Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Famous Landmarks in London

Have you ever wondered how many beautiful and mesmerizing landmarks there are in London? London is a hub of captivating historical landmarks. Landmarks of a place demonstrate the richness in its magnificent history and ethnicity. There are some very interesting and unique landmarks in London:

Carnaby Street
If you are looking for some of the best designed clothes, lounges and bars, boutiques and cosmetic shops, Carnaby Street is the place to be in. There are outlets of the world famous brands like Animal and Diesel in its vicinity. If you seek stuff that is rare and has a good quality, and stuff that lasts long, you can travel to the best suited destination that is Carnaby Street. You can pay a visit to The Dispensary, where everything right from Elspeth Gibson to John Smedley is available for girls. Amazing footwear is also available at the Carnaby Street along with various restaurants and hotels, to the North West direction, Oxford Circus is the closest underground station just at the distance of approximately 6 minutes.



Fulham
Better known as the previous summer home of London’s Bishops during A.D.704 to 1973, to be precise, Fulham in London is one of the most beautiful palaces in London. While some parts of the palace were bejeweled by the Bishops in a very unique fashion, some of their designs are preserved and looks just the way they exactly were. If you are one of the admirers of history, this trip is a well worth. The dining room has a Palladian Ceiling and Great Hall is the oldest room in the palace and dates back to the fashion of 1480. The palace stand on the Bishop’s Park and covers 12 acres of gardens. In the West of the palace, is the initial point of Boat race of Cambridge and Oxford University.

Mayfair
Mayfair is located in the center of Piccadilly, Regent Street, Oxford Street and Hyde Park. Luxury car dealerships and expensive hotels are close to the clubs exclusively for members and the restaurants that are extremely trendy and up scale. Park Street and the New Bond lane are home to the luxurious and classy hotels in the area. There is also a superior class hair salon named as Nicky Clarkes’ where you can rest and pamper yourself while someone does your hair and you gaze from at the Bentley’s across the glass at the next showroom. There are a number of contemporary and luxurious hotels in the area. If you admire history, house number 48, down the street is the home of the Prime Minister Winston Churchill during the wartime.



Kings Cross District
Some very interesting attractions together constitute The Kings Cross district of London. The best part is a quick ride in bus that provides an entire day of touring and sightseeing. There are shopping malls and restaurants to have a quick meal or a small shopping spree in the middle of the tour. The gardens in the king cross street are very serene and calm and prove to be very soothing to human senses. There are five arches connected together to make one arch that’s large in size in Portland stone that marks a royalty route to St. Paul’s Cathedral. The arch’s center remains closed until the royalty passes through. However, to pedestrians and autos, the smaller arches remain open.

Victoria Embankment and Gardens
A project of the Metropolitan Board of Works, Victoria Embankment and gardens were completed in 1870. A modern sewage system was a major priority of London at that point of time and it was the main motive to construct this landmark. Narrowing of rivers was a demand of this project. In order to do the same, purchasing and bringing down the very expensive property at the riverside. Underneath the Embankments, tunnels were constructed. At ground level, two beautiful gardens were made along with the roads. The Victoria Embankment begins at the Westminster Bridge and follows the river bank towards the North of the Palace past Waterloo Bridge, Hungerford Bridge and stops at Black friars Bridge. The permanently anchored ships by Victoria Embankment include HQS Wellington and HMS President. Out of several others, Cleopatra’s attractions are spectacular ones.


