London’s Best Hotels for $150 or Less

I was on a mission: Find at least 15 good-quality London hotels where two can stay for $150 or less a night, including breakfast and the dreaded 17.5% tax. In 10 days, I found 20 worthy candidates that met my bang-for-the-buck challenge.

With the pound worth about $1.56, that meant no hotel could cost more than 96 pounds. And the room had to meet my standards: a private bath, good bedding and lighting, clean surroundings with some charm and style, a friendly staff and a reasonably convenient location. An Underground (Tube) station had to be within walking distance--with as few stops and line changes as possible to make it easy to reach popular tourist sites, restaurants and shops.

I visited about 50 hotels, saw dozens of rooms and stayed at four places in four neighborhoods. My research was a mere blip on the hotel radar screen, considering there are 1,233 hotels in the city and 161,235 beds, according to the London Tourist Board. Before the trip I spent hours looking at dozens of Web sites that specialize in budget hotels. I also looked through numerous guidebooks.

Being familiar with London from past visits, I steered clear of upscale neighborhoods such as Mayfair and St. James’s, which are home to expensive hotels.

Which brings us to my 20. Though they call themselves hotels, they’re mainly bed-and-breakfasts because breakfast (continental or English) is included in the rate. Most places are small and do not have elevators (staff usually will help carry luggage to rooms) or air-conditioning, features that are tough to find in this price category. All rates have been converted at 1 pound to $1.54, the exchange rate as of the Travel section’s press time Tuesday, and rounded off to the nearest dollar. All but one of the hotels accept credit cards.

Here’s a neighborhood-by-neighborhood look at my finds:

Bloomsbury

This area, known for literature, art and learning, is home to the British Museum, which houses the Elgin marbles, reliefs from the Parthenon in Athens and the Great Court, which was recently built around the former British Library’s Reading Room building. (George Bernard Shaw and Karl Marx liked to use it, and part of it is still used for research.) Not far from the museum is the British Library (96 Euston Road), where visitors can see the Magna Carta and a copy of a Gutenberg Bible.

Bloomsbury’s literary roots were made famous by the Bloomsbury Group of writers (Virginia Woolf and Lytton Strachey, among others) and artists (Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant) who lived in the area and were active from the early 1900s to about the 1930s.

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Harlingford Hotel

This 43-room hotel, located at Marchmont and Cartwright Gardens, has been in the family of proprietor Andrew Davies for three generations.

The hotel, made up of three early 19th century townhouses, has recently been renovated and looks terrific. Especially eye-catching is the sophisticated lounge, with modern sofas and chairs in purple. The large windows that overlook Cartwright Gardens have draperies in purple and white. A gas fireplace with a large portrait hanging above is a focal point.

No. 11, in the back of the hotel, has a canopy bed that takes up almost the entire room. No. 18 has twin beds and faces the garden.

All rooms have non-satellite TV, direct-dial phones, computer outlets, coffee-and tea-making gear and hair dryers. Most have showers only. Some front rooms have double-glazed windows.

English breakfast is served in a room opposite the lounge, which faces the gardens, to which guests can get a key.

No air-conditioning (fans are available); no elevator for the five floors.

Harlingford Hotel, 61-63 Cartwright Gardens; 011-44-20-7387-1551, fax 011-44-20-7387-4616, www.harlingfordhotel.com. Tube: Russell Square, Euston.

Rates: single, $112; double and twin, $140; triple, $156; quad, $168.

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Jenkins Hotel

This hotel moved to the top of my list when I found the resident black Labrador retrievers sitting at the entrance on its Web site.

Down the street from the Harlingford, the hotel is more English cozy in character. Botanical prints hang in the hallway, where windows are dressed in blue and white draperies; a blue rug with white accents covers the stairway.

Floral curtains and antique-style furniture are used throughout the 13-room hotel, co-owned for 16 years by Felicity Langley-Hunt and Sam Bellingham. A few years ago the 18th century hotel was featured in an episode of the TV series “Agatha Christie’s Poirot.”

There is no lounge or lobby (guests get keys to come and go), but the kitchen, with a huge pine table, serves as a reception area. There’s also no elevator, which means that if you’re staying on the top floor (their fourth, our fifth), there are 51 steps from the entrance. But staff will help with your luggage.

