Tag: London Hotels
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A First Look at Ian Schrager's London Edition
We recently told you hotelier extraordinaire Ian Schrager would bring The London Edition to the UK in October. Now Schrager has finally released more coveted details on this project (the brand he created with Marriott International), as he returns to London after the 15 years since he introduced both the Sanderson and St. Martins Lane hotels.
The London Edition sets out to preserve the original Berners Hotel, built in 1835 as five luxury Georgian townhouses and turned hotel in 1908. But don't think that means this'll be another stuffy-puffy London property. Schrager makes it clear:
“The hotel is inspired by the grand traditions of Great Britain: the traditional, aristocratic English country manor and the quintessential London private gentleman’s club with a modern, edgy, urban feel.”
Pullman Hotels / Accor Hotels / London Hotels / Hotel Openings / Hotel News / → All Tags
Pullman Opens London Hotel, Gears Up To Double In Size
With the ink barely dry on our list of new London hotels, did an invite drop in our inbox from Accor Hotels for the opening of yet another new property: the Pullman London St. Pancras. You know Accor most likely for its Sofitel luxury brand (including collaborations with Kaiser Karl), or its single state-side Novotel in New York, but the French group has nearly half a million hotel rooms across the globe, making it the number 1 hotel group on all continents except North America. Take that, Marriott.
And by no means is Accor done yet. Having been introduced in 2007, the opening of the first UK Pullman hotel coincided with a refresh of the upscale brand, set to double in size to 150 hotels by 2020, with a long-term view of 500 hotels worldwide. We had a chance to listen to Accor’s CEO explain the direction, browse mood boards, and of course, see a real-life example in the rooms and public spaces of the hotel. Read on to find out what we learned.
Hotel Openings / London Hotels / Historic Hotels / Photo Galleries / → All Tags
London’s Great Northern Hotel Is Now Boarding At King’s Cross Station
Having shown you an aerial view of London's Great Northern Hotel and its integration in the redesign of King’s Cross Station, we ventured over earlier this week to find out how four years of renovation had spruced up this once-derelict 1854 hotel. Not surprisingly, its location at the intersection of six London underground (metro) lines, national, and international railway stations, means there is a hive of activity around the hotel.
Once you step through the doors and move up from the buzzy downstairs bar to the guest floors and one of its 91 rooms, all of that fades away, to be replaced by unexpected silence and lots of that new hotel smell we love so much. Three available room categories include entry-level Couchettes, top-floor Wainscots, and larger Cubitts. We could happily spend time in any of them, but to us the choice for one over the other is best based on your reason for staying and your color preference. Read on to find out why.
Hotel Openings / London Hotels / Nadler Hotels / base2stay Hotels / → All Tags
Selene, Goddess Of Moon & Magic, Resides At The Nadler Soho
Among the many new London hotels we looked at last week, The Nadler Soho is one of the first to start welcoming guests, opening its doors officially this coming Saturday, June 1. We stopped by last week to have a look as the finishing touches were being done to prep the 78-room hotel for the big day.
Surprisingly for a hotel steps away from Soho Square, it’s in a building that is brand new and purpose-built, replacing a rather frumpy office block. This gives all sorts of benefits, not the least of which is proper soundproofing, hardly an extravagance in the middle of one of the nightlife hotspots of London.
It also allowed for the commissioning of the statue of Selene, Greek goddess of moon and magic, which watches over anyone entering the hotel. Created by artist Hew Locke, it’s inspired by Art Nouveau designs of dreamy women, the Victorian genre of Fairy Painting, and a group of glamorous drag queens Hew saw in Soho the day he received the commission – a pretty apropos combination for the neighborhood if you ask us. But what’s it like once you step inside?
Hotel Rooftops / Rooftop Bars / Hotel Cocktails / Hotel Bars / London Hotels / Washington DC Hotels / Vienna Hotels / Philadelphia Hotels / → All Tags
Hooray! Hotel Rooftop Season Has Officially Begun
The Graham's new rooftop is guaranteed to be Georgetown's summer hotspot
Mother Nature has played serious havoc with the weather. Suffice to say, those of us located in climates where partying on rooftops is limited to a few months of the year? We are giving M.N. serious sideeye. It's May. It's time for us to sip dranks on the rooftop of a cool hotel that has glorious views of the place we happen to live in or visiting at the moment. Don't hate us for being selfish and not being more concerned about global warming. We have priorities!
So we declare that Rooftop Season Has Officially Begun. Weather gods need to get on board (or the hotels will just put out heat lamps, whatevah, it takes).