All across the city, the inhabitants are very warm to the tourists. London is a very beautiful city and with some other landmarks like Buckingham Palace, London Eye, Tower of London and many other make the city of London a must to visit.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Boutique Hotels in London

The term Boutique hotel was originated in United Kingdom. This term is used to explain luxurious, quirky and usually intimate hotel environments. Boutique hotels are usually different and stand apart from the big budget branded hotels or motels in a manner in which the services and accommodation are provided. Particularly, boutique hotels are themed and furnished in an inspirational manner. They are usually smaller than the five star luxury hotels and contain guest rooms from a number ranging from 3 to 50. Guest rooms or suites may equally be fitted with all the facilities like a broadband internet connection and cable TV’s and at the same time there might not be the same facilities in some. Plus, the guest services are being look after 24 hours by the hotel staff. Here are some of the well known boutique hotels in London:


Amsterdam Hotel
The Amsterdam Hotel is one of the finest boutique hotels in London. It is situated within a walking distance of 5 minutes from Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre & at a 10 minutes distance from Olympia. The tube of Earl's Court is only at a distance of 2 minutes from the hotel making it accessible from the Piccadilly line with directly connecting with Heathrow Airport. Located on a peaceful road, The Amsterdam Hotel is a great venue for a very cozy and comfortable accommodation, which is reasonably priced in London. The hotel’s interiors are decorated in a modern fashion, and behold many authentic aspects of its character, and on top of it, the guest residing here experience the best hospitality offered in London. Rooms here are equipped with cable TV, direct dial telephone, hairdryers, wireless internet access and other such facilities. In total, there are 28 contemporary rooms, and all of them are designed in a way that there is a combination of comfort and elegance at its best.


Abbey Court Hotel
Abbey Court Hotels are located in the Pembridge Gardens, Notting Hil. It’s very close to Potobello Road and Kensington Palace. It comprises of a five-storey Victorian Townhouse hotel. The total number of rooms is 22 and they all are beautifully decorated. The superb location of Notting Hill attracts new generation tourist that always pumps the tourism in London. The floors are made up of Italian marble and bathrooms are fitted with Jacuzzi showers. There is a provision of personal digital safe, satellite TV, complimentary beverages, daily newspapers, etc. in all rooms. There are a number of restaurants where you can munch on your meals, and all of them serve inter continental, multi-cuisine food.

Charlotte Street Hotel
Located at the Charlotte Street, North of Soho and surrounded by a few full- fledged bars, cafes and restaurants. Here 21st century modern technology and contemporary design are blended together with style. The interiors of this hotel have been so inspired that Virginia Woolf would have got a complex. Hotel is airy and spacious and luxury fills the air of the bedrooms. There are 52 bedrooms and suites and all of them are equipped with services like air conditioning, fully stocked mini bar, flat screen LCD TV, computer and cell phone outlet, Miller Harris bath products, personal safe, etc. Keeping in mind the leisure for guests, the hotel has a provision of a fully equipped gym with various machines that are cardio-vascular. A restaurant and bar named as Oscar where modern British cuisine is served. In short, this hotel is a modern space for luxury with a hint of French influence, a perfect place to spend a vacation.

Royal Park Hotel
Royal Park Hotel is situated on the edge of Hyde park in London, in Westbourne Terrace. This hotel was once described as “quite the finest street in London”, It has been created from the list of Grade II townhouses. Since 1842, a renovation has been carried out to restore the buildings and recreate amazing interior designs with luxurious furnishing with the help of latest technology. There are 48 guest rooms or suites and they are well furnished with elegant details. The rooms are well equipped with the services like high speed internet services, balconies, cable TV, complimentary toiletries, complimentary newspaper, etc. One can enjoy a multi cuisine meal on the terrace or in the drawing room in the premises of this luxury hotel.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

London Tours

A million of tourists visit London every year. Since Central London is a colorful cosmopolitan centre, it has monuments that are admired throughout the world. To make things easier for your visit in London, let’s take look at the most famous tours in London.

Bath, Stonehenge and Stonehenge - Tour from London – Overview

This is a well planned tour that makes you travel across Windsor, Bath and Stonehenge in a single day plus no extra charge other than the total cost of the tour. View this spectacular scene of Bath, that reflects the mysteries of the gigantic rocks at Stonehenge and discover Windsor Castle, one of the vintage castles in the world.
You can book your sightseeing in advance to make the most out of your day from the very first minute. This tour is authorized by the highest authority of UK that’s an advantage and is escorted by a Blue-Badge guide. The ending point of the tour is Victoria Coach Station.