A delicious English breakfast with excellent coffee is served in a cheery room where tables are set with fresh flowers. A humorous sign here says, “Please don’t feed the dogs.” The greeters do tend to hang out in the room but are well behaved. (If a guest doesn’t want their company, the staff will escort them out.)

Most rooms have only a shower, and these tend to be tiny. Some are prefabs, a kind of pod that holds the shower, toilet and sink.

Besides non-satellite TV, direct-dial phone and hair dryer, the rooms have coffee-and tea-making gear, a safe and a small fridge.

There’s no air-conditioning, but rooms have fans. Windows are not double glazed.

Jenkins Hotel, 45 Cartwright Gardens; 011-44-20-7387-2067, fax 011-44-20-7383-3139, www.jen kinshotel.demon.co.uk. Tube: Russell Square, Euston.

Rates: single, $112; double, $133; triple, $164.

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Morgan Hotel

This 17-room hotel in an 18th century terrace house is popular, and with good reason: It’s around the corner from the British Museum and a 15-minute walk from West End theaters.

There’s nothing fancy about the rooms. (A renovation begun last month is expected to be completed by March.) But they are air-conditioned, and windows are double glazed. There’s TV (CNN is the only satellite channel), a direct-dial phone and a hair dryer. Most rooms have showers only. No elevator for the three floors.

English breakfast is served in a paneled room with wood booths.

Morgan Hotel, 24 Bloomsbury St.; 011-44-20-7636-3735, fax 011-44-20-7636-3045. Tube: Tottenham Court Road.

Rates: single, $94-$109; double, $137; triple, $203. Suites/apartments, $187-$254, are not air-conditioned but have refrigerators.

South Kensington

I chose this area and Earl’s Court because travelers can get here cheaply from Heathrow, London’s major airport, on the Piccadilly line. The hotels I found are within walking distance of the Victoria and Albert and the Natural History museums.

There are shopping and restaurants on Walton Street, Fulham Road, Brompton Road and Beauchamp Place, among others. For major shopping expeditions, a quick Tube stop (Knightsbridge station) away on the Piccadilly line are Harrods and Sloane Street, home to designer shops.

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Cranley Gardens Hotel

With 85 rooms, this qualifies as a hotel, not a B&B;, even though a continental breakfast is included. I wanted to experience staying in a larger place in this handy location.

Rooms tend to have light-colored walls with pastels for curtains and bedspreads. Gray and pink or blue and white seem to be favorite color combinations. Bed headboards have bamboo-like trim.

Rooms in the front on the first floor (second floor to Americans) have floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto a small terrace facing Cranley Gardens. I stayed in a front room, No. 108, and even though the hotel does not have double-glazed windows, traffic noise was not a problem. I could, however, hear my neighbors and voices in the hallways.

Four townhouses were connected to create the hotel. It has four floors, narrow hallways and no air-conditioning, but it does have an elevator.

Most rooms have showers and tubs, and all have satellite TV, direct-dial phones, Internet access and a hair dryer. There is good lighting by the beds.

The lobby has comfortable sofas and a few newspapers, and a bar lounge serves drinks and sandwiches until midnight; room service is available from 10 a.m. to midnight. There’s also 24-hour laundry service.

Cranley Gardens Hotel, 8 Cranley Gardens; 011-44-20-7373-3232, fax 011-44-20-7373-7944, www.cran leygardenshotel.com. Tube: Gloucester Road, South Kensington.

Rates: single, $108-$133; double, $139-$179; triple, $154-$211; quad, $164-$242.

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Hotel 167

A few blocks from Cranley Gardens Hotel, this hotel’s 19 rooms are done in a casual look. No. 20 has a bentwood rocker, No. 5 grapevine wreaths.

Eleven rooms have bathrooms, attractively tiled and with tubs and showers. Fans substitute for air-conditioning, and hair dryers are available at the front desk. Rooms have satellite TV, direct-dial phones, coffee-and tea-making gear and a small fridge. Windows are double glazed to soften traffic noise from Old Brompton Road.

