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Poetry Corner To Open at London's Goring Hotel

Where: Beeston Place, London, United Kingdom, SW1

We still remember last March when London’s Andaz hotel took the fabulous step of inviting a Reader in Residence to sit in his pyjamas for two weeks and read to needy guests.

Now normally, we don’t like copycats, but because it was such a good idea, and the reader isn’t in residence anymore, we’ll let this one slide and learn to love it. Also, it’s not really copying, although we suspect they might have been inspired by Andaz.

The exceedingly posh Goring Hotel – it’s just round the corner from Buckingham Palace, and the Queen Mother used to pop round for tea in her day – will be having poetry readings every night during April.

Poems will be read at 7pm sharp in the newly refurbished bar by members of staff and “surprise guests." We’ll be popping along in the hope of seeing regular guest Maggie Thatcher reading some Amy Winehouse lyric....

London Hotel Reviews / Firmdale Hotels / → All Tags

Haymarket Hotel is an 'Instant Classic'

Where: 1 Suffolk Place, London, United Kingdom, SW1

Few hotels opening are as eagerly anticipated as London's Haymarket Hotel. After months of waiting guests finally had the chance to check out this modern hospitality wonder--and we were curious: What exactly did they find?

The Central London hotel, which is the latest in the wide-ranging empire of Tim and Kit Kemp, boasts 50 rooms designed to be as individual as the Haymarket's guests. They're a mix of modern pieces and antique charm that run  between $400 and $600 per night. The Haymarket's show stopper is a 60-foot pool lighted by an everchanging wall installation designed by Martin Richman. According to chatters over at Tablet Hotels, despite a lackluster gym, the Haymarket is a hit.

The verdict on the long-awaited Haymarket Hotel: more of the same from the Firmdale group. We're disposed to think of Number Sixteen, the Knightsbridge, the Pelham and all the rest of the group's other London hotels as instant classics: luxury-hotel values on a boutique-hotel scale, with a unique design personality courtesy of Kit Kemp.

When it comes to the best part of the newest Kemp Family addition, we think it's got as much to do with location (there aren't many lodging options on London's West Side) as it's got to do with looks.

[Photo: Channels World of Hotels]

Related Stories:
· Haymarket Hotel Makes Another `Best' List [Hotel Chatter]
· London Travel [Jaunted]
· Check In, Check Out: Haymarket Hotel [NYT]