Cheap Hotels in a City Rich in Diversity
Staying in one of the many London hotels means dropping yourself into one of the greatest cities the World has to offer. It is one of the most innovative and creative places on the planet and also boasts an illustrious history.
The city’s history can been witnessed physically by the buildings that dominate the landscape, the mannerisms and language of its people and the traditions that prevail. At the same time, the influences in food, entertainment, music, art and language from other countries around the world are just as prevalent.
Hotels in London can be in the upper-class, gentrified areas of Bloomsbury or Belgravia, just as easily as they can be in grittier urban hotspots such as Shoreditch or Vauxhall. Once you’ve arrived, it is a matter of working out what it is that you want to cram into your time.
For many people, the main reason for their visit is the chance to taste a bit of the city’s arts culture. The West End is synonymous with theatre and musicals, with Hollywood’s finest competing for the chance to act at one of London’s famous venues, such as the Old Vic.
There are the opportunities to witness the works of Shakespeare, the Royal Ballet or the London Symphony Orchestra on any given night. The finest in theatre, dance and music all exist within a few miles of each other.
Then there is the shopping. Go high-end and hit Sloane Street or Mayfair to find Burberry, Chanel and Dior; or hit Portobello Road market to try and find a vintage bargain. Rather than brave the crowds of Oxford Street on a Saturday, you can head to the markets of Brick Lane and buy from fashion students who have set up their stalls; they change on a weekly basis though, so don’t think you can come back on another day to find the same stuff.
All the big brands are represented across the city but there are still plenty of independent labels dotted about, hidden among the huge stores. Go to Convent Garden for shoes and head east for vintage, or try and get everything from under one roof at Selfridges or Liberty.
London’s food scene is as varied as everything else that the city has to offer. Michelin-starred restaurants fill the more expensive parts of town, whereas Brick Lane is the mecca for Indian and Bengali curries. While China Town is right in the city centre, it is the Kiwi cafes in Soho that serve the best coffee. In the Iranian restaurants of the Edgware Road you can enjoy a traditional shisha pipe with you espresso.
In terms of nightlife, you can do the tourist thing and head to the aforementioned theatres and plays, or you can be a bit more adventurous. The cafes and bars along Upper Street are the perfect venues for a more casual evening, while the raves and warehouse parties in Dalston and Elephant & Castle are the place to go if you want to stay out all night.
Alternatively you can combine going to an old-fashioned English pub with sightseeing. While you will have no problems finding traditional pubs in any part of London, some have a little more history to boast about than others. For example, The Ten Bells, opposite Spitalfields market, is a popular stop on Jack the Ripper tours as it is where many of his victims are supposed to have hung out and drunk. If that’s not old enough, the George Inn, tucked away off Borough High Street can be dated back to 1542 and maybe even earlier. The teetering balconies that peer over the cobbled court yard hosted performances by Shakespeare, and as his local pub, it is almost certain that he socialised there but mind your head upon entering, as the ceilings are rather low.
Sport plays a big part in the lives of Londoners. Most support one of the many football teams that play in the capital. The Premier League, the World’s leading domestic league in the sport, boasts five London clubs: Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Fulham and West Ham, but there are plenty more throughout the professional leagues. Be warned however, ticket prices for top clubs are expensive.
Both Wembley, the national football stadium, and Twickenham, its rugby equivalent, are on the outskirts of the city, as are the tennis courts of Wimbledon. If cricket is your favourite sport you’ll want to visit Lord’s Cricket ground in St John’s Wood.
All these venues host the very best their respective sports have to offer. Football is played throughout the year, while the summer brings with it tennis and cricket and the autumn and spring rugby.
In addition to all this, the boroughs of Hackney and Newham, in the east of the city, is undergoing development and rejuvenation as it gears itself up for hosting the Olympics in 2012. Nearby areas have already become more popular and developed and the trend will only accelerate as the biggest sporting event in the World comes to town.
The range of events and activities in London is wide and so is the range of accommodation. There are cheap hotels and eye-wateringly expensive ones; busy restaurants and hidden, tucked-away secrets; expansive parks and crammed streets. Some cities have to rely on events or festivals to come alive but London is permanently buzzing. With a history that rivals Venice or Paris, and innovation to match New York and Tokyo, it is in a league of its own.