The lobby doubles as the (continental) breakfast room, its marble tables and wrought iron chairs juxtaposed with a huge pine hutch.

Hotel 167, 167 Old Brompton Road; 011-44-20-7373-0672, fax 011-44-20-7373-3360, www.Hotel167.com. Tube: Gloucester Road, South Kensington.

Rates: single, $112; double for single occupancy, $134; double, $140-$154; triple, $25 for extra bed in room.

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Swiss House Hotel

This 15-room hotel, next to Hotel 167, has a decidedly English look, though it used to be the residence for Swissair crews.

The entrance has a weIcoming feel, with a facade of ivy-and flower-filled window boxes. Wood floors lend a rustic touch to rooms.

Room 202 has a decorative fireplace. The bathroom has a shower stall and is tiled in blue and white. Like other rooms in the back, this one looks onto a neighbor’s garden.

Rooms are not air-conditioned but do have non-satellite TV, a hair dryer and coffee-and tea-making gear (no direct-dial phone). Windows are double glazed.

Continental breakfast is served in a pretty blue-and-white basement room. There is no elevator to serve the three floors. One single has a shower but no toilet in the room.

Swiss House Hotel, 171 Old Brompton Road; 011-44-20-7373-9383, fax 011-44-20-7373-4983, www.swiss-hh.demon.co.uk. Tube: Gloucester Road, South Kensington.

Rates: single, $111; double, $139 and $162; triple, $187; quad, $209.

Earl’s Court

Earl’s Court Road is crammed with shops, restaurants and pubs. These hotels are just minutes from the Earl’s Court Tube station.

Amsterdam Hotel

A riot of color--and I mean that in a good way. Many of the 27 rooms are awash in blues, yellows and mauves.

This hotel has a lot going for it, including an elevator that serves the six floors. Lighting is good throughout.

Rooms are not air-conditioned but have individual heating, an uncommon feature. The tiled bathrooms (some with shower only, others with bath and shower) were some of the best I saw. Room amenities include direct-dial phone, non-satellite TV, hair dryer and coffee-and tea-making gear. Front rooms have double-glazed windows.

Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in the back stand out because they have direct access to the hotel’s lovely garden. Continental breakfast is served in a basement room.

Owner Ahmed Jajbhay’s hotel is a few doors away from a lovely hotel, the Rushmore, owned by his sister; a few streets away is one owned by his brother, Henley House Hotel. See below for both.

Amsterdam Hotel, 7 Trebovir Road; 011-44-20-7370-2814, fax 011-44-20-7244-7608, www.amsterdam-hotel.com. Tube: Earl’s Court.

Rates: single, $122; double, $137; triple, $175; family, $195. Suites also available, $169-$265.

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Henley House Hotel

This hotel is one of several on the street that faces Barkston Gardens. (At some, including this one, guests get keys to the gardens.) There’s a feeling of coziness upon entering the small lobby, paneled in mahogany.

There are 21 rooms on six floors, and there is an elevator. Bathrooms have showers only. Bedrooms are tastefully furnished in oak and mahogany.

No. 12, with two double beds, not only faces the gardens but also has floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto a small terrace.

Rooms have satellite TV, direct-dial phone, hair dryer, coffee-and tea-making gear and good lighting. There is no air-conditioning, and windows are not double glazed, but the street is relatively quiet.

Single rooms are on the top floor. Twin-bedded rooms generally are larger than rooms with double beds.

Continental breakfast is served in an airy conservatory.

With all this attention to detail, my only quibble is that owner Hussein Jajbhay should put more than soap in the bathrooms.

Henley House Hotel, 30 Barkston Gardens; 011-44-20-7370-4111, fax 011-44-20-7370-0026, www.henleyhousehotel.com. Tube: Earl’s Court.

Rates: single, $86-$123; double, $117-$159; triple, $140-$186.

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Maranton House Hotel

This family-owned hotel also faces Barkston Gardens. Two rooms that look onto the gardens are Nos. 17 and 18. Both are large, bright and airy, with nice bathrooms. (No. 17 has a bidet.) There are 16 rooms on seven floors and no elevator, but staff will help with luggage. Rooms do not have air-conditioning but do have double-glazed windows, non-satellite TV, direct-dial phone, hair dryer and coffee-and tea-making gear. Bathrooms have soap, shampoo and shower gel.

