London Paddington Station

Before diving into what we did on our stop in London, I’ll briefly mention our lodging. For this stay I chose the Novotel London Paddington, not far from…wait for it…Paddington Station!  I had collected a decent number of points in the “Le Club Accor Hotels” loyalty program, enough to cover our time there.  And as we were arriving into Paddington Station from Cardiff, it seemed like it would be convenient enough.

The property is only about a 10 minute walk (15 at most if you are slowed down with

Canal on the walk from Paddington to Novotel hotel

large bags), mostly along a canal, from the train station. This made for easy transit around the city with all of the train, bus, tube, and taxi options there.  There is a small group of mostly casual-food restaurants and a grocery store just down the semi-pedestrianized streets surrounding the hotel.  However if you’re interested in a broader range of eateries, shops, and such, you’ll need to walk back to Paddington and beyond.  Definitely workable though.  We ate at the hotel restaurant a couple of times.  One of the nice things about the Accor loyalty program is that points can be redeemed for hotel restaurant and other on-property purchases billed to your.  So we saved a bit of cash on a meal or two that way.  The hotel restaurant was slightly overpriced (as with any hotel dining establishment) but good.

Novotel London Paddington

We had a triple room, with a double bed and a twin.  Room and common area furnishings were attractive, clean, and comfortable. We slept soundly every night, not noticing any noise from the hallway or neighboring rooms. I’d certainly consider staying again, although the price would have to be right if I didn’t have the points.  But with so many hotels to choose from in the greater London area, I’ll probably always look around when visiting and weigh my options.