London 2014: overview and where we stayed

Overview

Between my time in France and an office visit in the UK I had a free weekend, so I knew I was going to stay in London. Leandra wasn’t going to let me go to London by myself again so this time she flew out to meet me for a long weekend. We spent two nights in Earls Court and then two nights out at the airport. As usual, we had a great time exploring museums, shops and pubs all across London, and can’t wait to return again.

Hotels

Hotel Indigo Kensington – Earl’s Court
The hotel is only 2 blocks from the tube and fairly easy to find. Thankfully there was a room available when Leandra arrived from her overnight flight. We had 310, one of two rooms tucked away between fire doors and up a half flight of stairs. Our view was a residential area, and thankfully no road noise. The heater had a strange rattle and the adjacent room was audible (especially a few door slams).

Our room was surprisingly spacious by London standards, with a nice wardrobe area, desk and chair, and most importantly, a very comfortable bed. The bathroom was quite stylish and Leandra loved the toiletries. Non-alcoholic drinks in the minibar were complimentary and there was a huge selection of TeaPig tea bags. Overall it was a great room and we enjoyed our first stay at an Indigo, and given the convenient location, we’ll certainly consider this place as an option for future trips to London.

Hilton Heathrow Airport
We moved out the airport on Sunday so I would have a shorter transit to my appointment on Monday and so that Leandra could simply walk to Heathrow for her trip home. It was about a 10 minute walk from the Tube station to the hotel through a covered, but otherwise outdoor, walkway (therefore rather chilly in winter). Check in was easy, and we were upgraded to the Executive floor which meant a top floor room with views to the outside and into the atrium (right) as well as complimentary hot breakfast in the lounge. The room was quite large by European standards with plenty of space and plugs for electronics. Thankfully, the room was quiet and the bed was comfortable. The Hilton is a good base if you need to be in or near the airport area and definitely a bit more posh than the nearby Jurys Inn where we’ve stayed previously.