Continental breakfast is served on tablecloths in a pretty room.

Maranton House Hotel, 14 Barkston Gardens; 011-44-20-7373-5782, fax 011-44-20-7244-9543, e-mail marantonhotel@hotmail .com. Tube: Earl’s Court.

Rates: single, $101; double, $141; triple, $133.

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Merlyn Court Hotel

I’m including another hotel on Barkston Gardens, the 20-room Merlyn Court, even though four of its rooms do not have bathrooms and TVs. (A lounge has a TV.) Rooms have direct-dial phones and hair dryers. Eggs and bacon are included with breakfast. No elevator for the three floors.

Although on the spartan side when I visited, the rooms were clean and comfortable, and rooms are being upgraded with new carpeting and furniture.

Merlyn Court Hotel, 2 Barkston Gardens; 011-44-20-7370-1640, fax 011-44-20-7370-4986, www.merlyncourthotel.com. Tube: Earl’s Court.

Rates: single, $55-$70; double with bathroom, $109; basic double, $86; triple, $117; quad, $125.

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Rushmore Hotel

Owner Shireen Salooga loves mixing colors and using faux finishes, stenciling and trompe l’oeil touches. All 22 rooms have their own personalities.

In some (No. 6 is one), Salooga has draped fabric from the ceiling over the beds to form a free-floating canopy. Other rooms are more traditional, including No. 14, in Laura Ashley style.

This hotel is for someone who appreciates a room with flair--as well as with hair dryer, coffee-and tea-making gear, direct-dial phone and satellite TV. But it is not for anyone who cannot climb stairs. There are six floors but no elevator, though staff will help with luggage. The hotel is not air-conditioned.

Bathrooms (some with showers only, others with shower/tub combos) are tiled in marble and nicely appointed with brass fittings.

Windows are not double glazed, but the street is not noisy. The conservatory-like room where continental breakfast is served looks as if it belongs in a hotel charging twice as much. Italy is the influence for decor, with antique terra-cotta urns, Murano glass lighting fixtures and wrought iron furniture from Tuscany.

I would have liked some shampoo along with the soap in the bathroom. Seems like it should be there in a classy hotel like this.

Rushmore Hotel, 11 Trebovir Road; 011-44-20-7370-3839, fax 011-44-20-7370-0274, www.rushmore-hotel.co.uk. Tube: Earl’s Court.

Rates: single, $86-$101; double, $108-$123; triple/quad, $123-$139.

Paddington/Hyde Park

I scouted this area largely because of Paddington Station, home to Heathrow Express.

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Balmoral House Hotel

The entrance’s flowered wallpaper sets the tone for this sweet 33-room hotel in a 19th century Victorian townhouse. Pillowcases are lace, and bedspreads are in pink and lavender. Some might find the rooms too feminine.

The rooms have satellite TV, direct-dial phone, hair dryer and coffee-and tea-making gear.

Most rooms have showers only. Soap and shampoo are provided.

No elevator for the five floors.

An English breakfast is served in an airy basement dining room.

Balmoral House Hotel, 156 -157 Sussex Gardens; 011-44-20- 7723-7445, fax 011-44-20-7402- 0118, www.balmoralhousehotel.co.uk. Tube: Paddington.

Rates: single, $62; double, $101; triple, $125; quad, $156.

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Gresham Hotel

Definitely for the traveler who wants more of a hotel experience than B&B; coziness. Like a lounge and bar, for starters.

The 57 rooms have modern, tiled bathrooms, most with showers only. All rooms have satellite TV, direct-dial phone and a hair dryer.

Continental breakfast is served in a large dining room in the basement, and there is an elevator to serve the four floors.

Although some might classify the Gresham as a business hotel (there are a few “executive” rooms with microwave and fridge for about $202), I’m including it because it’s a nice hotel and the price is right.

Gresham Hotel, 116 Sussex Gardens; 011-44-20-7402-2920, fax 011-44-20-7402-3137, www.thegreshemhotel.activehotels.com. Tube: Paddington.

Rates: single, $109; double, $148; triple, $164; quad, $202.

