# London timeshares



## dreamin

RCI has only 6 resorts listed in their directory for London.  Are there other exchange companies that have more options?  I'm looking for a last minute deal for the end of June/beginning of July.  Any suggestions on where to look?


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## DeniseM

London has very few timeshares, and with the Olympic games, it is very unlikely that you will find a last minute deal.


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## MaryH

Sloane Gardens I think deals exclusively with SFX but I doubt you will get a last minute deal.


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## Carolinian

SFX has a resort in London, Sloane Gardens, which used to be with RCI but dumped RCI and now uses SFX exclusively for exchanges.  I have found SFX can get you into London easier than RCI.  In fact, I have a confirmed exchange into a 2BR there for next year thanks to SFX.  It is not easy with any exchange company however, but is one of the most difficult trades in timesharing.

DAE sometimes gets London, as does UKRE.  The Hapimag timeshare chain has a London resort, but Hapimag does not trade through RCI or II, and I have never seen them give their London weeks to DRI or DAE which do have trading relations with Hapimag.

I don't think II has a London resort any more.  They used to have Carlton Court, a Sunterra resort, but when DRI bought Sunterra, part of their cash out was to sell this property, which was all points based and therefore easy to do, and was a very valuable property.


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## Margariet

dreamin said:


> RCI has only 6 resorts listed in their directory for London.  Are there other exchange companies that have more options?  I'm looking for a last minute deal for the end of June/beginning of July.  Any suggestions on where to look?



Booking anything in London or even England in summertime will be impossible if you don't book 2 years or more in advance. Last minutes are unheard of.

Sloane Gardens Club in Chelsea has only 10 apartments which are mostly rented out by owners. Only a few are available for timeshare but hardly in that time oif year and not on such short notice.

Odessa Wharf is lovely and often available with RCi as extra vacation which you have to pay. But I don't think they will be still available. I doubt if anything in England will be available right now.

Other options would be the regular hotels and rental apartments through the normal travel agents and webswites. See if something is still left but I doubt you will have good offers now with the Olympics coming up.


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## mav

There are always  emergency cancellations for HOTELS, especially if a hotel room for 2 is all you need. Try hotwire if you already have your airfare especially as you get closer to the check in date you want. You can get some unbelievable rates  and some even come with breakfast.  Timeshares, I am sure not a chance!  Also try Best Westerns. They usually come with a complimentary breakfast and in Europe a lot of them are in old manor houses or historical buildings and have a lot of charm. Tripadvisor is a wealth of info. on hotel reviews so there are usually no surprises.
   Actually, in the Czech Republic, major cities in Italy, the Dolomities, and in the Bavarian countryside we like the hotels {family run} hands down over a timeshare. Love the ambience of these hotels, B and B's or whatever you want to call them. We are in London right now and then leave Sat. for Budapest, and other places in Europe until Aug. 4th. Almost all of our trip is in hotels, some of which we have been going to for years. Would not trade them for a timshare stay and I have stayed in some of the TOP timeshares! Marriotts, Hiltons, DeVere properties, Royals, Four Seasons, Owners Clubs etc.  I always tell the staff at one of the hotels I stay at in Bavaria that when I need assisted living I am moving in there. I have my favorite room there and they tell me it will always be ready for me.
  Check Kayak.com , put in your dates, and go from there.  And remember hotwire.


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## Margariet

mav said:


> There are always  emergency cancellations for HOTELS, especially if a hotel room for 2 is all you need. Try hotwire if you already have your airfare especially as you get closer to the check in date you want. You can get some unbelievable rates  and some even come with breakfast.  Timeshares, I am sure not a chance!  Also try Best Westerns. They usually come with a complimentary breakfast and in Europe a lot of them are in old manor houses or historical buildings and have a lot of charm. Tripadvisor is a wealth of info. on hotel reviews so there are usually no surprises.
> Actually, in the Czech Republic, major cities in Italy, the Dolomities, and in the Bavarian countryside we like the hotels {family run} hands down over a timeshare. Love the ambience of these hotels, B and B's or whatever you want to call them. We are in London right now and then leave Sat. for Budapest, and other places in Europe until Aug. 4th. Almost all of our trip is in hotels, some of which we have been going to for years. Would not trade them for a timshare stay and I have stayed in some of the TOP timeshares! Marriotts, Hiltons, DeVere properties, Royals, Four Seasons, Owners Clubs etc.  I always tell the staff at one of the hotels I stay at in Bavaria that when I need assisted living I am moving in there. I have my favorite room there and they tell me it will always be ready for me.
> Check Kayak.com , put in your dates, and go from there.  And remember hotwire.



