Regent Palace Hotel, London

Recently, my husband and I had to travel to London for a few days so were looking for somewhere reasonable to stay. We found lastminute.com advertising the Regent Palace Hotel at a very good price so booked with a bit trepidation as it was said to be in the heart of Picadilly and at £66 per night per double ensuite room, wouldn't you be sceptical?

But what a great choice. OK, it wasn't the lap of luxury but when it said heart of Picadilly, they weren't kidding! You come off the underground following signs for Regent Street and there, across the road is the hotel.

It's right amongst the shops, theatres and a huge entertainment complex right next door (which I've forgotten the name of). The hotel doesn't do breakfast but is attached to an Irish bar which does food all day at reasonable cost and is only a five minute walk from Chinatown with all of it's restaurants, ten minutes from Leicester Square and fifteen from Covent Garden. It also has a restaurant called the Atlantic right in the basement where you can go for a good two or three course pre-theatre dinner menu at £14-95 & £16-95 only watch out for the drinks prices, they're on the expensive side.

The Irish bar also has nightly entertainment then becomes a nightclub for patrons of the hotel. We sat through a band one night which wasn't bad but the next evening's soloist was a bit painful to bear so it's pot-luck.

The room we were in was clean and comfortable with spacious drawer / wardrobe space, TV,double bed and cubicle - sized shower / toilet but for the time we spent inside, it was fine.

Reception was slow but thorough and this is a large hotel you're talking about with lots of people taking advantage of it's great location at a great price. For those of you travelling to London alone, single rooms were about £46 per night,there were cheaper ones even for those on a tight budget but these had no ensuite so you had to use showers etc. in the corridor. Prices go up at the weekend so are in the £90 range for a double ensuite room or a bit more if you want a full size bathroom, not a cubicle.

If you're looking for a view from your room, don't book. Most look out onto other buildings and roofs at close quarters but, I must say, my view of 6 builders' bums on the first day there wasn't all bad!

This is about the eighth time I've stayed in London and can't say I found the dearer hotels we've been at any better and, as I said before, the location is so good, I'm surprised it doesn't bump the price up. Would definitely stay there again.