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Hotel Columbus

I stayed in No. 204, a double-bedded room that faces the street. Even though the window is not double glazed, the street noise didn’t bother my light sleeping.

There was an interesting treatment over the bed: A blue-and-white floral fabric started as a “headboard” and continued up the wall to form a canopy. It dressed up an otherwise plain room.

The small bathroom was a prefab kind of space, similar to ones at the Jenkins Hotel. A tight squeeze, particularly in the shower.

I was able to see No. 603, which was a nice size for two. It’s the only ground-floor room and the one to request if stairs are a problem. There is no elevator for the four floors and 13 other rooms.

All rooms have non-satellite TV and direct-dial phone. Hair dryers are available at the front desk.

The modern lobby doubles as a breakfast room. Continental breakfast includes cheese and ham slices, breads, canned fruit, cereals and good coffee.

Hotel Columbus, 141 Sussex Gardens; 011-44-20-7262-0974, fax 011-44-20-7262-6785, www.delmerehotels.com. Tube: Paddington.

Rates: single, $86; double, $117; triple, $131; quad, $154.

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Hyde Park Radnor/Springfield Hotel

A note on two other area hotels I liked: Springfield Hotel on Sussex Gardens and the Hyde Park Radnor, its sister hotel around the corner. The Springfield has 18 rooms, the Radnor 35. Rooms at both were tastefully decorated, with more of a traditional English decor at the Springfield. One caveat: the Radnor’s rather unattractive lobby, which may be in for a renovation.

Both hotels offer satellite TV, a hair dryer and coffee-and tea-making gear. Bathrooms looked more modern at the Radnor, but only the Springfield has direct-dial phones. There’s an elevator for the six floors at the Radnor, none for the Springfield’s five floors. English breakfast is included at both hotels.

Hyde Park Radnor, 7-9 Sussex Place; 011-44-20-7723-5969, fax 011-44-20-7262-8955, www.hydeparkradnor.com.Tube: Paddington.

Rates: single, $78-$94; double, $109-$125; triple, $140; quad, $164-$179.

Springfield Hotel, 154 Sussex Gardens; 011-44-20-7723-9898, fax 011-44-20-7723-0874, www.springfieldhotellondon.co.uk. Tube: Paddington, Westminster.

Rates: single, $70-$86; double, $94-$109; triple, $117-$133; quad, $125-$140.

Victoria

I chose this area because it’s close (well, relatively) to major sites such as Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and the Tate Britain museum. And in the general area for visits to the National Theatre complex and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

As for transportation, Victoria Station is about 15 minutes away.

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Blades Hotel

After being buzzed into this hotel, I passed under a pretty chandelier, headed up the stairs to the conservatory reception area and met the friendly manager, Kevin Greenan. The hotel was very full, so he could show me only one room: No. 4 on the ground floor. There are 16 rooms on four floors. All have showers only and no hair dryer (ask at reception) or coffee-or tea-making gear. Windows are not double glazed, so light sleepers might want a room in the back to muffle traffic on busy Belgrave Road.

The hotel has no air-conditioning and no elevator, but breakfast is “more substantial than a continental,” Greenan says.

Blades Hotel, 122 Belgrave Road; 011-44-20-7976-5552, fax 011-44-20-7976-6500, www.blades-hotel.co.uk. Tube: Pimlico, Victoria.

Rates: single, $94; double, $117; triple, $140; quad, $187.

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Luna & Simone Hotel

It looks Victorian on the outside, but inside the feeling is sleek. Gold and blue bedspreads and blue carpeting add color to the rooms with light-colored walls. Bathrooms are modern and have enclosed glass showers.

There are 35 rooms, 33 with shower only. Rooms have non-satellite TV, direct-dial phones, hair dryers, coffee-and tea-making gear and safes.

English breakfast is served in two modern basement rooms.

Luna & Simone Hotel, 47/49 Belgrave Road; 011-44-20-7834-5897, fax 011-44-20-7828-2474, www.lunasimonehotel.com. Tube: Pimlico, Victoria.

Rates: single, $55-$94; double, $94-$125; triple, $125-$156.