Staying in hotels for weeks and eating out a few times every day in Europe might be very expensive for Americans. There are great historic places and wonderful hotels and B&B's but there are just lovely timeshare places and rental apartments as well.


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## mav

Margariet said:


> Staying in hotels for weeks and eating out a few times every day in Europe might be very expensive for Americans. There are great historic places and wonderful hotels and B&B's but there are just lovely timeshare places and rental apartments as well.


 
   I was letting the OP know if they really want to go to London don't let lack of availability in a timeshare if there are just 2 of them make the trip a no go. And eating out does not have to be expensive, it is how you eat out. We happen to graze pretty much all day. I love to stroll around London having vegetable samosas and veggie pastys. The lovely spicey smells are always calling me and I am always  answering the call. 

   Trust me, I am not knocking timeshares. At one time we owned 25 of them. I have sold 6 or 7 over the past few years, and last year gave away 5. For now we am keeping the rest . EVERY one of our weeks have been in dead red summer, extremely high demand areas, and we enjoyed top trading power. We have stayed in the best timeshares out there in PEAK summer season. MANY of them have been quite jaw dropping!! Now we are getting older and realize we will not be around forever and do NOT want to leave our 2 daughters saddled with our timeshares.  We have been traveling to Europe for 8 to 9 weeks every summer for the past 10 years.  We come back to the USA in August and spend 2 to 3 weeks in Newport, R.I. and also visit our daughters and families . Then in the fall we head to Italy or France for 3 to 4 weeks  We come back to the USA for Thanksgiving and Christmas with are daughters and families. In the the winter we head to Mexico or the Middle east to get away from the cold. In the spring ya never know where we will turn up! 

     AND as I say we  have had so many wonderful stays in hotels and B and B's, loaded with charm and character and AMBIENCE!!   We stayed in a Best Western in Istanbul for 2 weeks 2 years ago and leaving there was like leaving family we had gotten so friendly with the staff . Same thing happened in Egypt, and has happened in other countries My husband has said MANY times over the years it is obvious that I always seem to get special attention in hotels and B and B's that other guests do not seem to get.  At my special paradise in Bavaria the  hotel has been giving  me a 30% discount on my room for years. My husband often says he feels as though he is traveling with a celebrity.  Our portions always seem bigger and service more attentive. The staff never seem to want us to leave and we never want to leave. AHHHH what a dream life! Well off to another happy wandering day!


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## WinniWoman

mav said:


> I was letting the OP know if they really want to go to London don't let lack of availability in a timeshare if there are just 2 of them make the trip a no go. And eating out does not have to be expensive, it is how you eat out. We happen to graze pretty much all day. I love to stroll around London having vegetable samosas and veggie pastys. The lovely spicey smells are always calling me and I am always  answering the call.
> 
> Trust me, I am not knocking timeshares. At one time we owned 25 of them. I have sold 6 or 7 over the past few years, and last year gave away 5. For now we am keeping the rest . EVERY one of our weeks have been in dead red summer, extremely high demand areas, and we enjoyed top trading power. We have stayed in the best timeshares out there in PEAK summer season. MANY of them have been quite jaw dropping!! Now we are getting older and realize we will not be around forever and do NOT want to leave our 2 daughters saddled with our timeshares.  We have been traveling to Europe for 8 to 9 weeks every summer for the past 10 years.  We come back to the USA in August and spend 2 to 3 weeks in Newport, R.I. and also visit our daughters and families . Then in the fall we head to Italy or France for 3 to 4 weeks  We come back to the USA for Thanksgiving and Christmas with are daughters and families. In the the winter we head to Mexico or the Middle east to get away from the cold. In the spring ya never know where we will turn up!
> 
> AND as I say we  have had so many wonderful stays in hotels and B and B's, loaded with charm and character and AMBIENCE!!   We stayed in a Best Western in Istanbul for 2 weeks 2 years ago and leaving there was like leaving family we had gotten so friendly with the staff . Same thing happened in Egypt, and has happened in other countries My husband has said MANY times over the years it is obvious that I always seem to get special attention in hotels and B and B's that other guests do not seem to get.  At my special paradise in Bavaria the  hotel has been giving  me a 30% discount on my room for years. My husband often says he feels as though he is traveling with a celebrity.  Our portions always seem bigger and service more attentive. The staff never seem to want us to leave and we never want to leave. AHHHH what a dream life! Well off to another happy wandering day!




