London: Last-minute hotel deals for those sprinting to Olympics

It’s just a few days until the Summer Olympics begin. For impulsive holdouts who may have bought airline tickets but still haven’t decided on a hotel, here are some last-minute prices that are easy to find -- and won’t bust your wallet.

The deal: I got these tips from Trivago, an online website that compares hotel rates among discounters such as Hotel.com, Expedia, Priceline, Booking.com, etc. It’s good for one-stop shopping for a room.

Here are some not-so-out-of-this-world prices I found Wednesday on a Trivago search. I was checking availability for rooms in the London area for a stay from July 27 (the opening day of the Summer Games) to Aug. 12:

--Millennium Bailey’s Hotel London Kensington (140 Gloucester Road), starting at $226 a night (Expedia)
--The ParkCity Hotel (18-30 Lexham Gardens, Kensington), a standard room starting at $224 a night including breakfast and VAT tax (Booking.com).
--London Shoreditch (419-437 Hackney Road, Shoreditch), starting at $169 a night (Hotels.com)

When: Hotel room inventory changes as quickly as others book hotels, so if you find a rate you like, grab it.

Tested: I went to the Millennium Bailey’s website to check prices and couldn’t find availability for a room for the 16-night stay during the Olympics. Next I checked ParkCity and found standard room rates starting at $267 a night with breakfast and tax -- $43 more than what I found on Trivago. There are lots of other hotel options on the website.

Contact: Trivago