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New England Hotel

This hotel, in a Georgian townhouse, has been run by the Patel family since 1981. It’s obvious the family cares about running a first-class establishment.

All 25 rooms have tiled bathrooms with enclosed showers that are temperature controlled. There is no air-conditioning, but heat in each room can be individually controlled. Windows are double glazed.

All rooms have TV (CNN is the only satellite channel), direct-dial phones, modem outlets and hair dryers.

The six floors are served by an elevator. English breakfast is in a cheerful basement dining room.

New England Hotel, 20 St. George’s Drive; 011-44-20-7834-8351, fax 011-44-20-7834-9000, www.newenglandhotel.com. Tube: Victoria.

Rates: single, $76-$101; double, $92-$139; triple, $123-$168; quad, $139-$186.

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Winchester Hotel

On a block with many hotels that look nice from the outside but can be disappointing upon closer inspection, this one delivers. In fact, upon stepping into the classy entry (rose carpeting, sandstone-colored walls, mirrors, moldings), you might think you are in tony Mayfair. A great deal of thought and care has gone into maintaining the quality of the hotel, owned for the last 20 years by Jimmy McGoldrick and his wife, Juanita.

The overall feeling is tranquil, with walls of the 18 rooms painted yellow, pink or taupe. Carpeting is red, and bedspreads and draperies are in gold and cream with red piping. Back rooms are smaller but quieter; windows are not double glazed, and Belgrave Road is right outside. All rooms have non-satellite TV. Bathrooms are tiled and have high-pressure, temperature-controlled showers. Nice, but I think shampoo should accompany the soap. I would like to see phones and hair dryers (available at the front desk) in the rooms, and I wish the hotel accepted credit cards.

Despite my qualms, this is a special hotel. English breakfast is served on Royal Doulton china, set with Christofle flatware. There’s no lounge, and there is no elevator for the six floors, but staff will deliver luggage.

Winchester Hotel, 17 Belgrave Road; 011-44-20-7828-2972, fax 011-44-20-7828-5191, www.winchester-hotel.net. Tube: Victoria.

Rates: single, $133; double, $133; triple, $172; quad, $218. One-and two-bedroom suites available nearby, $187-$359. Note: No credit cards.

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Guidebook: London for Little

Getting there: Nonstop service is available from LAX to London on British Airways, United Airlines, American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Air New Zealand. Continental Airlines has direct service (one stop). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $756.

Getting from the airports: The cheapest way into London from Heathrow is the Tube’s Piccadilly line; fare is about $5.60. Trains leave every 10 minutes for the 40-to 55-minute trip.

Another inexpensive way (about $12.50 one way) to reach central London: Airbus (www.gobycoach.com), which stops throughout the city. The buses leave every 30 minutes from Heathrow throughout most of the day and take an hour or more to central London.

Heathrow Express, www.heathrowexpress.co.uk, into Paddington Station ($17 one way), every 15 minutes 9 a.m.-midnight, takes about 15 minutes.

From Gatwick to Victoria Station: the Gatwick Express train, www.gatwickexpress.co.uk, which runs every half hour (30-minute trip). Rate: $17 one way.

Getting around: Head for the Underground and its 11 lines (273 stations), which can whisk you all over London between 5:30 a.m. and midnight. There are ways to save money:

If you plan travel only in zone 1 (central city), get a book of 10 single tickets for $18; you’ll save about $7.

Buy a Travelcard, which covers transport on the Tube and some buses. Day, weekend and weekly passes are offered. For information, go to a Tube station or check the Web site www.transportforlondon.gov.uk.

Buy a Visitor Travelcard before arrival. It is valid for travel on three, four or seven consecutive days and covers unlimited travel on buses and the Underground in central London. Rates are $32-$63 for adults, $14-$24 for children 5-15. Tickets available from Britrail, (877) 677-1066; Rail Europe, www.raileurope.com; DER Travel Services, (888) 337-7350; and Tickets To, (800) 869-8184. See also www.ticket-on-line.com.

For more information: British Tourist Authority, 551 Fifth Ave., Suite 701, New York, NY 10176; (877) 899-8391, www.visitbritain.com.

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Carolyn McGuire is associate Travel editor at the Chicago Tribune.