 Wow! You are incredibly lucky people! What a wonderful life of traveling! I am definitely envious! I am hoping to save up enough money to go to Italy one time someday for a week before we die (we are in our late 50's) and that's about all we will ever be able to afford to do going forward, if at all,  other than going to our Vermont timeshare twice a year!


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## Margariet

mav said:


> I was letting the OP know if they really want to go to London don't let lack of availability in a timeshare if there are just 2 of them make the trip a no go. And eating out does not have to be expensive, it is how you eat out. We happen to graze pretty much all day. I love to stroll around London having vegetable samosas and veggie pastys. The lovely spicey smells are always calling me and I am always  answering the call.
> 
> Trust me, I am not knocking timeshares. At one time we owned 25 of them. I have sold 6 or 7 over the past few years, and last year gave away 5. For now we am keeping the rest . EVERY one of our weeks have been in dead red summer, extremely high demand areas, and we enjoyed top trading power. We have stayed in the best timeshares out there in PEAK summer season. MANY of them have been quite jaw dropping!! Now we are getting older and realize we will not be around forever and do NOT want to leave our 2 daughters saddled with our timeshares.  We have been traveling to Europe for 8 to 9 weeks every summer for the past 10 years.  We come back to the USA in August and spend 2 to 3 weeks in Newport, R.I. and also visit our daughters and families . Then in the fall we head to Italy or France for 3 to 4 weeks  We come back to the USA for Thanksgiving and Christmas with are daughters and families. In the the winter we head to Mexico or the Middle east to get away from the cold. In the spring ya never know where we will turn up!
> 
> AND as I say we  have had so many wonderful stays in hotels and B and B's, loaded with charm and character and AMBIENCE!!   We stayed in a Best Western in Istanbul for 2 weeks 2 years ago and leaving there was like leaving family we had gotten so friendly with the staff . Same thing happened in Egypt, and has happened in other countries My husband has said MANY times over the years it is obvious that I always seem to get special attention in hotels and B and B's that other guests do not seem to get.  At my special paradise in Bavaria the  hotel has been giving  me a 30% discount on my room for years. My husband often says he feels as though he is traveling with a celebrity.  Our portions always seem bigger and service more attentive. The staff never seem to want us to leave and we never want to leave. AHHHH what a dream life! Well off to another happy wandering day!



Sure, you do get attention and service in many hotels and B&B's and that's why guests keep on coming to the same places. We do have lots of timeshare weeks ourselves and travel most of the time as well but that is not a possibility for everyone. And sure the OP can get accommodation in London but the OP was asking about timeshare and about last minute and that will be hard because it is high season and the Olympics.


