Accommodation Tips

School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) is in the Bloomsbury area of central London which is very popular with tourists. As a consequence of this, there are many hotels in the area but they are pricey. The following might be helpful, and is designed to suit a range of pocket sizes.  

General

www.laterooms.com

If you go to this site and search WC1 for 27-29 November it gives you a list of 50 or so hotels in the Bloomsbury area which are all in easy reach of the conference. The information includes details of star rating, price for that weekend, link to individual hotel websites etc. These range in price from £400-£40 a night!

NB It is often cheaper to book through this website than directly with the hotel. And if you request no breakfast it is often approximately £5 cheaper.

Some recommended hotels:

[All prices based on a single room]

The Lancaster Hotel
Bedford Place
WC1
(£65 per night). This hotel is very near the conference and extremely nice. It can be booked through the hotel’s website. Go to www.thelancaster.co.uk

The Tavistock Hotel
Tavistock Square
WC1
(c.£67 per night). Reasonable hotel just round the corner from SOAS. www.imperialhotels.co.uk/tavistock.htm

Park Inn Hotel

77 Southampton Row

WC1

(From £79 per night. Newly refurbished. Very close to SOAS)

http://www.london.russell-square.parkinn.co.uk/

The Mabledon Court Hotel
Mabledon Place
WC1
(£75 per night). A short walk to SOAS, small but perfectly nice rooms www.mabledonhotel.com

The Hotel Cavendish
75 Gower Street
WC1
(£85 per night). Very near SOAS, a little grander. www.hotelcavendish.com

Other options

Travelodge provide an anonymous hotel experience. There are two in King’s Cross, and one in Euston, all near the conference venues. Try the website www.travelodge.co.uk

A similar style hotel is on Euston Road/Duke’s Place: Premier Travel Inn Euston. It has building works during November, socar parking is not available (c.£90 per night). www.premiertravelinn.com/pti/hotelInformation.do?hotelId=23882

Other hotels on the cheaper end (which we have not visited, so cannot guarantee quality) include:

Arosfa Hotel
83 Gower Street
London WC1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7636 2115
http://www.arosfalondon.com
Prices around Single: £55 Double/twin: £82

Arran House Hotel
77 Gower Street
London WC1
Tel: +44 20 7636 2186 London WC1 Fax: +44 20 7436 5328
Email: arran@dircon.co.uk
http://www.arranhotel-london.com
Prices around Basic: Single: £55 Double/twin: £82; Ensuite: Single: £65 Double/twin: £105

Ashlee House
261-265 Gray's Inn Road
London WC1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7833 9400
Fax: +44 (0)20 7833 9677
www.ashleehouse.co.uk
Dorm: £9; Single: £45; Double: £22.50

County Hotel
Upper Woburn Place
London WC1H 0JW
Tel: +44 (0)20 7387 5544
www.imperialhotels.co.uk
Single: £42 Double/twin: £54

Crescent Hotel
49-50 Cartwright Gardens
London WC1H
Tel: +44 (0)20 7387 1515
www.crescenthoteloflondon.com
Single: £50 Double: £99

European Hotel
11-15 Argyle Square
Kings Cross WC1
www.travelstay.com:80/pages/EuropeanHotel.htm?affcode=RA
the cost of a single room + private bathroom + breakfast is £50)

Garth Hotel
69 Gower Street
London WC1E 6HJ
Tel: +44 (0)20 7636 5761
Fax: +44 (0)20 7637 4854
www.garthhotel-london.com
Single: £55 Double: £69

The Generator Hostel
Compton Place (off 37 Tavistock Square)
London WC1H 9SD
www.generatorhostels.com
Dorm: £22.50; Private (based on 4 sharing) £25

The George Hotel
58-60 Cartwright Gardens
London WC1 9EL
Tel: +44 (0)20 7387 8777
www.georgehotel.com
Basic: Single: £49.50 Double: £68.50; Ensuite: Single: £75 Double: £89

Goodenough Club
Mecklenburgh Square
London WC1N 2AB
Tel: +44 (0)20 7769 4727
www.club.goodenough.ac.uk
Single: £95 (including breakfast) (Members rates: available to staff or alumni of academic institutions, charities)

Gower House Hotel
57 Gower Street
London 
WC1E 6HS
Tel: +44 20 7636 4685
Fax: +44 20 7636 4685
www.s-h-systems.co.uk/hotels/gowerhousehotel.html
Single: £50-£65 Double: £55-80 (all with breakfast)

The Gresham Hotel

36 Bloomsbury Street
London WC1B 3QJ
Tel: +44 20 7580 4232
Single: £40 Double/twin: £58; Ensuite single: £ 55; double: £75

http://www.greshamhotellondon.com/

SOAS has an arrangement with the nearby Bloomsbury Holiday Inn. Book by phone and say you are attending a conference at the School of Oriental and African Studies and they will give you ‘the corporate rate’ – around £105 a night.

The YMCA Indian Students’ Hostel
41 Fitzroy Square
W1
www.indianymca.org
The Indian YMCA is close by and provides excellent facilities at very reasonable prices. You do not need to be young, a student, or Indian to stay there. Rooms are from £40 - £67 a night, and range from basic to en suite. Dormitory beds are £25 a night. Prices include both breakfast and dinner. All details are available at the website. *Strongly recommended for those on a budget.

St Pancras Youth Hostel Association
79-81 Euston Road
NW1.
www.yha.org.uk
There is no longer an age barrier to staying at a Youth Hostel in Britain and this one is a short walk away from the conference. Beds are £25 a night in rooms of 2 – 6 beds.

Palmers Lodge Hostel
40 College Crescent
Swiss Cottage
NW3
www.palmerslodge.co.uk
This has the disadvantage of being a tube journey away from the conference (nearest tube Swiss Cottage) but is otherwise a good hostel with beds from £14 for a dorm to £26 for an en suite room. Price includes continental breakfast.

Here are some other cheapish hostels.

International Student House which is near SOAS www.ish.org.uk/ – enquiries to accom@ish.org.uk

Penn Club in Russell Square (www.pennclub.co.uk/tariff.html) Prices begin at £56 for a basic single for non-members.

You might also try the Backpackers’ hostel chain, St Christopher’s Inns, which has hostels nearby in Camden and Covent Garden from £15 for multi-occupant rooms.

http://www.st-christophers.co.uk/london-hostels

The more adventurous may wish to try renting a house. 

http://www.housetrip.com/en/london