London Hop on Hop off Tour - the Big Bus Company - Overview

London is a fabulous city and this fascinating bus tour lets you discover the city with your own clause. Explore the cultural and architectural opulence of London as you witness Buckingham palace, Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ben, Harrods, Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, and the Tower of London. This tour will bring you face to face with all the well known landmarks of London. The ending point of the tour is the various locations in London.

Total London Sightseeing - Thames Cruise, Changing of the Guard and the London Eye - Overview

If you are interested to visit chronological sights in London, then take a flight on the London Eye and a cruise on the Thames River on this city tour of London.
Travel across the principle landmarks- The Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, and Big Ben. Explore the finely preserved fortunes of the renowned Crown Jewels, and the famous Tower of London even before the tower gets opened. You can also experience some beautiful attractions like St. Paul’s Cathedral and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. The ending point of the tour is the famous London Eye.


Morning Photography Tour of London - Overview

If you are the kinds who have ample fascination and inclination towards photography, London has an exclusive photography tour to offer to suit your needs. Explore London from every corner with a camera or a private photographer. A hub of the most famous and amazing attractions in the world, London is the best place to make a photography tour take place for real.
This amazing photography tour will enable tourists to let each picture speak its own story and to have a sharper observation of minutest details about the landmarks in London and the people of this city.

London Tour - The Original London Sightseeing Tour - Overview

To present to you the main appealing attractions of the great city of London , London offers you the Hip On Hip Off tour which is the best sight seeing trip overall. Discover the royal palaces and get started with the British lifestyle’s sovereignty. There’s a vast range of cultural and ethnic objects in the museums to discover. A rich heritage is instilled in the city that makes it a complete venue for tourist to be explored. There’s a lot to experience, from a shopping festival with great bargains to a cruise trip across the city. This tour offers everything that a tourist can think off. For a convenient trip, buses operate daily from 0845 hours to 1800 hours.



Shopping in London - Private Tour - Overview

If you are a shopaholic, this is a tour that you must not miss. Discover the stylish and fashionable surroundings and trendy shops in London with this tour and if that’s not enough, visit some hip and chic British shopping malls and stores escorted by a shopping guide that is provided exclusively to save your bucks and to keep you from unauthentic brands and prices. The shopping guide will also help you in the hard-to-find and need-to-know facts and figures for you to make a choice.
Explore the places where you can go for a luxury shopping where the only stuff available is of the best quality elite brands.

In short, London tours have all the tailor made tours to fit in your needs and this makes them the most sought after tours of London. Book a tour in advance to make your trip a fabulous memory.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Airport Hotels in London

The most convenient stay for those who plan to visit London for a very short duration can be offered at the London airport hotels. If someone plans to begin a holiday with a joyous journey, a stay at the airport hotel is the best option. And if you plan a very short stay, you can arrive at the hotel in the evening and the very next morning; take a tension-free shuttle taxi or a bus to the airport. You’ll leave comforted and at peace whatever time your flight will be scheduled. Airport hotels in London offer amazing amenities for the guests who come for a business purpose. Here’s a brief introduction to a few of the London Airports where you can plan a comfortable and a peaceful stay:

Park Inn Heathrow London
It’s a four star luxury hotel in London situated at a five minutes distance from the Stockley Park. It is the largest luxury hotel situated at the Heathrow Airport and has a beautiful and elegant ambience to offer. This hotel has a number of well-equipped conference halls to make it an ideal place to stay for business guests. The hotel is contemporary, vibrant and calm with a regular response via plasma screens exhibiting live arrival and departure programs from the airport.It has 43 meeting rooms that are flexible enough and have internet access, and fax and photocopy facilities. It has 700 delegates under its hat and a Wi-Fi access too. In total, it has 800 suites and all of them are well equipped with facilities such as direct dial telephone, satellite TV, Air conditioning and climate control, Internet connection, electronic safes, and tea/coffee facilities. It has an inbuilt bar and restaurant that offer a variety of drinks and meals throughout the day.