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## Carolinian

There are lots of timeshares in old manor houses, castles, chateaux, and other historic buildings, too.  Some of those I have stayed in and enjoyed include:
Knocktopher Abbey, Ireland
Elmers Court, UK
Sutton Hall, UK
Stouts Hill, UK
Broome Park, UK
Kilconquhar Estate & country Club, UK
Schloss Grubhof, Austria
Chateau de Maulmont, France
Chateau de Tredion, France
Erlenbruck, Germany






mav said:


> There are always  emergency cancellations for HOTELS, especially if a hotel room for 2 is all you need. Try hotwire if you already have your airfare especially as you get closer to the check in date you want. You can get some unbelievable rates  and some even come with breakfast.  Timeshares, I am sure not a chance!  Also try Best Westerns. They usually come with a complimentary breakfast and in Europe a lot of them are in old manor houses or historical buildings and have a lot of charm. Tripadvisor is a wealth of info. on hotel reviews so there are usually no surprises.
> Actually, in the Czech Republic, major cities in Italy, the Dolomities, and in the Bavarian countryside we like the hotels {family run} hands down over a timeshare. Love the ambience of these hotels, B and B's or whatever you want to call them. We are in London right now and then leave Sat. for Budapest, and other places in Europe until Aug. 4th. Almost all of our trip is in hotels, some of which we have been going to for years. Would not trade them for a timshare stay and I have stayed in some of the TOP timeshares! Marriotts, Hiltons, DeVere properties, Royals, Four Seasons, Owners Clubs etc.  I always tell the staff at one of the hotels I stay at in Bavaria that when I need assisted living I am moving in there. I have my favorite room there and they tell me it will always be ready for me.
> Check Kayak.com , put in your dates, and go from there.  And remember hotwire.


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## MaryH

It is not completey impossible to book last minute London but it is very rare indeed.  

A few years ago I saw a selloff week on SFX for London Sloane Garden about the time my sister and her family was there.  Not the first block for 5 days but the 2 days after Paris and Brussels.  It ended up the week was slightly better priced then the cancellable hotel they have booked and also the hotel was in Bloomsbury which is near the bus bombing so not a great area to be in so I swaped them.

This year with the demand for London extremely high for jubilee an Olympics I doubt you would get much last minute stuff since owners can rent it for much more.

One of the reason I bought RHC points was for they ability ot book London Allen House as well as SF, Paris, etc. but that is going away in 2014   NYC is already becoming cost ineffective.


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## x3 skier

As my Timeshare at the Allen House will vanish in a couple of years, I suppose I will have to use up my stash of Hilton HHonors Points for the next few years after that. I will miss the Staff at the Allen House the most. 

Last minute TS availability in London is about as likely as me winning the Power Ball Lottery 

Cheers


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## mav

Carolinian said:


> There are lots of timeshares in old manor houses, castles, chateaux, and other historic buildings, too.  Some of those I have stayed in and enjoyed include:
> Knocktopher Abbey, Ireland
> Elmers Court, UK
> Sutton Hall, UK
> Stouts Hill, UK
> Broome Park, UK
> Kilconquhar Estate & country Club, UK
> Schloss Grubhof, Austria
> Chateau de Maulmont, France
> Chateau de Tredion, France
> Erlenbruck, Germany



Hi Carolinian,
   We have stayed in all of those except the 2 chateaux in France. EVERY time they come available we are already booked somewhere else! When we stayed at Schloss Grubhof we were SO LUCKY to get their prize unit, the one pictured on ththe RCI website. The front desk at check in told us this was the first time they could remember it going to an exchange. The owners in that unit always use them. 

   I think you would also enjoy DeVere at Slaley Hall and Devere at Belton Woods.

   We stayed numerous times at Brantridge Park, one summer 3 weeks back to back. Sadly it is no longer a timeshare.


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## mav

*mpumilia*

mpumilia
     Thank you! I really do feel quite blessed!  I always had a yearning for far away places starting at a very young age.y mother found it quite odd.  It never left me and now for years I have been living my dreams. We are usually only home 2 to 3 weeks between trips.


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## MaryH

well apparently someone won the powerball lottery with a Aug reservation in a 2bdrm at Sloane Garden today.


