London is an expensive city. Finding lodging at an affordable price is not easy. In the early days we stayed at the Y, either the YMCA on Great Russell Street or the nearby YWCA Queen’s Club hostel that had family rooms close by the British Museum. The central Y on Great Russell St has been town down and the redevelopment is funding other Ys across London. I found no listing for the Queen’s Club. We’ve also stayed in hotels outside the city center. They’re less expensive but it takes a while to get anywhere. Back when we were flush with Marriott points, we stayed at a few luxury establishments, including the St. Pancras, one of my favorites.
For much of the decade between 1993 and 2003 we had privileges at Beaumont House in Bayswater, a grand Victorian edifice (with Victorian plumbing) convenient to three tube lines. Beaumont house was the BBC World Service Hostel, where BBC journalists from all over the world stayed. We were greeted by either Wendy or Carol, cheerful women who made you feel welcome. In 1999 and 2000 we were also greeted by a golden lab who carried a teddy bear the same color as the dog. At teatime the dog would wait for a bit of tea cake. BBC Recruits learned about London at Beaumont, seasoned hands came in for training, or to train the new recruits. People like Suzi and me, who were working as partners with the BBC World Service Training Trust could stay there. One reporter described it as a cross between an English boarding school and the Tower of Babel. After we had been evacuated from Albania, we were happy to see friends from the Albania service safely evacuated and living at Beaumont with stories to tell.
Breakfast was always an occasion, eating my Weetabix, chatting with correspondents from around the world. I remember one late breakfast on Remembrance Sunday. All the lively chatter stopped dead at 11:00 AM for two minutes of silence and then picked up again where it left off.
The matron who ran the breakfast bar was unfailingly optimistic. Hamid Ismalov wrote about this encounter in a love note to Beaumont House when it closed.
“How are things with you luv?”
“Could be better”
“But mind you, it could’ve been worse, too.”
At Beaumont House the glass was always half full and staying there was always a joy, even with the steep winding staircases that you had to negotiate at 2 AM to find the toilet. Alas, it is no longer an option because the BBC lost its lease in 2010. So now, where to go?
We found our answer for this trip at the Citizen M Hotel at Victoria Station. It is a Marriott brand minimalist hotel. Each room in each Citizen M is identical, the width of a King Sized Bed. There is a bed, a cabinet with a toilet and high pressure shower, a counter with a sink, an area to hang clothes with room to stow a suitcase, a small shelf like desk and a chair.
The room is controlled by an iPad. It controls the lights, the window curtains and shades, climate control, TV, you can set different mood lighting. You can ask for your room to be cleaned and specify if you want light cleaning or full cleaning. The room has both 110 and 220 outlets with Edison plugs, English plugs and Continental European plugs. It also has plenty of USB outlets. The tiny rooms take up as little space as possible, keeping the price relatively low. I stress relatively. This IS London and the location, a few steps from Victoria Station, puts you at the hub of 3 tube lines, trains and a bus hub.
Reception is a counter with iPads. It takes a minute to check in and 30 seconds to check out. The key doubles as a luggage tag, if you wish it to. It is roadie trading card with a punch through which you can put a luggage attachment tie and there is space for name and contact information.
There is no room service and no concierge service, but there is a living room that serves breakfast and has a bar and barista on duty 24/7. There is workspace in the living room with high speed internet and spaces for meetings. There are chairs and sofas arranged in conversational groups. There are also games available. The room is well used and has a happy vibe. You can get a day pass if you are not staying at the hotel if you need a place to work while visiting London.
A king sized bed that goes wall to wall is somewhat difficult to get in and out of for two people who are almost 80 but we managed. For a single it would be perfect.
