor of the auditorium and are the closest to the stage. The first couple of rows should be avoided as the stage is rather high and you will have to strain you neck to see clearly. The music may also feel a little too loud from these front seats.

The top of the stage from at the back of the Dress Circle is cut off due to an overhang of the Upper Circle. Also, try to avoid the front row in this section as there are safety railings which obstruct views slightly. These seats are sold at a discount, however. There is also hardly any legroom in this row, which should be considered if you are tall.

If looking to book tickets in the Upper Circle, try to get the first few rows as the high rake makes seats further back seem very far away from the stage. The Upper Circle is extremely high up so you may not want to sit in this section at all and choosing Dress Circle or Stall seats first will be your best option.

The Playhouse Theatre, located near to Embankment and is close to many Embankment hotels, is relatively small compared to many of London’s West End theatres, and so there are plenty of great seats. Look to avoid the ones mentioned here, though, and consult a Playhouse Theatre seating plan to further decide where it is you want to sit, and you should end up having a very enjoyable evening with a great view.

Westminster Abbey

Apparently first founded in 624 A.D, Westminster Abbey is a lovely big Gothic church that has long been one of the key sites of the Church of England, and a popular choice for royal burials, coronations, and (evidently) weddings. Supposedly a (possibly drunk) fisherman called Aldrich saw a vision of St. Peter on the site, and it soon became tradition for fishermen to make a gift of a salmon to the abbey every year, a tradition continued even today by the Fishmonger’s Guild. It is not known whether the vicar eats it for tea or just throws it in the bin. The Abbey is also the burial spot of, and presumably haunted by, perhaps the longest list of Great Britons ever gathered in one place. Memorials aside, those actually interned at Westminster include Edward the Confessor, Mary I, Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Dr. Livingstone, Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling and Laurence Olivier.

Things to Do Around Westminster

For those dreary few not interested in snapping photos of famous gravestones, Westminster is still a fascinating and entertaining area of central London, replete with attractions. Near the Abbey is 10 Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and Buckingham Palace, which is just five minutes walk down the road, though I’m betting those lazy Windsors will probably take the car anyway. Just a little further to the north, leave the nanny with the kids watching buskers in Covent Garden while you dash off to nearby Soho for wedding presents that may bring the smile back to Ms Middleton’s face. Across the river, things are a little calmer, and you can wander up the bank and visit London’s centres of high culture such as the Tate Modern, the National Theatre, the Royal Festival Hall and the London Aquarium.

Where to Stay

So, once Philip has finally collapsed into the punchbowl and the afterparty has ground to a halt, to which of the Westminster hotels does the weary reveller go to sleep in his shoes? Here are three of the best:

The Savoy is one of the finest Charing Cross hotels, and often the first choice for wealthy visitors to the city. As well as being something of a London landmark in its own right, the Savoy has held five stars basically since its inception, and has one of the capital’s best views over the river Thames. The newly refurbished interiors blend Edwardian and Art Deco to mesmerising effect, and the Savoy Grill has recently seen the return of Britain’s most polarising celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay.

If you’re looking for Covent Garden hotels, one of the very best is St. Martins Lane, a stunningly beautiful five star hotel with incredible design work by Philippe Starck. The cocktail bar here is somewhat legendary, and now for each cocktail there is a corresponding chocolate on Asia De Cuba’s inventive Chocolate Menu.

Finally, if you’re one of those penniless aristocrats that are so popular nowadays, you could do a lot worse than the University of Westminster’s International House. Mainly used as student accommodation, International House also doubles as a budget one star hotel, with luxurious “boxed lunches” delivered straight to your door, and shared bathroom facilities that presumably provoke friendship and camaraderie among guests. There’s a very real chance that William and Kate won’t be staying here for their honeymoon though, so please try and conceal your disappointment when you step into the shower.