Over the years the building has been home to many different things, most recently an indoor “theme park” complete with adrenaline pumping rides, arcades and some truly tacky shops. It may not have been the classiest address in town, but it certainly offered shelter to many an adolescent teenager on their first date in London.

Now the French hotel operator, Accor, has announced ownership of the building and is soon to begin work on transforming it into the largest budget hotel in London’s West End. Sitting under the Ibis brand, the hotel will be named the Ibis Styles Piccadilly Circus and will house a whopping 583 rooms.

Related: Affordable hotels near Piccadilly Circus

Although not due to open its doors until 2017, the hotel will offer Cheapos a much more affordable place to stay for such a coveted part of London, with rooms costing between £100-£150 per night including breakfast. Guests will be able to walk to London’s most famous theaters, shops, restaurants and bars within minutes and really soak up the atmosphere of being in the thick of city life.

The announcement fits in with the hotel’s aggressive plans for UK, with a goal to increase its current 208 UK properties to 300 by 2018.

For more news and tips on budget travel in London check out our blog.

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There are plenty of menus catering to the London theater lovers, and they can offer brilliant value for money. On the other hand, West End theaters are perfectly located for some of London’s best cheap eats. Either option is better than filling up on over priced ice cream in the interval. I recommend saving that money for a post-theater ice at Scoop instead.

Set menus and pre-theater specials

These are pricier than the usual eating-out options usually recommended on EuroCheapo, but they offer an excellent value for the money and, combined with your theater ticket, offer a great London experience. Do remember to book ahead to guarantee a table, and let your waiter or waitress know when you need to be in the theater: it would be a tragedy to have to rush your dessert.

Go for the cheap set menus at classy Brasserie Zedel. Photo: Ewan M

Brasserie Zedel
20 Sherwood Street

Brasserie Zedel is really one of the best impress-for-less eating places in London. It’s a large, buzzy bistro that oozes Art Deco style. In fact, it’s so stylish it’s hard to believe their prices. The prix fixe is £8.95 for two courses and £11.75 for three: pretty unbelievable when it’s pretty hard to get a decent steak for that price in London. The service is swift and slick, so it’s a good option even if the prix fixe doesn’t take your fancy.

Boyd’s Brasserie
8 Northumberland Avenue

Going to see some classic British theater? This restaurant, within a 19th century hotel building, offers fantastic reworkings of classic Brit food. Prices are £16.90 for two courses, or three for £19.90. Their starters menu—a British take on tapas—gives an idea of the type of food on offer here: think potted shrimps, Devon crab and haggis.

Kettner’s has been going strong since 1867. Photo: Ewan M

Kettner’s
29 Romilly Street

From the outside you might think that Kettner’s is not suitable for a budget-conscious eats. Or perhaps when you’re on the inside too—we don’t normally recommend places known for their champagne bars! But, with their pre- and post-theater menus, there’s the opportunity to experience this famous restaurant, which opened in 1867, for less. Two courses are £18.50 and three courses are £21.50. I’d be tempted to go for the post-theater menu—it’ll be busier, but you’ll really get a taste of the old-school glamor for which Kettner’s is renowned for.

Related: Affordable hotels near London’s biggest attractions

Cheap eats always available

There are loads of cheap eats options in the nearby area: check out the recommendations in our guide to Soho for starters.  But, be warned, some of the most popular don’t take bookings sometimes leading to lengthy queues. Get there early so you have time to enjoy your food before you enjoy the theatre.

Leon
Multiple locations

Leon specializes in fresh fast food and can be found in a number of locations around London: the branches on The Strand or Carnaby Street are probably your best pre-theater bets. They’re open in the day, but offer casual dining from 6 PM each evening. Leon does a mean burger (we’re in love with their halloumi burger) for around £8, and an awesome range of sides. And leave room for their deserts. Their gluten free brownies are some of the best in London.

Flat Iron
17 Beak Street

This is a no bookings place. But, to be honest, you’d probably want to come here early to have any chance of getting a table anyway. It’s also not a place for veggies. Flat Iron does one thing and does it amazingly well: steak. A steak and house salad will set you back £10, although their tantalizing range of sides and impressive cocktail menu is likely to push the price up slightly. And, another bonus, popcorn while you wait. Very hip, very tasty.

Yalla Yalla
1 Green’s Court

We’ve already told you about Hummus Bros—there’s a branch handily located on Shaftsbury Avenue, but for more chickpea joy check out Yalla Yalla, a small chain specializing in Middle Eastern street food. There are three in London, but the Green’s Court branch is closest to the theatrical action. All the classics are here, from tabbouleh to baba ghanoush, from roughly about £5 a plate.

