Contract Staying Away: Hotel Tips

[yasockie]

What would you guys recommend for 3 month contract in central London (City of Westminster, WC1).
I'm thinking of finding a room or a flatshare via gumtree, airbnb etc rather than a hotel but staying somewhere very central so I can walk or cycle to work and bugger off for the weekends?

[rob s]

I vary between renting a flat (6month+ gigs), renting a room in a shared house (spareroom.co.uk), finding a nice quiet B&B (bedandbreakfasts.co.uk or airbnb.co.uk) or going for a decent citycentre hotel.

If I'm new to a city, then I'll go with the city centre option for 2-3 weeks as I'd rather be right in the middle of the action (which may not be desirable for basingstoke) and then go for longer term option nearer to where I'm working (so I can sleep in later).

If it's a complete hole, and client has parking, then I'll take a B&B in a nearby nice village / countryside or above a pub.

In dead/winter season, I've had 70-80% discounted block rates at country hotel/spa places as their weekday occupancy can be shocking. Useful to book a week first, then have a chat with the manager.

[unixman]

Not stayed in Basingstoke. Go for a reasonable hotel, say Premier Inn standard. The better the accommodation the less stressed you will be. PI is good standard and they usually have a well populated bar/restaurant where you can make friends or at least acquaintances. Pretty waitresses too. Travelodge is borderline and just becomes stressful over time.

Renting would be great but I never managed it for one reason or another.

Gym in the evening is a winner. Followed by food shopping or restaurant meal, surfing the hotel wi-fi, reading in the bar, TV. One place I was at ran a good 5-a-side. Drinking with contractors is preferable to all the above, obviously.

[bless 'em all]

Remember your WIFE'S only married 2 days a week!

Enjoy ...

FTFY

[colinrobinson]

Hi,

I am just about to embark on a new contract where I will be staying away......in Basingstoke

Are there any good tips for

The best "contractor" hotels to go for (I am thinking chains here)
Reducing Costs
Occupying your time constructively in the evening

I live in hope......

Remember your now only married 2 days a week! find a decent casino with a restaurant if your lucky they've paid for your evening meal and Hotel! you even get a receipt for the taxman (from the restaurant at least)

Enjoy ...

[geoffreywhereveryoumaybe]

Just a throwaway line

To pad out a reply and kill a few more seconds

[chef]

I obviously have too much time on my hands because you replied to this thread three times back in May 2010 - are you a Basingstoker by any chance?

I've never been to Basingstoke in my life. Sorry, the man you think I am is not me. But I am curious as to why you think this?

[geoffreywhereveryoumaybe]

How old is this thread?

I started reading it then was quite surprised to find I'd commented on it already.. 2 years ago.

I obviously have too much time on my hands because you replied to this thread three times back in May 2010 - are you a Basingstoker by any chance?

[chef]

How old is this thread?

I started reading it then was quite surprised to find I'd commented on it already.. 2 years ago.

[sbutton]

Get a room.

I'd say if your contract is expected to be for more than a few months you should find a room on spareroom.co.uk while you are looking get a decent B&B, and for a couple of evenings go onto laterooms.com after 5PM and see if you can grab yourself a nice hotel with a pool + jacuzzi for the same price as a nice B&B. This way you get to relax some evenings. I've done this many times.

It really depends what you want though. It's so easy to get somewhere in town and spend most evenings spending large amounts of your hard earned cash, getting drunk and getting fatter. I've seen this happen to many (most!) contractor colleagues who stay away from home.

If you get yourself a room in a big house (with a desk if lucky) then you can study in the evenings and you can also leave a lot of your stuff over the weekend, or cook for yourself if you feel like it.

Specifically regarding Basingstoke you might want to try The Jolly Miller in Hook, which is a pub a few miles out of town. You can go running by the river, but there's not much to do. You might see this as a good or a bad thing!? It's pretty basic and cheap, but still OK. This was from a few years back, so might have changed.

If you want to go REALLY basic, then buy yourself a caravan and park up in a Camping and Caravan "Certified Location" for a few months... then sell the caravan at the end.

For me, I tend to avoid B&Bs for any length of time as I feel trapped staying in the same place and stuck in a room in the evenings with just a TV for company, especially in the winter.

Oh, and wherever you stay make sure they have decent WiFi which actually works in your room. (or get yourself a MiFi)