W1F 7HL Travel Guide
London Hotel Reviews
Bonnie Tsui Finds The Courthouse Has Cool Past But Boring Present
September 18, 2006 at 10:44 AM | 0 Comments
London hotels either ooze with history or are so new that the locals may not even know they exist. The New York Times checked into one with the history; a hotel that holds onto the intrigue of the English Court, not royal though. The London Courthouse Kempinksi Hotel was once the "it" court with a "defendant list [that] read like a who's who of bad-boy rockers." From Mick Jagger to Keith Richards the courthouse was a hot place.
Today the hotel is sleek and cool with an urban and international crowd. Touches of the building's older days reveal themselves as prison cells-turned lobby booths. But this is about as exciting as the place gets. Bonnie Tsui's write-up leaves a lot to the imagination. The hotel sounds comfortable enough with its "cushy" bed and top quality bedding, yet blasé could just as equally replace the her room description.
The hotel lists amenities that Tsui found to be less accessible than what should be. The fitness center requires reservations and WiFi will run around $30.00!
Despite its odd background the hotel gets a plain old, boring review. Yet Tsui concludes a redeeming round-up, reminding us that in the end its stretching the dollar that matters here:
A unique city hotel in a great location with an energetic bar and restaurant scene. And when other hotels are charging exorbitant rates during high season, you can still book online for Web specials (from £169 to £200) that include a Continental breakfast, served in the courthouse's original skylighted waiting room.
Related Stories:
· Check In Check Out [New York Times]
· Courthouse Kempinski Hotel Reviews [TripAdvisor]
Hotel Deals
HotelChatter's New Year's Rockin' Eve: 2006 Decadence
December 21, 2005 at 5:22 PM | 0 Comments
Ok last minute New Year's Eve planners. This is our last one for ya. We will summarize all our digital NYE trips tomorrow.
The crazy and sponteneous jet set plan last minute trips to international destinations, so why not London?
The Courthouse Hotel Kempinkski still has rooms left for as low as 140.00 GBP. We priced out stays from December 30 - January 3, thinking you would want to make it into a true long weekend.
A little hint if you book at the Kempinkski, we heard that the 'superior king' rooms are the way to go (that is what we priced out above); don't get shuffled off into a 'classic' or you might not be as happy.
As for the location, this place is just around the corner from Oxford Circus, so you are set. What to do on NYE? Our sibling site actually was on a recent field trip to London, so Jolie has got you covered. She says:
While tearing a path through the city's bars, pubs and clubs last week, one name kept coming up over and over: Tiger Tiger.
Just off Piccadilly Circus, Tiger Tiger is literally in the heart of the city and seemed to be one of the more popular destinations--ended up going twice: on a Saturday and on a Sunday. The experience each night was obviously different, but positive enough to guarantee that I'll be returning next time I'm in London (over the New Year, yeah!)
Don't want to dance all night to "Goldigger"? The Courthouse Hotel Kempinkski has its own on-site movie theatre--leather seating for 100, Dolby 6.1, and suede walls.
Fly off to London, stay at Kempinksi, hit Tiger Tiger for the New Year, catch a private screening-it would be quite decadent.
Related Stories:
· Courthouse Hotel Kempinski [TripAdvisor]
· Tiger Tiger Bar & Club in London [Jaunted]