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As far as prices go, think under 10 pounds. In fact, at one theater, tickets go for 10 pence a head (more on this later)! Here’s how to find the best deals:

Scoring half-price seats for the splashy West End shows-

Chances are if you’re thinking about taking in a show in London, you’re going to want to get the most for your money, i.e. a big-time musical (Billy Elliot, Sister Act) with magnificent production values and perhaps a B-list celebrity star. There’s nothing wrong with that. Just read the reviews and choose wisely as there are more than a few stinkers on the West End. (We’re hearing that Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical, for instance, just doesn’t live up to all the sequin and rhinestone hype.)

Tickets for the biggest musicals—especially the most in demand—can run upwards of 60 pounds ($100) apiece. But there are a few ways to save.

1) First, check for discounts online at ticket broker websites. The best aggregator out there is comparetheatretickets.com, which lists all the discounted tickets available from numerous online brokers for every show. For example, a search for Avenue Q tickets on July 23 turned up an 11-pound ($18) ticket in the upper balcony from the retailer Seatem.

Checking out the TKTS offerings; photo by Andyrob

2) Another sure bet for discounts is the TKTS booth in Leicester Square (Tube to Leicester Square, Piccadilly or Northern line), which sells half-priced tickets for most West End shows the same day of the performance. For the best shot at a wallet-friendly price and a non-nosebleed seat, get there when the booth opens at 10 AM Monday through Saturday (noon on Sundays).

Get thee to the theater!

Individual theaters also offer reduced prices for tickets as part of a concerted effort to bring in a younger crowd. As we reported earlier this year, the National Theatre puts on an annual Travelex 10-pound ticket season in which tickets for quality plays like Richard Bean’s England People Very Nice and Hanif Kureishi’s The Black Album start at just 10 pounds ($16) apiece. Tickets are sold via the National Theatre’s website. The current season runs through the fall.

Some theatres even give away a limited number of free tickets for people under age 26. Yup, you read that right. Free. At the National Theatre, for example, all you have to do is sign up for an Entry Pass online and your first ticket to one of the theatre’s shows is absolutely free (after that, you pay 5 pounds per ticket, about $8). There are a ton of off-West End theatres with the free-tickets-for-under-26 deal, including the Donmar Warehouse, Hampstead Theatre, Soho Theatre, Arcola Theatre, Bush Theatre, and Gate Theatre.

Stand up for great theater!

You’d be surprised how many venues in London will let you stand and be counted for incredibly low prices. Both the Royal Opera House and the English National Opera sell standing room tickets in the back of the house starting at 4 pounds ($6.50) and 10 pounds ($16), respectively. At Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, you can experience As You Like It as a groundling would have in the 1600s—standing in front of the stage (cost: 5 pounds or $8). The National Theatre also offers standing tickets for 5 pounds for most shows.

Drum roll please…lest we forget those 10 pence seats-

And here’s the best deal I’ve seen in awhile (aside from the free tickets, of course): At the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, eight standing, restricted-view tickets are sold for only 10 pence (16 cents) apiece an hour before the show. Sure, you have to stand and you may not be able to see the entire stage, but 16 cents is one heck of a deal!

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Sure, accommodations can still be a bit of a budget-buster, especially in those year-round tourist hot spots like Scotland’s capital city, but with a few local Cheapo tips, you’ll be enjoying old world charms with money to spare.

First things first – What not to do

There are two times of year when you cannot get cheap accommodations in Edinburgh:

– Hogmanay (that is New Year’s Eve to you non-Scots)
– August. Yes, the entire month. Have you heard of the Edinburgh Festival?

If you absolutely must join us for one of these two events (and why wouldn’t you?), book in advance to get a reasonable price. Say, six to nine months in advance. Really.

So, what are the great budget hotels?

One of my personal favourites is the Edinburgh Central, a member of the Scottish Youth Hostels program. It is one of the few hostels in the world that’s rated higher than some 3 or 4 star hotels – with ensuite rooms, a bistro with fresh and tasty breakfast fare that even attracts some locals, and all of the typical amenities you would expect in a good hostel. With rock-bottom rates, the Edinburgh Central is centrally located on the top of Leith Walk, just a ten minute walk to the busy Prices Street, but also surrounded with local pubs and kitsch restaurants.

