The Bloomsbury area makes an excellent home base and because of the proximity to The British Library, The British Museum and numerous bookshops, there is a wonderfully bookish atmosphere filled with literary history. Major rail stations such as  Kings Cross, St. Pancras (includes the Eurostar station for service to Europ) and Euston are nearby along with several stops of the Tube.

 I have included two hotels because London is an expensive city especially when factoring in the exchange rate. The Harlingford Hotel is a little more expensive than The Crescent. The websites have photos and other information. Another option to save money is to book your hotel when you book your flight. Britsh Air offers a selection of hotels in different parts of London and in a number of  price brackets. Virgin Atlantic also offers the same service, but the hotels they list tend to start off a little higher than the ones offered through British Air. There are also websites out there that offer discounts on select hotels, one such site is www.london-discount-hotel.com. Another webiste www.lastminute.com offers special deals on hotels.     

Crescent Hotel, 49-50 Cartwright Gardens, Bloomsbury. Friendly service with basic rooms. Be sure to get an in suite bathroom. English Breakfast included in the price of the room.

Harlingford Hotel, 61-63 Cartwright Gardens, Bloomsbury. Tele: 44(0)20 7387.  Recently went through a refurbishment. Nice decor. Moderately priced.

• Another moderately priced hotel or I should say a private hotel with excellent personal service for a reasonable price is (appropriately enough) called The Main House. The hotel is located in the Notting Hill area. Check out their website for more information.

For a more upscale accommodation try the Sherlock Holmes Hotel in Marylebone. I adore Marylebone High Street. Getting back to the hotel. It is what they call a boutique hotel. Totally renovated a few years ago. The hotel offers special weekend packages. For more information including rates click on the link. Or try the really cool The Rookery located near the Old Bailey, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Bank of England. The rooms are out of this world as are the prices, but if you wallet can take it - go for it. The place is simply fabulous. You might be able to get a reduced room rate through www.laterooms.com. Click on the link and type in the name of the hotel.

Staying a week or more is might be a good idea to look into renting an apartment. I find it convenient to have a kitchen especially in the mornings. One such company that specializes in short-term apartments rentals is Holiday Serviced Apartments.

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