HotelChatter - London

Eating At Belgraves May Plunge You Into A Kafka Novel

juliab — 2012-02-07T17:07:58-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/21888/hixpici.jpg" class="top"> Yesterday we told you how we ended up <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2012/2/6/125721/5486/hotels/Opening_Night_at_The_Belgraves_Was_Not_Without_Quite_a_Few_Teething_Problems_">slightly underwhelmed</a> by our stay at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Belgraves,+a+Thompson+Hotel/local/4843">Belgraves</a> on opening night; today, its time to turn away from the rooms and towards something equally important the restaurant and bar. Belgraves has enlisted celeb chef Mark Hix to head up the resto (imaginatively called Hix Belgravia). But could the restaurant pep up the slightly disappointing hotel? Here goes. We checked in at 8pm, stomach empty, hoping to go straight into dinner. The restaurant seemed buzzing but not full. But when we asked at check in whether we had to reserve a time or could pop down whenever, we got different answer after different answer after different answer.

Opening Night at The Belgraves Was Not Without (Quite) a Few Teething Problems

juliab — 2012-02-06T12:57:21-05:00

<![CDATA[<object id="flashObj" width="500" height="470" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="@videoPlayer=1430074175001&playerID=1290861266001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAAE7CVnI~,RUihgoZlRJhslCchlYkq3M4yw7rN0t1V&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="@videoPlayer=1430074175001&playerID=1290861266001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAAE7CVnI~,RUihgoZlRJhslCchlYkq3M4yw7rN0t1V&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="500" height="470" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object> So <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Belgraves,+a+Thompson+Hotel/local/4843">Belgraves</a> <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/thompson%20hotels">Thompsons</a> first hotel outside of the US opened Wednesday night, and we were seventh to check in on opening night. What to expect? Well, according to the hotel: <blockquote> Belgraves interprets the Thompson luxury experience in London, joining an ongoing creative movement in design, dining and art that is currently forging the new Britannia</blockquote> Thems some big promises. Anyways, we brought you pictures of the rooms and the public areas

Inside The Belgraves: Thompson Hotels Cross The Pond

juliab — 2012-02-02T16:24:22-05:00

The holy day finally came! Yesterday, Thompson Hotels opened their first property outside the US: the Belgraves, in the heart of London's poshest nabe, Belgravia.

We were first (OK, technically seventh) through the doors last night, and emerged this morning. Details of our sleepover to come (let's just say it was both eventful and emotional), but today, we're letting you make up your own minds about the decor.

First, the public spaces. Belgraves is relatively small, with a lobby and Hix restaurant to seat 80 on the ground floor, and Mark's Bar on the mezzanine overhead. In a weird positioning, through a side door off the bar is the gym.

Maybe You Can Get a Hotel Room in London for the Olympics After All?

juliana — 2012-01-30T12:16:09-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/visitlondon_olympichotelrooms.jpg" class="top"> For several months now we've heard that hotel rooms for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London were sold-out or going for ridiculously expensive rates. But according to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2092515/Kim-Kardashian-steps-appears-faux-fur--Kourtney-shows-growing-baby-bump.html">BBC</a>, there may be room in town after all.It turns out that about 8,000 hotel rooms, ranging from budget options to five-star, are no longer needed by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and have been put back on the market for the rest of the general public. Whee! We hit up the <a href="http://www.visitlondon.com/accommodation-during-the-games">Visit London</a> site to look for hotel rooms during the first week of the games (July 27-August 3) and we found quite a few options available, although at predictably high prices. Two-star

The Belgraves: Less Than a Week From Opening

juliab — 2012-01-26T16:10:03-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/21888/belgravessign_.jpg" class="top"> With just six days to go till Thompson crosses the pond and <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Belgraves,+a+Thompson+Hotel/local/4843">Belgraves</a> opens (finally), we popped round this morning to see how things looked. Would they be on track? Well, from the face of it, yes. The entrance, lobby and restaurant looked finished, down to artwork on the walls and tables laid for dinner. The hotel sign was affixed to the wall. The imposing doorway was in place. It all looked pretty much ready to go on the ground floor. Then we looked up and saw what looked like unfinished rooms through the windows some appeared to have curtains, some not. Will they open with all their rooms on Wednesday? We hope so, but