Set in an elegant series of Victorian townhouses, Berjaya Eden Park must be one of London's most delightful little secrets. KEE HUA CHEE checks into the Malaysian-owned hotel. LONDON has never been cheap but it's really expensive now. With the pound being so frightfully strong against our ringgit, the Berjaya Eden Park Hotel is a pleasant find in a city known more for prestige and glamour than value for money. For example, a night at the grande dame Savoy starts from £ 376 (RM2, 700) and breakfast is £18 extra (RM130)! A single room at Claridge's is even worse at £405 (RM 2,900) while a double is £464 (RM3, 300). That has got to hurt, but - guess what? - for the princely sums you have to fork out for one night's stay at these posh hotels, you could stay for a week at Berjaya Eden Park. And the Malaysian-owned hotel even throws in breakfast for free! However, the rooms are not gar-gantuan, and one should not contemplate the idea of playing hide and seek here.

A welcoming lobby greets you as you step into the Malaysia-owned hotel.

Standard rooms are tastefully decorated in the English manner and come with modern conveniences like wireless internet T-mobile hot spot, Internet connection, hair dryer, an unexpected but useful surprise - a trouser press so that you can look perfectly groomed as you emerge from the room to impress Londoners.

Free newspapers range from the highbrow Financial Times to Daily Mail and gossipy Daily Express, and are delivered to your room. The complimentary gift could be fruit basket, wine or cookies, and, amazingly, they even offer turndown service here in labour-conscious London.

Join the Berjaya Loyalty Programme and enjoy Discounted Rates from £56 (RM400) for a single room, £79 (RM568) for a double room, and £135 (RM970) for a suite. That's a saving of over 30% off published rates.
And as an added bonus, you get an extra 25% discount in the Kings Restaurant and Tulip Bar. Each of the 136 rooms comes with attached bathroom and coffee/tea making facilities.

Location, location, location
Of course, the reasonable price would be meaningless if the hotel was in the deepest, darkest corner of Dorking or miles away from everything. Berjaya Eden Park, I'm glad to say, is so central, it is a mere 2km away from London's main attractions.

Hyde Park is at your doorstep. You can walk to Kensington Palace, home of the late Princess Diana. Bayswater and Queensway stations are just two minutes' walk from Berjaya Eden Park. The shopping havens of Oxford Street, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, Bond Street, Covent Garden, West End and Theatreland are less than 4kmaway, and takes just several stops on the Underground to get to. Ditto for Buckingham Palace, the National Gallery, Madame Tussauds, Tower of London, Victoria & Albert Museum, Houses of Parliament and Olympia Exhibition Hall.

Taking the Underground will help you to avoid traffic jams. As the hotel is in Zone 1, a day's pass is £3.50 (RM25), which allows for unlimited transport on Zone 1 and 2 Underground and buses.

A breeze from the airport
Even getting to the hotel from Heathrow Airport is an cinch. Forget the Underground. You have to change from Piccadilly Line to Circle or District Line, and struggling with a heavy suitcase up and down staircases is not funny.

Instead, take the National Express bus number A2 at the exit. It takes you straight to Bays water Road. From there, it's a three-minute's leisurely stroll to get to Berjaya Eden Park.

And since the bus is a double-decker, you also get a panoramic view of London during the 55-minute journey.

Best of all, there are no backbreaking staircases to climb. Ticket costs £8 (RM57), compared to at least £35 (RM250) for a taxi.

A charming suite at such affordable prices.

Berjaya Eden Park Hotel is located near London's hotspots.

The rooms at Berjaya Eden Park Hotel come equipped with various amenities.