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## flexible

mav said:


> I was letting the OP know if they really want to go to London don't let lack of availability in a timeshare if there are just 2 of them make the trip a no go. And eating out does not have to be expensive, it is how you eat out. We happen to graze pretty much all day. I love to stroll around London having vegetable samosas and veggie pastys. The lovely spicey smells are always calling me and I am always  answering the call.
> 
> Trust me, I am not knocking timeshares. At one time we owned 25 of them. I have sold 6 or 7 over the past few years, and last year gave away 5. For now we am keeping the rest . EVERY one of our weeks have been in dead red summer, extremely high demand areas, and we enjoyed top trading power. We have stayed in the best timeshares out there in PEAK summer season. MANY of them have been quite jaw dropping!! Now we are getting older and realize we will not be around forever and do NOT want to leave our 2 daughters saddled with our timeshares.  We have been traveling to Europe for 8 to 9 weeks every summer for the past 10 years.  We come back to the USA in August and spend 2 to 3 weeks in Newport, R.I. and also visit our daughters and families . Then in the fall we head to Italy or France for 3 to 4 weeks  We come back to the USA for Thanksgiving and Christmas with are daughters and families. In the the winter we head to Mexico or the Middle east to get away from the cold. In the spring ya never know where we will turn up!
> 
> AND as I say we  have had so many wonderful stays in hotels and B and B's, loaded with charm and character and AMBIENCE!!   We stayed in a Best Western in Istanbul for 2 weeks 2 years ago and leaving there was like leaving family we had gotten so friendly with the staff . Same thing happened in Egypt, and has happened in other countries My husband has said MANY times over the years it is obvious that I always seem to get special attention in hotels and B and B's that other guests do not seem to get.  At my special paradise in Bavaria the  hotel has been giving  me a 30% discount on my room for years. My husband often says he feels as though he is traveling with a celebrity.  Our portions always seem bigger and service more attentive. The staff never seem to want us to leave and we never want to leave. AHHHH what a dream life! Well off to another happy wandering day!



Hi Mav,
My husband Ken and I agree with you 100%. It would be great to meet you sometime in Mexico or Europe.

We are now planning our 2013-2014 season. http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=172047

Deposits paid on http://www.windstarcruises.com/itinerary-4130824-11053.aspx for 24-31 Aug 2013 Edinburgh->Dublin. In December http://www.edintattoo.co.uk/tickets the 2013 tickets go on sale. I heard their computer servers crash. If we can get tickets for 23 Aug 2013 (Ken's birthday) or before we will sail on Windstar Surf. If we can ONLY get tickets for 25 Aug we'll cruise on Ocean Princess 22-30 Aug 2013 http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...-Military_Tattoo_2013-Edinburgh_Scotland.html It shouldn't be this complicated to plan travels.

We either have 3 weeks to plan before Amsterdam->Bucharest on Viking River Cruises in September 2013.

Other lodging needs are Budapest, Hungary and if we want a few more days in Bucharest. 

I am open for suggestions regarding where to go before possibly taking Azamara 9 - 25 Nov 2013 Dubai-Singapore. Probably India in October?

We were in Europe/UK/Ireland 22 Apr-25 Jul 2009. We used a lot of Marriott points but also about 8 timeshare exchanges followed by 36 days Princess cruises. 

It was such a waste of energy for ongoing exchange searches, and co-ordinating exchange options to create our travel schedule (Ireland, Southern France, Nice, a week outside of Venice, in Venice, Florence hotel, a "Rome" resort that was on the outskirts, Positano (which was fine), Edinburgh Marriott,  Scotland then England timeshares before heading to the dock in Dover, ending in NYC.

It seems so much easier to use hotels!


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## mav

*To:  Flexible*

Hi Flexible,
     Sounds as though we are kindred sprits. I am in Budapest right now, arrived late Sat. night, and staying  at the Marriott Millenium Court Executive Apartments. GREAT location and big, clean extremely nice unit!! There are also complimentary  washers and dryers on each floor.  Very good Hungarian/Italian restaurant right next door. Loved their Spagetti Aglio Olio! And I also have already found a Syrian restaurant a few blocks away with fantastic Lentil soup. 
    You may definitly want to check out this Marriott for your Budapest trip. I booked a nonrefundable rate about 2 months ago and got a VERY nice rate! Worked out to $116 per night and we even have a kitchen. We are here for 8 nights and then move to the Buda side to the St. Georges Residence. I booked the St, George  about 2 months ago and now the same unit I booked is WAY over double the price at $432 per night! Yikes ! Enjoy your travels


