Hi,
Rates are a very personal thing over here. For example I charge between £80 to £200 depending on which services clients choose.
Have a really good look on Adultwork, perhaps in the touring section, to see where other ladies go. This is of course, no guarantee that you will be busy but might help you narrow down some areas.
I can’t advise on areas as I literally work all over the UK and avoid London like the plague. As for client screening you’ll find some information in the thread Spamming in the Lion’s Den.
Also, how you look has absolutely no bearing on how busy (or not) you will be. I am a fat woman in my 50’s and am mostly busy; it’s how you advertise WHAT you have to offer that’s important.
As a guide, I won’t pay more than my basic hourly rate for a hotel or do a non refundable rate in case I get ill or I change my plans. I prefer hotels.
My other piece of advice is not to rent from any apartments on Adultwork if they want the money up front as you will likely turn up to no one being there and never see your money again.
There are lots of threads on here about accommodation, prices, services and warnings so I would recommend spending a few hours on here.
When I started 10 years ago, I found a wealth of information to help me start up.
PS. As to how busy it it, that is, unfortunately a “How long is a piece of string?” question. I have a lot of friends in the industry and we all have busy and quiet days like any other self employed profession.
Good luck!