Sheraton Skyline Hotel and Conference Centre
The Sheraton skyline Hotel and Conference Centre is located only a few minutes away from the Heathrow Airport. The highest standards in luxurious meeting spaces and conference halls are met here. It has a variety of dining choices to offer along with a spectacular view of the tropical Sky garden. It has as many as 350 large and spacious suites and facilities like satellite TV, a mini bar, high speed internet, dual line speaker phone, voicemail, coffee /tea making machines and many other such facilities inside the rooms. To work as an icing on the cake, it has a fully equipped fitness center, a swimming pool, a bar and a restaurant.



Sofitel London Gatwick
Located at the Gatwick airport’s North Terminal, The Sofitel Gatwick is uniquely designed 4 star luxury hotel and is easily accessible by an enclosed pavement. It takes 30 minutes from the hotel to the Gatwick Express. It has 518 rooms and suites, and each of them is individually designed with dazzling views over the runway. Some of the rooms are executive rooms that have an exclusive floor with inclusive mini bar and a private lounge and a dedicated check-out and check-in. The in room facilities include a broadband internet connection, a mini bar, satellite TV, refreshment trays, radio in rooms, roger & gallet bathroom amenities. There are also facilities like fitness room, concierge services, safe deposit box at the reception, an exchange office and public and private outdoor parking.

Thistle London Heathrow Hotel
A contemporary blend of comfort and style, Thistle London Heathrow is situated only a half mile of Heathrow Airport in the west direction. This hotel has in total 314 bedroom suites that include 11 executive suites, and all of them have facilities like Thistle Connect high speed internet access, direct-dial telephone, bathroom amenities, hospitality tray, a trouser press, coffee maker, an alarm clock, a cable TV and an air conditioning for a comfortable stay. There is a spacious restaurant with seating on a terrace offering a spectacular view of the Heathrow Airport and its runway. It constitutes of 25 meeting rooms, and the biggest meeting room has a seating capacity of 700, along with an internet connection.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Bed and Breakfast Hotels in London

If you have plans to visit London for a short trip like an Office party, a shopping for Christmas or a West End Show and you wish to reside in the heart of the city and center for all the activities happening in and around it, for a low capital, all you need for your stay is a bread and a breakfast hotel.

Bread and Breakfast Hotels are also called as B&B, and the name has been derived in Britain and now it’s famous in the rest of the world as well. A typical bed and breakfast hotel is a small hotel that provides a lounge, room and a breakfast meal. At many places in London, privately owned houses have large number of rooms and are used commercially as a Bed and Breakfast Hotel.

There are tourists who come for a trip to London and they keep a check on their expenses, they are not extravagant at all and do not prefer to spend too much amount on their lodging. Bed and Breakfast are the tailor made hotels for them as these hotels provide a decent room to stay, which is tidy enough to feel relaxed, serve an appreciable meal as demanded by the guests and its environment is full of old-world hospitality. In short, it’s a complete package at a reasonable cost. So it’s a great deal for all those tourists who don’t like the bills of a seven star hotels and believe in simple living.

Chiswick Hotel

It is located close to the Metro System, in West London .Its a beautiful hotel and is bounded by various bars and restaurants. There is one luxury apartment and 64 rooms to avail for a stay. The luxury apartments are created with shades of standout quality and creativity with a combination of modern amenities, amazing landscaped gardens and Victorian grandeur. It is situated on the very easily accessible line, bounded by trees, popular broad Chiswick High Road. It is only a thirty minutes drive from Heathrow Airport and central London.

Brindle House Hotel

The Brindle House hotel is within walking distance of famous landmarks such as London Eye, The Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Theatre Land and a lot more. To reach this hotel from Pimlico Tube Station (Victoria Line), only seven minutes are required. There are in total, 14 guest rooms available and a minimum of one night stay is required to book a room at this hotel.