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## Carolinian

My suggestion on Romania is do spend a few hours in Bucharest and catch the train to Brasov in Transylvania.  In Bucharest, be sure to eat at Care du Bere (sp?) a fabulous late 19th century eatery with tons of atmosphere and great food, or Hanul Manuc, an early 19th century coaching inn in the center of Bucharest that was handed back to the family of its original owners by a court decision a few years ago.  They are still renovating the guest rooms, but the eatery is open and again with excellent food and tons of atmosphere, especially if you eat on the wooden balconies around the courtyard.

Three reasonably close cities, about 2 hours apart by train, in Transylvania have the medieval atmosphere that is gone in Bucharest; Brasov, Sighishoara, and Sibiu.  Sigheshoara, still surrounded by its original medieval walls, which are only partially intact in the other two, is particularly magnificent.  From Brasov, it is a 30 minute bus ride to Bran Castle, which is well worth the visit or 45 minutes or so by train to Peles, the summer palace of the kings of Romania, which is still owned by King Michael I, who lives in the smaller adjacent Crown Princes palace, Pelisor.  There is also a ruined castle on the bus line between Brasov and Bran, and you can add that one to the Bran visit. There is a decent Skansen, or village museum. with old rural buildings brought from around the region just below Bran castle. Also, don't miss the medieval fortified churches, two of which are just outside Brasov at Harman and Prejmer.




flexible said:


> Hi Mav,
> My husband Ken and I agree with you 100%. It would be great to meet you sometime in Mexico or Europe.
> 
> We are now planning our 2013-2014 season. http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=172047
> 
> Deposits paid on http://www.windstarcruises.com/itinerary-4130824-11053.aspx for 24-31 Aug 2013 Edinburgh->Dublin. In December http://www.edintattoo.co.uk/tickets the 2013 tickets go on sale. I heard their computer servers crash. If we can get tickets for 23 Aug 2013 (Ken's birthday) or before we will sail on Windstar Surf. If we can ONLY get tickets for 25 Aug we'll cruise on Ocean Princess 22-30 Aug 2013 http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...-Military_Tattoo_2013-Edinburgh_Scotland.html It shouldn't be this complicated to plan travels.
> 
> We either have 3 weeks to plan before Amsterdam->Bucharest on Viking River Cruises in September 2013.
> 
> Other lodging needs are Budapest, Hungary and if we want a few more days in Bucharest.
> 
> I am open for suggestions regarding where to go before possibly taking Azamara 9 - 25 Nov 2013 Dubai-Singapore. Probably India in October?
> 
> We were in Europe/UK/Ireland 22 Apr-25 Jul 2009. We used a lot of Marriott points but also about 8 timeshare exchanges followed by 36 days Princess cruises.
> 
> It was such a waste of energy for ongoing exchange searches, and co-ordinating exchange options to create our travel schedule (Ireland, Southern France, Nice, a week outside of Venice, in Venice, Florence hotel, a "Rome" resort that was on the outskirts, Positano (which was fine), Edinburgh Marriott,  Scotland then England timeshares before heading to the dock in Dover, ending in NYC.
> 
> It seems so much easier to use hotels!


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## flexible

mav said:


> Hi Flexible,
> Sounds as though we are kindred sprits. I am in Budapest right now, arrived late Sat. night, and staying  at the Marriott Millenium Court Executive Apartments. GREAT location and big, clean extremely nice unit!! There are also complimentary  washers and dryers on each floor.  Very good Hungarian/Italian restaurant right next door. Loved their Spagetti Aglio Olio! And I also have already found a Syrian restaurant a few blocks away with fantastic Lentil soup.
> You may definitly want to check out this Marriott for your Budapest trip. I booked a nonrefundable rate about 2 months ago and got a VERY nice rate! Worked out to $116 per night and we even have a kitchen. We are here for 8 nights and then move to the Buda side to the St. Georges Residence. I booked the St, George  about 2 months ago and now the same unit I booked is WAY over double the price at $432 per night! Yikes ! Enjoy your travels



Thanks, Mav. Ken thought you and your husband sounded like kindred sprits when I read him some of your  posts. The Marriott Millenium Court Executive Apartments sounds GREAT. If we can book it at a good rate it will hopefully help us with keeping Platinum status with Marriott.


