World City Guide

Hotels

All hotel bills are subject to VAT (Value Added Tax) of 17.5%, which is usually added to the bill at the end, although may be included in the rate given for special deals etc.

The prices quoted below are the starting prices for standard double rooms, excluding VAT and excluding breakfast, unless otherwise specified. Many corporate and weekend rates will be available, however, including the increasingly good-value Internet-only rates for many London hotels.

Business

Charlotte Street Hotel
Situated in Charlotte Street, which is a Mecca for restaurants, not far from the media companies of Soho, this hip hotel has a fresh, young feel in comfortable townhouse surroundings. A vast lobby on the ground floor leads to a drawing room and library – the decor is bright and light throughout, with modern art. The hotel has 52 guest rooms, including four loft suites with high ceilings and large windows, and two spectacular open-plan Penthouse Suites. Each room is equipped with a large writing desk, CD player, video player, two-line telephone with voice-mail, modem point and fax outlet, as well as a personal mobile phone. Private meeting rooms for up to 50 delegates can be hired and there is a state-of-the-art screening room. There is a lively brasserie-style restaurant, which also provides room service.
15-17 Charlotte Street, W1
Tel: (020) 7806 2000. Fax: (020) 7806 2002.
E-mail: mailto:charlotte@firmdale.com
Website: www.charlottestreethotel.com
Price: From £230.

Holiday Inn Heathrow
Opened in August 2000, the Holiday Inn Heathrow is a modern, efficient hotel overlooking the airport, with views over the Western runway. Ideal for those who require proximity to Heathrow, all rooms are triple glazed so that the airport activity can be seen but not heard. Designed with function rather than aesthetics in mind, the hotel is comfortable yet impersonal, with 230 almost identical rooms all equipped with power showers, satellite TV, desks and telephone with modem point. For business purposes, there are 16 meeting rooms available for hire, as well as a business centre providing secretarial and translation services. The hotel also has a mini gym.
Bath Road, Heathrow Airport, West Drayton, Middlesex
Tel: (020) 8990 0000. Fax: (020) 8564 7744
E-mail: enquiries@london-heathrowholidayinn.com
Website: www.london-heathrowholidayinn.com
Price: from £155.

The Landmark London
Overlooking Regent’s Park, this five-star hotel (awarded the RAC Gold Ribbon award year after year) offers excellent business amenities in luxurious surroundings. The striking Victorian architecture centres on an eight-storey glass-roofed atrium, infusing the hotel with daylight. The 299 guest rooms are spacious and well equipped with desk, high-speed Internet access and three telephone lines. Each guest is given a personal e-mail address and fax number on arrival. There are ten function rooms with the latest audiovisual technology and a secretarial service is available. As an antidote to work, there is a gym, complete with pool and steam rooms. The restaurant, John Burton-Race at The Landmark, has two Michelin stars.
222 Marylebone Road, NW1
Tel: (020) 7631 8000. Fax: (020) 7631 8080
E-mail: info@landmarklondon.co.uk
Website: www.landmarklondon.co.uk
Price: From £175.

The Trafalgar
With its prime location right at the heart of central London, on the corner of Trafalgar Square, The Trafalgar is the Hilton’s first attempt at a ‘style’ hotel and a successful one at that, making it on to Conde Nast Traveller’s ‘Hot List 2002’. From the ground floor up, this hotel is all about clean, contemporary design. The 129 rooms and suites come in soft, relaxing colours (sky-blue or cream), with simple modern furniture. All rooms include direct-dial telephone, CD player, Sony Playstation and Internet access. The executive rooms and the suites all have a view of the City or Trafalgar Square. This hotel is not all style and no substance, however; the facilities for the business traveller are extensive, including meeting rooms, audiovisual and video-conferencing equipment, mobile phone hire and photocopying and secretarial services. As well as the bar, Rockwell (see Bars in Nightlife section), there is the mainly organic, stylish restaurant, Jago.
2 Spring Gardens, Trafalgar Square, London SW1
Tel: (020) 7870 2900. Fax: (020) 7870 2911.
Website: www.thetrafalgar.hilton.com
Price: From £189.

