Boutique Hotels: London Edition
London, home of the Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Parliament, and the Queen. According to Trip Adviser and Lonely Planet, London is one of the top five most popular destinations in the United Kingdom. I can understand why, London is full of beautiful buildings, grand parks, centuries of history, and let’s not forget the pubs serving fish and chips on every corner. With all of these wonderful sights and experiences it’s no wonder that London might be on the top of your must visit list.
Staying in Style
While there are a fair number of inexpensive hostels aimed at appealing to the younger, bohemian, backpacker crowd in London there is a large number of what are called Boutique Hotels. A Boutique Hotel is a semi-luxurious hotel with a great deal of comfort and amenities but with a lower price per night than a Luxury Hotel. Boutique Hotels typically cost anywhere from 100$-300$ a night which is still reasonable compared to Luxury Hotels.
What do you get for the price?
Unlike hostels which is more of a communal experience, boutique hotels do not use dorm style rooms or shared showers. Boutique Hotels are always private suites with ensuite bathrooms. The suites on the lower end of the price range will usually be a large single room with a separate sleeping and sitting area. Rooms at the higher end of the price range with usually have a separate bedroom or even two bedrooms separated from the sitting area by bedroom doors. Bathrooms always include a three-piece bath, with pricier rooms having a four or five-piece bath, meaning a tub and double sinks.
Amenities include, on site restaurants and room service, social areas, business rooms with computers and fax machines, and at some hotels you may find a pool or workout room. Like any other hotel, the higher the price tag the more amenities you should expect.
I can’t afford prices like that
Not everyone is a Rockefeller and you don’t need to be. Boutique hotels aren’t always intended for long term stays, so unless you are very wealthy it isn’t expected that you’ll be staying long term. If you’re enjoying a weeklong vacation or a honeymoon, then a Boutique Hotel will be the right choice for you. You don’t want to spend your romantic post-wedding getaway with a bunch of drunk college kids. If you are a person who likes to travel on the cheap and stay in hostels at some point you are going to need a break from drinking and communal bathrooms, so consider booking one night at a Boutique Hotel just so you can enjoy a long soak in a bathtub, clean sheets, and breakfast delivered to your door, believe me you will enjoy the temporary luxury.