Wigmore Court Hotel

Located in the West End of London, the Wigmore Court Hotel is only a few kilometers away from the shopping centers and the main business and is easily accessible to the Underground for travelling further. It provides elegant bed and breakfast facilities with rooms individually created for a comfortable stay. And just to add icing on the cake, there are facilities like wireless broadband services ideal for those who are on a business trip.

Victoria Inn

By offering an elegant stay that’s beyond comparison, Victoria Inn stands out for its relaxed sophistication and traditional hospitality making this place a perfect one to stay for a memorable trip. This hotel offers a clean, suitable and a pocket friendly breakfast and bed in the beautiful city. So if you have a family with you or you are on a business tour, Victoria Inn proves to be the best place for your comfort.

At Home London B & B

Located in Central London, At Home Bed and Breakfast is a jewel, super comfortable, neat, tidy and economical. A parking free of cost and a broadband internet connection is also available to suit the needs of the business tourists. This house is set in a peaceful and beautiful garden and is an art gallery at the same time. In total, there are 12 guest rooms full of beautiful work of art.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Celebrity Chefs in London

In London, the restaurants that employ celebrity chefs and personal chefs are a budding trend. Thus the number of chef jobs is increasing day by day and chef career has become one of the promising careers in the city. With the supervision of a celebrity chef, a nice restaurant can become the best in all measures. The best part is, having a dinner at the most luxurious celebrity chef restaurants in London can cost from a contented but a mouth watering experience .One can choose from the various available preferences that match his class and style.

As a matter of fact, all the surveys performed with those who visited restaurants frequently, over the last 15 years tend to show that the restaurants operating under the names of celebrity chefs are by and large better than the other restaurants in general and are charging nearly the same prices as well. Celebrity Chef is a man who has cooked for world leaders and crowned heads.

There are chefs, who fabricated and prepared banquets for Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac George Bush and even the queen during the great Summit in 2005. The global slump is going to leave a great impact to the jobs of the celebrity chefs. During these days of recession, the bad restaurateurs will vanish out of business and this will leave a room for those who want to establish themselves in the trade. Those who don’t work efficiently will give up.
Let’s take look at the most desirable celebrity chefs in London.

Gordon Ramsay

Born on 8 November 1966, Gordon Ramsay is a world class celebrity chef. He was rewarded with as many as16 Michelin Stars. There are a number of hotels that he operates throughout the world. Some of them are-Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road, Maze by Gordon Ramsay at The London, New York City, Gordon Ramsay at Conrad Tokyo, Gordon Ramsay at The Atlantis Sentosa Resort, Singapore. And some of the restaurants that he operates throughout the London City are- Maze Grill, Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square, the Boxwood Café at the Berkeley Hotel, Stuart Gillis, and Foxtrot Oscar. Along with being a celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay has been involved in a series of charitable events and organizations.

Richard Corrigan

An Irish chef, Richard Corrigan is based in London at Lindsay House. In 1998, he was awarded a Michelin Star and besides achieving an Award for being an Outstanding Chef in London at the Restaurants in London Awards; he has been rewarded with many other cookery prizes. Corrigan is the Chef of Lindsay House in Soho. He also comes into sight weekly for the BBC channel, on the TV series called as "Full on Food". He was the only one amongst four other chefs who won a Great British Menu, a BBC competition, and got liable to become a cook for the 80th birthday of the Queen in 2006. In Paris, his meal of Poached Fish Salmon was chosen for the Dinner of Ambassador. Now he airs a show that he hosts, on the Irish channel at the name of, “Corrigan Knows Food" every Tuesday at 8.30 pm.