The places listed have recently opened, want to let the sunshine in, and help you let your hair down. And you don't even have to be a guest to partake in the fun!
Here's where we want to tipple at some top rooftop bars around the world.
Hotel Openings / Hotel News / London Hotels / base2stay Hotels / Andre Balazs / AB Hotels / Shangri-La Hotels / Edition Hotels / Firmdale Hotels / Morgans Hotel Group / Hoxton Hotels / Armani Hotels / → All Tags
London Keeps on Keeping On With All These New Hotels
Will this be the Hudson London?
If you thought London would be taking a break when it comes to hotel openings after a rather frenetic Olympic year, think again: the next few years look to be filled with all sorts of exciting stuff to keep us happy. We’re listing the hotels we have our eyes on for you below, and stay tuned as we will be taking you inside when we can.
- A rebirth rather than a brand new hotel, the former St. John Hotel became One Leicester Street on May 1, including a refurbished restaurant and outdoor terrace
- Over in King’s Cross, the Great Northern Hotel also got a new a lease on life as part of the revitalization of the entire station, with sleeper compartment-inspired rooms called Couchettes
- South Kensington got a new boutique hotel contender this month in the form of the 99-room Xenia Hotel on Cromwell Road, not far from the Ampersand we showed you last year
- Affordable-chic brand base2stay is re-branding itself as Nadler Hotels, and its flagship The Nadler Soho will open on June 1, a stone’s throw from the likes of Dean Street Townhouse and Firmdale’s the Soho Hotel
- This isn't really a new hotel but it is newsworthy--The Waldorf-Astoria Syon Park has now been downgraded to just the Hilton London Syon Park. A Hilton Worldwide spokesperson told Business Insider that, "Having operated the property since March 2011, we've mutually agreed with our owner that the new positioning will be the best fit for the local market."
Hotel Trends / Hotel Workouts / Hotel Gyms / Dorchester Collection / London Hotels / Europe Hotels / Raffles Hotels / Westin Hotels / Starwood Hotels / Starwood / San Diego Hotels / California Hotels / Swissotels / → All Tags
What’s Out, What’s In: Working In Instead of Out
We've started a series of what’s trending in hotels these days: What’s Out, What’s In. Do we like what we see? Think it's a dud? You be the judge!
What's Out: Trekking to the hotel gym
What's In: In-room workouts that rival a personal training session
The hotel gym. We know people use ‘em, but sometimes it’s hard to find that last bit of energy needed to drag yourself out of your room after a busy day of sightseeing or making deals. Or maybe you’re just jet-lagged and are up at 3 a.m. thinking, “Man – I could really go for a workout right now.” At these hotels, the gym comes to you.
Dorchester Collection’s new contemporary hotel 45 Park Lane in London offers you an exclusive in-room workout with fitness guru and trainer to the stars, Matt Roberts, through a bespoke and full-body in-room video program. The hotel committed to get fit during the London Olympics and got Matt to create five workouts, each video focusing on a different area of the body using the furniture at hand. (We’re not suggesting they’re copying us here at HC, but sort of like our Sweat-Worthy Hotel Room Exercises series we brought you about a month or so ago.)
When you leave you’ll also get a freebie Matt at 45 Park Lane Fitness Pack which includes step-by-step training techniques for beginners through pros, a healthy eating plan, and “in the know” tips from the trainer -- things only Matt Roberts and Naomi Campbell knew till now.
At Raffles Praslin Seychelles space is your friend if you want to have an in-room workout. In the privacy of your own 410 sq ft (minimum) villa, with a vast outdoor terrace looking out over the ocean, you can do as many Sun Salutations as you want without bumping into the furniture. All villas already include a yoga mat and, at your mere request, the resort will deliver a fitness kit consisting of a dumbbell set, skipping rope, stability ball, resistance band and a selection of exercise DVDs. If that’s not enough to get you going you can arrange for an in-room personal trainer to take you through your paces with a customized exercise program.
And don't forget, HotelChatter's Sweat-Worthy Workouts: Can't afford to hire a personal trainer to come to your room? Or more likely, are you staying in a property that doesn't have a gym or in-room fitness videos? We've got you covered with our five sweat-worthy workouts, all of which you can do in your hotel room. Watch the videos for instructions on the different body parts to work out. You're very welcome!
Two more fitness-crazed hotels below!
General Managers / Hotel Stunts / London Hotels / Hotels Doing Good / → All Tags
The Manager of the Lancaster London Has Gone Off The Building
Last week, we had a general manager living in a bubble to promote his hotel. This week, a hotel manager has abseiled off the side of building to support a charity.
