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HOTELS

What 99 Pounds Buys in London

The exchange rate means that if you want to stay someplace with style, you're going to spend at least $200 a night. Here's how to do it without hating yourself in the morning.
February 2007 issue |

Minus: Like most small London hotels, the five-story B+B Belgravia doesn't have an elevator. (There is one handicapped-accessible room on the ground floor.)

Details: 64-66 Ebury St., 011-44/20-7259-8570, bb-belgravia.com, from £99 ($190), includes breakfast.


BASE2STAY

'Hood: South Kensington/Earls Court, within easy walking distance of the Natural History Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, Harrods, and Hyde Park.

First impression: Base2Stay was opened last April by Robert Nadler, a developer tired of paying for amenities he never used, like gyms and restaurants. What's left are central A/C, flat-screen TVs, and soft linens. (The concept is similar to that of another London hotel, the Hoxton.)

The rooms: Each of the 67 rooms has a kitchenette tucked neatly behind a pair of doors. Food can be ordered from nearby restaurants through the free in-room TV Internet service. Large bathrooms and great light also make the hotel good for long stays.

Plus: Rooms have handmade Italian armchairs that fold out to sleep one or two additional people, at no extra charge.

Minus: While guests praise the beds' comfort, standard doubles have beds that are only five feet wide. Higher classes of rooms have six-foot beds.

Details: 25 Courtfield Gardens, 011-44/20-7244-2255, base2stay.com, from £99 ($190).

MONTAGU PLACE

'Hood: Marylebone, home to a Saturday outdoor food and fashion market, Cabbages & Frocks.

First impression: Montagu Place costs more than the others, but you get more. Its striking light fixtures, custom artwork, and walnut furnishings were orchestrated by a Glasgow design firm called in after a fire three years ago.

Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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