Why I love Tune Hotels, Westminster, UK

 

I have just came back from a 10-days holiday in London. My choice of accommodation was set much, much earlier as I had heard that a Tune Hotels will open a branch in London since early 2010. I have stayed in 2 other Tune Hotels before the one in Westminster which were the Tune Hotels Kuala Lumpur and Tune Hotels LCCT, near the airport. Both was a one-night stay as it was a kind of a transit where the former was before a trip to Singapore by bus for the Nuffnang's Blog Award show (Nuffnang office was 50 meters away) and the latter was for a trip to Phi Phi Island as the flight was very early. Then, I was also invited to Tune Hotels Damansara for a foursquare day meet up (I didn't see the room then as it was fully occupied).

Before anyone says I am bias or getting paid to blog for this, let me make it clear I am not getting anything out of this. I paid nearly RM200+ per night (which comes up to 40 pounds per night) for this stay as I couldn't get the 1 penny offer they had. And I actually don't mind paying this amount as I know how much a London hotel cost. And as for the stay I had in the previous Tune Hotels, I didn't enjoy one of them (the one in LCCT) as I think it was too small. The one in Kuala Lumpur's downtown is quite OK although I think the location is a bit dodgy.

What is perfect about Tune Hotels, Westminster is its location. The real estate mantra of Location, Location, Location can never be as true. 

How much do I love thee? Let me count the way :-

1) 10 steps (across the street) from the nearest Tube Station;

2) 10 steps to a few bus stops;

3) 500 meters to the nearest bus station/train station (Waterloo);

4) A Costa Coffee (a coffee chain in UK rivaling Starbucks) which is within the same building though not affiliate at all with Tune Hotels;

 

5) A Chicken Palace with good halal fried chicken and wicked lamb ribs (BBQ) across the street;

6) A 24-hours Costcutter mini mart which have all type of drinks (it is an off-license), snacks, fresh fruits and all your household need, across the street;

This is the street near Tune Hotels where on the left is the Chicken Palace and Costcutter

7) A Chinese restaurant at an intersection about 20 meters, just across the street;

8) A few Indian food restaurants within walking distance (on the way to Waterloo);

9) A few Thai restaurants and pubs (The Horse is just next door) within walking distance;

10) A few places of interest within 100 meters radius notable the Imperial War Museum;

11) 200 meters from Southbank which housed The London Eye, The London Aquarium, a few theaters, a few bridges. It was the Thames River Festival when we were there and we managed to catch the fireworks and I even have a video for it;

12) 220 meters from Westminster Bridge which brings you to Westminster, Westminster Abbey, The Big Ben and basically the best place for you to take a picture to say you have arrived in good Olde England;

13) A Bicycle Station, which cost 1 pound an hour for rental as the Mayor of London is trying to get more people to ride bike, just across the street;

14) The hotel rooms are roomy in contrast with some other London hotels I have stayed. I have enough space to perform my prayers. Oh, of course you can get roomy room if you are willing to pay RM1000 or more per night. This is London where the price of real estate for 200 square feet can fetch quite a tidy sum of money;

15) The hotel staffs are friendly;

16) They charged 10 pound of a high speed wireless internet, which I consider is the best deal I get. The amount of pictures I uploaded on Facebook while I was there justify this;

17) I can read the headlines, know the temperature and the time from a digital billboard across the street on Lambeth North Tube station outside wall;

18) It uses eco-friendly lights which switch off if there are no one in the corridors and switch on back again once you pass it;

And these are just some of the facts which I think is worthwhile mentioning which makes it a great hotel. And this does not include the fact of how Tune Hotels are being marketed and you can get it quite cheaply if you book it early. They still have rooms for the 2011 new year at 100 pounds (going fast). Some facts may change as there are so many things happening in London every other day.

And, these facts are enough for me to come back to Tune Hotels Westminster the next time I travel there. Maybe for the Olympics in 2012? And please let this be the standard Tune Hotels will always strive when they open a new hotel at a new location.