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## flexible

Carolinian said:


> My suggestion on Romania is do spend a few hours in Bucharest and catch the train to Brasov in Transylvania.  In Bucharest, be sure to eat at Care du Bere (sp?) a fabulous late 19th century eatery with tons of atmosphere and great food, or Hanul Manuc, an early 19th century coaching inn in the center of Bucharest that was handed back to the family of its original owners by a court decision a few years ago.  They are still renovating the guest rooms, but the eatery is open and again with excellent food and tons of atmosphere, especially if you eat on the wooden balconies around the courtyard.
> 
> Three reasonably close cities, about 2 hours apart by train, in Transylvania have the medieval atmosphere that is gone in Bucharest; Brasov, Sighishoara, and Sibiu.  Sigheshoara, still surrounded by its original medieval walls, which are only partially intact in the other two, is particularly magnificent.  From Brasov, it is a 30 minute bus ride to Bran Castle, which is well worth the visit or 45 minutes or so by train to Peles, the summer palace of the kings of Romania, which is still owned by King Michael I, who lives in the smaller adjacent Crown Princes palace, Pelisor.  There is also a ruined castle on the bus line between Brasov and Bran, and you can add that one to the Bran visit. There is a decent Skansen, or village museum. with old rural buildings brought from around the region just below Bran castle. Also, don't miss the medieval fortified churches, two of which are just outside Brasov at Harman and Prejmer.



Thanks, Carolinian. I saw your posts about your recent Eastern European trip with more great info too.


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## mav

flexible said:


> Thanks, Mav. Ken thought you and your husband sounded like kindred sprits when I read him some of your  posts. The Marriott Millenium Court Executive Apartments sounds GREAT. If we can book it at a good rate it will hopefully help us with keeping Platinum status with Marriott.



Hi Flexible,
   Wow! It sounds as though you and your hubby are living your dreams too   
    You would be very happy at the Millenium. Our unit is hugh, and has a nice L-shaped kitchen that includes a small dishwasher, toaster, coffee pot, microwave, small fridge and 2 burner stove. Definitely all the unit we need!The complimentary laundry machines are very nice and the staff is very pleasant.  Location is GREAT!  Also, there is a full service Marriott 5 minutes walk from here right on the Danube that has a wonderful cake buffet every day YUM YUM!!  It is very resonably priced too! WOW did we enjoy that!
   The weather this week has been HOT 90 degress and up. BUT amazing sights !!


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## x3 skier

MaryH said:


> well apparently someone won the powerball lottery with a Aug reservation in a 2bdrm at Sloane Garden today.



Last *minute* is not two months to me.  

Somebody has to win the lottery eventually but it hasn't been me.  

Cheers


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## Sandy VDH

MaryH said:


> well apparently someone won the powerball lottery with a Aug reservation in a 2bdrm at Sloane Garden today.



I had it on hold, but did not have time to confirm my air and plans, as this would have been a work trip.  so I let it go, as SFX called me to say they had someone who would book it. 

Just today I booked my air and I will be in the UK for that exact same week.  However I will be farther outside of london.


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## dreamin

*No luck with timeshares in London as you all predicted*

I was able to find several places in England but not in London.  There were very good deals.....7000 to 9000 RCI points....for some very beautiful timeshares in rural England and other areas in the UK.  My son has chosen to use airbnb for his first week in London and then hopes to find a roommate for the longer term.  He's rented a room in this apartment and it looks amazing:  

http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/388754

I'm not sure if the neighbourhood of Shoreditch is the best place to stay in London but it's a starting point.  The rental certainly is reasonable.  He used airbnb for a 3 week trip to Europe last summer and enjoyed this type of accommodation.


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## lprstn

I'd use www.airbnb.com instead. There are some great deals there.


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