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I found UK's best value all inclusive - £55pp with free food & drink in LONDON


I found UK's best value all inclusive - £55pp with free food & drink in LONDON

Plus, the hotel room itself was excellent value with some surprising details

LONDON hotel prices can cost more than a holiday abroad these days, but one very central spot costs just £110 a night for two people - and it is all-inclusive.

Trudging through puddles from Marble Arch, I was on my way to one of the capital's thousands of hotels - just this one had a big promise.

Z Hotels Gloucester Place offers a room package that is all-inclusive - soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, snacks, lunch, dinner... you name it.

The hotel chain has 12 locations across London and there is a room for each type of budget.

For example, you could stay in a Z Inside Double (which means no window) for as little as £50 in Victoria.

Family rooms at the City site cost from just £100 a night.

And then of course, there is the Z Club room, exclusively at the Gloucester Place hotel - where each room features a king-size bed and all drinks and food are included in the price of the room.

This sounded to good to be true, so, of course, I had to put it to the test.

Just a 10-minute walk from Marble Arch tube station or five-minutes from Baker Street, Z Hotels Gloucester Place takes up six townhouses.

Guests can check-in at 3pm, which is exactly what I did to make the most of the offering and I kicked it off by immediately helping myself to my first can of Fanta.

After exploring my room (more on this later), I headed down to the kitchen area, that also doubles up as the reception for the building.

With my laptop under one arm and fluffy jumper under the other, I was ready to make myself comfortable and tuck into as many different food and drinks as I could.

At 3pm, they were offering an afternoon tea selection, which included ham and cheese croissants and a cake stand featuring macaroons, brownies, flapjacks, and pots of tiramisu.

I picked up a handful of sweet treats, including one of the croissants and helped myself to my second can of Fanta.

There was also a made to order selection on a dinner menu, which featured wide choice of sandwiches and salads.

I ordered the salmon and sauerkraut ciabatta.

The food was simple, but it was all tasty and reminded me of the sandwiches and cakes I usually pick up in one of London's many hipster coffee shops.

However, this would usually set me back £18 for a coffee, pastry or cake and sandwich.

Just an hour later a selection of cheeses and crackers, with grapes, chutney, houmous and olives appeared.

I helped myself to the black bomber cheddar, with a dollop of caramelised onion chutney and some crackers.

For second helping I went for some olives, camembert and crackers.

Over the course of another hour, I went back and forth helping myself to the selection.

I was the only one there - though this was unusual according to the host.

As I enjoyed my plates of food, I also sipped on a glass of sauvignon blanc - one of three white wines on offer.

If I wanted to, I could have also opted for red wine, cider or beer as well.

After a couple of glasses, it was time for bed - with a suitably full belly.

When morning arrived, a breakfast spread included toast, flatbreads with omelette and bacon, fresh fruit, Greek yogurt and pastries.

I opted for some cold apple juice, and helped myself to a coffee, plus a tomato and cheese flatbread, some fruit compote and yogurt.

Before leaving I even grabbed a banana and coffee in a takeaway cup for the road.

Given the low price tag, wasn't expecting plush velvet curtains and Egyptian cotton sheets but I was left pleasantly surprised on entering my room.

The ceilings where high, making the space feel bigger - not that the room was small.

Dominating the room, the king-size bed was inviting and the en-suite was also large, with a powerful shower and stacks of white towels.

Tucked around one corner of my room was an extension, where I found a hidden wardrobe equipped with hangers, an iron and ironing board and a hairdryer.

Two large windows looked out onto the pretty Marylebone street below with iconic red London buses occasionally driving past.

One of the bedside tables doubled up as a tea and coffee station, with a small kettle and two bottles of water, plus sachets of oat (and normal) milk - a lovely detail.

The room also had a TV with the Sky channels on and switches by the bed included USB ports, both UK and EU plug sockets and a dimmer switch for the light.

All in all, the room was simplistic, neat and clean - the only thing I would say it was missing was a floor length mirror.

Totting up all the food I had going off of the average prices usually found for each item in London, I spent way more than my £55-a-head price tag.

For example, to stay at Travelodge Marylebone during the last couple weeks of October, you'll likely pay £170.99 - and that is before WiFi (an additional £3.50) and breakfast (an additional £5.95 per person per day).

Hub by Premier Inn in Soho is similar, with a one night stay on October 28 costing £199 for a standard room - you would then need to add £8 each for breakfast.

If heading to London and wanting somewhere central to stay, I wouldn't look at any other option - Z Hotels Gloucester Place really is the best offer out there - and you definitely won't regret the gooey and decadent brownies.

If wanting to head outside of the UK for a holiday, here are 20 of the cheapest all-inclusive hotels for families for a summer vacation.

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