I had guests in September (2008) who stayed near me here in the Old Town at the brand, spankin’ new Holiday Inn Express – Royal Mile. It’s not on the Royal Mile but only one block away; it actually sits on the Cowgate, which is full of late-night pubs and clubs, but thankfully the noise never drifts down this direction. The rates are reasonable, especially considering the top-notch facilities and very friendly staff.

Lastly, I would suggest checking out the Premier Inn Edinburgh. It is near Haymarket Station in the West End, a ten to 15 minute walk into the center of town. This part of Edinburgh is great for food and drink; there is also plenty of that timeless Georgian architecture for enjoyment.

How about some great, unexplored neighbourhoods?

The great thing about Edinburgh is that it is so easy to get around, either by walking or taking one of the efficient and inexpensive buses. There are a couple of great areas to check out that have budget accommodation options. Unfortunately, these neighborhoods are often overlooked by tourists:

Newington. This is just south of the Old Town and sits in between Holyrood Park and the Meadows. The main street here, Clerk Street, is full of fun costume shops, boutique restaurants, and nearby you can find a really great wine and whisky shop, The Great Grog. The further away from the city centre you are, the better the deal you’ll get. So, this is a great budget-friendly option with flair.

Stockbridge. Most people think of the trendy, posh side of Stockbridge, but a closer look reveals that this neighbourhood extends up into Inverleith Park, as well as west along the Water of Leith. Get away from the main street and you’ll find a deal.

If you go…

My absolutely favourite part of Edinburgh is the Water of Leith. Catch Bus #26 or 31 and have the driver let you off at Roseburn Terrace. Join the trail here and walk the scenic, peaceful two to three miles back into Stockbridge, where you can finish off the stroll with a coffee or a nice glass of wine in a nearby café.

Tell me, Cheapos: What’s your top tip for Edinburgh?

Andy Hayes is a freelance travel writer and one of Edinburgh’s top local Cheapos. For more travelogues and inspiring travel ideas, visit his website called Sharing Experiences.

The post Edinburgh Tip: How to find a budget hotel, and more! appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Here are five fabulous walking tours in London that won’t cost you a pound. Get moving!

1) For Charles Dickens fans:

London is a virtual playground for book nerds. Using this wonderful free tour from the London Tourism Board—that comes in a convenient PDF format and can be downloaded to your computer—you’ll visit the homes of John Keats, Charles Dickens, the essayist Thomas Carlyle, and Sigmund Freud. And, since for some of the jaunt you’re in the heart of literary Bloomsbury, you can also beckon your inner Virginia Woolf.

2) For thick skins:

Jack the Ripper was one of London’s most notorious serial killers. Today, there are countless (and expensive) tourist trap tours of the life and times of “Jack-attack.” Enter Richard Jones—author, tour guide, and frequent contributor to the History and Discovery networks—who offers a DIY Ripper walk for free on his website. Visit the locations of all actual killings and get a taste for the crimes that stumped the city’s police in the 1880s. One caveat: Jones doesn’t recommend doing this walk alone after dark. Instead, he says, link up with at least three others and go during the day. (Ooooh, creepy!)

3) For those who love the Queen:

You simply cannot visit London without getting a taste of the monarchy. But, let’s face it, a ticket into Buckingham Palace is costly (£15.50, to be exact). Although Sandeman’s New London Tours normally charge for their guided tours, every other day (from April to August) and everyday from May through July, they offer a free “royalty tour.” Visit all the regal hot spots, including St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster Abbey (where Queen Elizabeth was crowned in 1953), and Nelson’s Column. Best of all, you’ll benefit from the tour guide’s expertise, although your guide may ask for a small tip at the end. Check the schedule here.

4) For bridge-hopping:

We’ve recently come across a great site, London for Free, that features a fantastic “bridges walking tour.” Take in Westminster Bridge, the famous London Bridge, and Tower Bridge, plus many others, on an easy-to-use trail laid out by the LFF’s experts. Also included: little known trivia facts that will complement the sightseeing. (For example, did you know that for years London Bridge was the only working bridge in London? Or that because residents relied so heavily on ferries to cross the river, today’s “EastEnders” still occasionally refer to the West End of London as “up West.”)

5) For the outdoorsy types:

If you just want to get up and go, then get thee to Visit London’s latest venture, “London Outdoors“.  Tons of free information, including how to get to and from walking tour locations, trail maps, and more are available on the site. If you’re already in London, we recommend you head to the London Tourist Information Center, at 1 Lower Regent Street (closest tube station is Piccadilly Circus), and just ask for a free walking tour and map. Then, get hoofing!

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