Markstone492

Dear all, just received confirmation of our appointment. Next Weds (11th), only submitted the E2 application on the 23rd Jan! Yikes! Getting very real now.

Any recommendations on Hotels, close to the London Embassy?

Tried the Millenium, all booked up....

Many thanks, Mark

Pulaski

There are some smaller and/or more modestly priced hotels on the north side of Hyde Park and back towards Paddington Station. Even the hotel at Paddington station is only about 15 minutes walk from the US embassy. ..... Note that reality is very different from the Tube diagram, which makes Paddington look to be a long way from Marble Arch.

username.exe

I second Pulaski's Paddington suggestion, but would caution the walk would probably take around half an hour or so.

Markstone492

OK great, thanks guys. Much appreciated.

Pulaski

You're probably right - Google maps says 27 minutes. At 4mph (usually considered to be the speed of a brisk walk) it would be 20 minutes. ...... The embassy is a few more minutes from Marble Arch than I remember, and I can walk Paddington to Marble Arch in 15 minutes.

username.exe

Plus you'll want to put 15mins aside to gawk through the window at the Aston Martin showroom on Park Lane .

Springy6

We stayed at the Darlington Hyde Park - was a great little hotel.

ian-mstm

I'm sure you think this is an immigration problem... but it's not.

Ian

Pulaski

But this subforum is choc full of people who have visited the US embassy and who might have useful experience to share.

lyndilou

Yes I found this information useful for when we go down for our interview...we would hate to be spending a nerve wracking evening in some awful hotel. It is better that someone who has done it can share their experience, either good or bad

RICH

I'll suggest Radisson Blu-Edwardian. They have 4 hotels within 15 mins walk from the embassy. The Mayfair, Portman, Berkshire & Sussex. In my previous life I worked for them, but I have no vested interest other than being very familiar with them. I lived in the Sussex' basement for 2 years! (When it had staff rooms and a different name!)

Its been years, but if the Millenium is your price range, these would be similar.

Sussex

ian-mstm

Oh, I agree 100%... but this isn't the correct forum. Finding a hotel isn't an immigration issue.

Ian

RICH

Finding a hotel/getting to the embassy IS part of the immigration process, and no doubt daunting for some. Why not post it here?

On the other hand, many of those that have done it recently, and might have good advice, are likely long gone from this forum.

materialcontroller

Without wanting to sound snarky, I don't really understand the need for a hotel close to the embassy. It's London and the city has great public transport which means that the embassy is accessible from just about anywhere.

Pulaski

Once in a while an incident (train failure, "suspicious bag", someone falls on the line, etc.) shuts down a line and everything grinds to a halt. When you have a very important appointment you don't want the stress of wondering if that is going to happen on the day of your visa interview.

I once had an exam to sit in Bethnal Green and set out in ample time, arrived (from the west) almost an hour early. Shortly after I arrived in Bethnal Green, the Central line shut down and frantic candidates were racing around Liverpool St trying to find cabs to get them out to Bethnal Green, some arrived with minutes to spare, others arrived after the exam had started.

Another time I was heading to Paddington for another exam, and everything went fine for the two days I had exams, but the very next day a truck hit the tube bridge at Kew Gardens, where I lived at the time, shutting down the District line from Richmond, and it would have made it almost impossible to get to my exam on time.

Whenever I visit London on business I always stay at a hotel within walking distance of the office. I am happy to take the tube to the West End in an evening to go to a restaurant or theatre, but I don't need to be inconvenienced on my way to the office in the morning.