Sally Beck, who works as manager of the Lancaster London, joined 100 thrill-seeking volunteers today in plunging down the side of the hotel, which is one of London's tallest hotels. Of course, they were all safely strapped in and wearing helmets but still, that's quite a big commitment to make.
Yet the experience is worth it as all funds will go towards Springboard's “Kickstart Programme”, which supports young school and college leavers with their first step onto the career ladder.
A brave soul who abseiled off the hotel last year.
Want to glimpse the gorgeous views of London from the Lancaster without hurling yourself off the building? Rates this summer start at $200 a night.
Are you a general manager about to engage in a wacky stuff either to promote your hotel or to help out a charity? We wanna hear about it! So send us all the crazy details here.
[Photos: Lancaster London/Smile Photography]
Hotel Toiletries / London Hotels / Ormonde Jayne / Hotel Amenities / → All Tags
Guests at No. 11 Cadogan Gardens in London Will Smell Superb During Their Stay
It's a truth universally acknowledged that luxury hotel guests are extremely picky about their bath toiletries. After all, no one wants to pay top dollar for a hotel room only to find a mall-store brand of shampoo and conditioner waiting for them in the shower. We ourselves are especially partial to Kiehl's, Red Flower, Bulgari or Asprey when we're paying over $400 a night.
Fortunately, guests at the No. 11 Cadogan Gardens, a former private members club turned boutique hotel, won't have to worry about the in-room toiletry selection. That's because a Sloane Street perfumery, Ormonde Jayne, is now supplying the 54 guestrooms with a variety of amenities.
Killer View / London Hotels / Hilton Hotels / → All Tags
Window Seats & Hyde Park Views at London Park Lane Hilton
We love a room with a view, particularly when that room comes with a built-in window seat to enjoy it all. This combination can be found in the Executive rooms at the London Park Lane Hilton; located on floors 18 to 27 (this shot is from the 20th floor). You’ll take full advantage of being in one of the tallest buildings in the area.
Views range from the greenery of Hyde Park and Knightsbridge/South Kensington, like in the above photo, to city views of Mayfair and the West End. As appealing as they are, the trade-off comes with the hotel’s exterior, which sticks out like a sore thumb at the eastern edge of Hyde Park, but you won’t see that when inside, right? If you’re not staying the night, you can still sample the views in the bar, Galvin at Windows, on the 28th floor.
We found an Executive room on a Saturday in early June for £419 ($650) a night, but special offers can be a much better value from time to time.
[Photo: JasonD for HotelChatter]
Royal Hotels / London Hotels / Sweet Suites / Kate Middleton / Prince William / Marriott Hotels / Family-Friendly Hotels / Hotel Cribs / → All Tags
Cute, or Creepy? Grosvenor House Builds A Nursery For Kate Middleton's Baby
Places like The Goring, The Stafford and Park Plaza Hotels were all quick to join in the royal wedding mania that took place two summers ago, but here's one hotel that seems to be starting a new trend: royal baby mania.
London's Grosvenor House has chosen to re-decorate one of its Premium Park suites in anticipation of Kate Middleton and Prince William's firstborn. Not that, like, the baby is actually planning to stay there (at this moment, it can't even digest its own food, so we don't see how it could be making hotel reservations…), but, you know, just in case.
"Suite Dreams" is a fully-equipped nursery, with a luxurious four-poster crib, hand-painted furniture, Beatrix Potter-inspired designs, and a children's play area with a London-themed toy cupboard.
The whole thing is pretty impressive, actually, though no surprise there, as Daily Mail tells us the suite was actually designed by Dragons of Walton Street, a studio that's created nurseries for the Royal Family in the past.
Hotel Rebrandings / Hotel News / London Hotels / Unlisted Collection / → All Tags
London’s St. John Hotel Becomes One Leicester Street On May 1
Back in early 2011, London’s West End welcomed the white spaceship that is the W Leicester Square in a whirlwind of celebs and experimental theater. The hotel made such a big splash that it was bound to overshadow the opening shortly after, of its small neighbor, the St. John Hotel.
Having struggled through several delays due to the unforeseen reconstruction needed to prepare the building for its new lease on life, the St. John unfortunately went into administration less than two years after opening. Following an acquisition by Singaporean hotelier Peng Loh, the man behind the Unlisted Collection, the hotel will officially become part of this group today under the new name One Leicester Street Hotel.
