I have a list of my favourite places to stay in London which I regularly share with friends coming to town. And now the Kimpton Fitzroy has edged its way towards the top. This 334-room hotel offers everything you could want; style, sophistication and great service. Its central location is another major plus and it's right by Russell Square tube station, with major attractions such as the British Museum and Covent Garden on the doorstep. Even from the outside, this place impresses with an elegant 19th century facade. The building was built in 1898 and designed by Charles Fitzroy Doll - w...
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If you’ve got the travel bug, you might want to temporarily satisfy that itch with a trip to Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration. The cosy and eccentric bar, located underground just off the Strand, is themed around Phileas Fogg and his journey in the 1873 Jules Verne novel Around The World In 80 Days. Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration imagines what his secret liar would have looked like, complete with regal leather armchairs, a wood-panelled map room and main bar area stocked with knickknacks, from antique ornaments to travel books and encyclopaedias. Adding to the zaniness, is a replica Orien...
Read more →If you’re looking for a weekend getaway with a difference, you might want to roll on down to Rathfinny within the South Downs National Park in East Sussex. Easily accessible from London by train (arriving at Polegate and a taxi from there) this is one of the UK’s newest vineyards offering a superb sparkling wine (currently stocked in Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and Berry Bros), not to mention a very sippable dry vermouth and gin! The sweeping 600-acre estate is nestled in the heart of the country and on arriving you’re immediately transported to a world of country calm; think a roaring fire, ...
Read more →Venturing to Lidl for some swashbuckling fun might sound random but stay with me on this one.... Experimental maestros Bompas and Parr have come up with a new venture to keep you on your toes - or certainly within grasp of your poncho. The creative geniuses have teamed up with Captain Morgan rum to take Londoners on a nautical adventure to an underground paradise: the Lost Lagoon, which is now revealed to be deep in the earth in Shepherd’s Bush. Without revealing too much, we ventured down to their immersive experience on a Thursday evening and were left in a state of bewilderment. It was ...
Read more →Department stores generally have an old fashioned dusty connotation but London's Selfridges offers so much more than your bog-standard shopping emporium as one of its newest ventures - courtesy of Richard Caring's Caprice Holdings - proves. On walking into the Brasserie of Light on the first floor you're transported away from the bright lights of the shop floor to an enchanting world of flying bejewelled horses (Damien Hirst's 24-foot jewel-encrusted creation dominates the main dining space) and cool club beats. Think a shiny chocolate box crossed with a fairground carousel ride, with a scat...
Read more →Beautiful books, snaffable cocktails and fine fodder aren’t a common combination but if you head down to Maison Assouline you’ll find all three luring you into a dreamy haze. The unassuming bookstore is located on Piccadilly and if you haven’t been in, I highly encourage you to. The store-cum-bar is housed within an old bank - designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1922 - and it boasts an array of period features, from dark wood panelled walls to sky-high ceilings and intricate cornicing work. The place is stacked with the dreamiest of books from Maison Assouline with subject categories to suite ...
Read more →Cirque du Soleil just seems to get bigger and better. The latest show to hit London, Totem, features some jaw-dropping set design, with moveable stages and dazzling lighting effects. The costumes are another highlight, with intricate ensembles spinning on to the stage, leaving you spellbound. For instance, the Crystal Man's leotard is encrusted with more than 4,000 mirror fragments! There’s even electric use of UV paint on some of the outfits, with the glow in the dark patterns creating mind-binding optical illusions. As with all of the Cirque du Soleil shows, there is an overarching theme...
Read more →If you’re looking for a hotel that’s polished from top to toe, in a way that it speaks for itself and no boasting's needed, then head to The Hari. This tucked-away spot, consisting of 85 rooms including 14 suites and a penthouse, is well-worth checking out, not only as a place to stay but also for its classic Italian restaurant, cosy terrace and lively mezzanine bar. The ten-storey tower oozes luxury with a sexy edge, courtesy of interior designer Tara Bernerd (also behind celebrity-favoured Blakes Hotel). Think low lighting, warm colours, eclectic modern art, brushed brass and slabs of marble...
Read more →If you're looking for a convenient weekend getaway, then look no further than the Isle of Man. The self-governing British Crown dependency is literally a one-hour 15-minute flight from London Gatwick and it only measures 32 miles long, so you can explore much of its stunning landscape in a few days. If you're worried about the weather, the place looks even more dramatic with a spot of wind and rain and there are dozens of cosy places to perch. Come the summer, you'll definitely want to take a dip in the Irish Sea's glistening blue waters! And of course, there's the famed TT motorbike race in...
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