Air bnb or hotel for a family of 5 in London

[Anonymous]

We are planning on visiting London in the summer as a family of 5. I have a hotel booked in central London for now but every hotel I checked out required two rooms. Also they only have one large double bed and a sofa bed for more than two people and we aren’t big fans of sofa beds. For all those who have travelled to London would you recommend an air bnb or a hotel and can you please suggest some recommendations.

[Anonymous]

We did Airbnb for the exact reason.

You do need to be careful because there are a ton of listings that are seemingly scams. I only selected places that had more than 4 or 5 reviews and were priced within the going rate - too many “new” listings coming in cheap and those screamed fraud to me.

[Anonymous]

We are a family of 5 and frequently do Airbnb or Vrbo because our kids do not like sharing beds. Read the description carefully, look at the neighborhood using Google maps or get a feel for the area (the exact address won’t be disclosed before you book but the description frequently will cite restaurants or places of interest nearby so you can approximate). And definitely read reviews closely. Never book a place - no matter how good it looks - without reviews and 4 or 5 stars.

[Anonymous]

The underground is so comprehensive, you could easily stay in one of the suburbs and be in central London relatively quickly.

That might save you money and get you a bigger place.

[Anonymous]

We stayed at the hotel at the Chelsea Football ground. I don't think they have big enough rooms for 5 either, but from that area, it is really easy to get a bus (or the tube) into the center of London. The bus from Fulham Rd or Kings Rd went past Knightsbridge, Scotland Yard, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, among the big sites, so it was fun to get a free tour from the top level. There may be hotels or places with more space in that area.

[Anonymous]

DP here. How does one find reputable vacation rentals in London? (And Paris if you know that too.) We are only a family of 4 but running into the same issues as OP - we don't like sofa beds and also can fit 2 people in a tiny double bed. In the US we do 2Q rooms without issue. But by the time I pay for 2 hotel rooms in Europe, we'd be better off in a rental I think, plus it gives us a kitchen. Does anyone know anything about the Aparthotel/Citadine type model? Or just go straight to vacation rentals?

[Anonymous]

We are a family of 5 and stayed at Hilton London Metropole. You can book adjoining rooms. We got a king and 2 queens with pull out double bed. It’s all made up and ready for you so no opening couch yourself. Easy walking distance to Edgware Road station. Very good breakfast option to pay for in advance (better than most hotel breakfasts) and a great cafe across the street that was a nice option. Would stay there again in a heartbeat

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did Airbnb for the exact reason.

You do need to be careful because there are a ton of listings that are seemingly scams. I only selected places that had more than 4 or 5 reviews and were priced within the going rate - too many “new” listings coming in cheap and those screamed fraud to me.

Agreed 100% on potential scams with new places or places with only a couple of reviews. Definitely seems common there from when we looked. But we had no issues with our Airbnb- nice location, good reviews. Worked out well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did Airbnb for the exact reason.

You do need to be careful because there are a ton of listings that are seemingly scams. I only selected places that had more than 4 or 5 reviews and were priced within the going rate - too many “new” listings coming in cheap and those screamed fraud to me.

Agreed 100% on potential scams with new places or places with only a couple of reviews. Definitely seems common there from when we looked. But we had no issues with our Airbnb- nice location, good reviews. Worked out well.

Also, if going in the summer, be aware very few places will have A/C. Try and find reviews from last summer and note anything about heat, fans, etc.

[Anonymous]

I was just going to post about AC. We stayed at a small hotel which had very weak AC and at a Hilton (I think) in Westminster. The Hilton’s American-style blasting AC felt so incredibly good.

Last summer friends got an Airbnb in Paris and moved to a hotel midway through because Paris was so hot and the apartment had no AC.

[Anonymous]

We stayed st the residence inn Kensington and got a two bedroom unit with a pullout couch in the living area.

[Anonymous]

We went last November and also stayed at the Hilton Metropole. They have rooms for 5.

[Anonymous]

Sonder has become a favorite of all our friends with kids/traveling as a family since the pandemic. They have multiple properties in London with apartment or suite-style hotel rooms.

It seems to really hit that sweet spot for families who want hotel amenities, reliability, and security but would like something more spacious.

https://www.sonder.com/destinations/london/search?sleeps=1&neighborhood=all_neighborhoods&bedroom_count=0&bed_count=1&bathroom_count=1&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_term=sonder+lodging&utm_campaign=16022060604