Antony Worrall Thompson

Henry Antony Cardew Worrall Thompson was born on 1 May 1951, and is one of the London’s renowned celebrity chefs. At Westminster College,he pursued Hotel Management, after his school got over. As he graduated in Hotel Management, he took his first job in catering in Essex. He shifted to Britain in 1978, and worked as a soup-chef at Brinkley's Restaurant, and ended up being a chef head one year hence. He had taken a time off in France, working his way about the home cuisine, the year after becoming a head chef.
The first restaurant that Worrall Thompson launched was- Ménage à Trois - in 1981, in Knightsbridge. This restaurant was known only for serving puddings and starters. He had opened many lavish restaurants, including Metro in Jersey and in west London, it was Wiz and Woz— all of them reflected his outstandingly amazing affinity to food. In the late 2006, in Buckinghamshire he became the Director of Catering for Old Luxters Barn.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

London’s Top 5 Hotels

What is it that attracts guests to the hotel? What is it that makes a traveler desperate for a luxury hotel with a fine suite? Is it the price? The ambience? The services? The location? Or the minutest details? Whether you’re visiting the great city for evading the daily routine of everyday grind for a short break, or preparing to pamper yourself in a thoroughly awaited sizzling weekend, the capital has some of the globe’s best hotels to offer.

Hotel Claridg’s


Hotel Claridg’s is centrally located in the city around the Brook & Davies Streets and a few steps from Bond Street, Regent Street & Hyde Park. This is a seven story building comprising of 203 rooms. The hotel hosts a variety of deluxe suites. A Television along with a DVD/VCR and a mini bar adds to your comfort. With facilities like swimming pool, spa and tennis clubs, you can pamper yourself for as long as you wish for. Excellent room service and broadband internet connection inside every room is something that most people look for. There’s a restaurant, and a couple of lounge bars in the premises of the hotel. You will even be whisked away from London Heathrow Airport by Claridg’s in a Bentley Continental Flying Spur.

The Connaught

The Connaught is close to the boutiques and the galleries along Bond and Regent Streets and is located in designer Mayfair and Near Grosvenor Square. It’s a six storey building that comprises of a total of 92 rooms; all of them are well equipped with broadband internet connection and Television. It has a well equipped health club and an indoor and outdoor pool. The name of the Restaurant is The Grill Room and it offers a world class food. With the benefit of a multi lingual staff, a stay at the Connaught is incomplete without enjoying a meal or two at it’s sought after restaurant. The Connaught also has a bar in its premises and a golf course nearby.

The Dorchester

If you are the kind that loves to nourish your taste bud then The Dorchester is the right place for you to be in. Besides being a hotel with unmatched luxury, appealing suites and well-dressed rooms. The Dorchester Hotel has won the British Tea Council’s honored Top London Afternoon Tea Award thrice since the year 2000. An incredible range of teas and a lip smacking compilation of assorted scones and cakes promise an enjoyable treat in London. Centrally located in the city, in the Deanery Street, it has 9 floors and 250 rooms .It has 4 restaurants and a casino nearby.

Four Seasons Hotel London

Located at the Hyde Park corner; downtown, The Four Seasons Hotel is very close to the tourists area. It’s a 9 storey building and comprises of 220 rooms. There’s a free newspaper service, a refrigerator, a mini bar, a safe and a cable television with DVD/VCR in all the rooms. The incredibly beautiful lobby that’s wood-paneled sets a beautiful ambience for the warm décor that is famous throughout hotel. An ATM/bank and a gift shop are also present in the premises. There’s a restaurant and a bar for a chill out experience. A health club is also present on site. The hotel prides itself with the beautiful rooms, filled with elegant interiors and appropriate furnishing.

Grange City Hotel

Grange City hotel is a 5 star London hotel, situated in the heart of the city and is only at a stone throw away distance from the Tower of London and St. Pauls Cathedral. London city airport is only a 15 minutes drive from this hotel. Tower Hill, Monument and Aldgate are the tube stations that are nearby. Standing tall with 12 floors, it comprises of 307 suites. In every room there’s a digital LCD TV, a mini bar, and a refrigerator. All the rooms are air conditioned with a climate control. The rooms are well equipped with a safe, hypoallergenic pillows and duvets, iron & ironing board, Tea/Coffee Facilities, complimentary Newspaper facilities. It has 2 restaurants that offer intercontinental food and a cocktail bar. It has a health club, a spa, a golf course in and around the premises.