Luxury

The Lanesborough
Minutes from Buckingham Palace, this lavish hotel treats its guests like royalty. Formerly Viscount Lanesborough’s country home, the hotel is now a St Regis Hotel but remains true to its Regency building, with ornate furnishings and decor. Guests can expect 24-hour butler service, personalised business cards and stationery on arrival. Each of the 95 guest rooms and suites are filled with period furniture and 21st-century technology, including a mobile phone, CD and DVD player, computer with Internet access and the latest software packages and digital television. There are six private dining rooms for entertaining and meetings, as well as a small business centre. Michael Jackson, Madonna and Sylvester Stallone have all stayed here.
Hyde Park Corner, SW1
Tel: (020) 7259 5599. Fax: (020) 7259 5606.
E-mail: info@lanesborough.com
Website: www.lanesborough.com
Price: From £395.

The Ritz
Since 1906, The Ritz in London has been providing exemplary service to its well-heeled guests. An elegant building overlooking Green Park, the interior is fastidiously decorated in Louis XVI style with marble columns, rich fabrics and antique furniture. The guest rooms are furnished in soothing pastel colours and two members of staff are on hand to service each room. For business matters, a computer, printer and scanner can be arranged in-room, as can secretarial support. Two large meeting rooms holding up to 100 delegates can be hired. Formal meals can be taken in the chandelier-filled restaurant, while the famous Ritz tea can be enjoyed in the Palm Court at 1530 or 1700, for which it is necessary to book well in advance.
150 Piccadilly, W1
Tel: (020) 7300 2308/9/10 or (toll free from the USA) 1 877 748 9536 .
Fax: (020) 7493 2687.
E-mail: enquire@theritzlondon.com
Website: www.theritzlondon.com
Price: From £360.

Moderate

Hampstead Guest House
Escape the city’s bustle at this charming bed and breakfast situated in one of London’s most sought after residential areas, just 20 minutes by Tube from central London and a short walk from beautiful Hampstead Heath. Tucked away from a high street packed with stylish boutiques and bistros, the Hampstead Village Guest House is a three-storey Victorian house with seven bedrooms and an adjoining self-contained apartment. The family home of proprietor Annemarie van der Meer, paying guests have been welcomed here for the past 20 years. The ambience is distinctly homely with eclectic, bohemian furnishings, a family dog, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a rambling garden. Guest rooms have basic facilities, including a small fridge, kettle, tea and coffee, hairdryer, direct-dial telephone and TV.
2 Kemplay Road, NW3
Tel: (020) 7435 8679. Fax: (020) 7794 0254.
E-mail: info@hampsteadguesthouse.com
Website: www.hampsteadguesthouse.com
Price: From £72 (shared bathroom) or £84 (en suite).

Ibis Hotel, Euston
This French-owned chain hotel represents excellent value for money in a central location, just seconds from Euston London Underground and railway station. The hotel is basic in design, with 380 bedrooms, an informal restaurant and bar, and a private underground car park. The bedrooms are small, clean and uniformly kitted out with desk, chair and colour TV. The hotel does have a rather sterile, impersonal atmosphere, however, and is lacking any luxury features. However, its bargain rate means that it is almost always full. Conference facilities are available for groups of up to 800 people.
3 Cardington Street, NW1
Tel: (020) 7388 7777. Fax: (020) 7388 0001.
Website: www.ibishotel.com
Price: From £79.95.

Other Recommendations

23 Greengarden House
For those who want to feel like a London resident rather than a visitor, renting a four-star serviced apartment in the heart of the West End could be the perfect option. Set in the pretty, pedestrianised St Christopher’s Place, Greengarden House contains 15 one-bedroom and eight two-bedroom apartments. Each apartment has its own living room, kitchen and bathroom, and comes fully equipped with every household appliance, including two telephone lines with voice-mail, modem point and ISDN line. Most are decorated with classical furniture in soft, warm colours but there are also five ‘contemporary’ apartments in cooler colours, with crisper, cleaner lines.
St Christopher’s Place, W1
Tel: (020) 7935 9191. Fax: (020) 7935 8858.
E-mail: info@greengardenhouse.com
Website: www.greengardenhouse.com
Price: From £195.

myhotel Chelsea
Situated in a quiet tree-lined street, minutes from Brompton Cross, the designer shopping Mecca, myhotel chelsea is the second London hotel from the myhotel team. Marketed as Sex and the City glamour meets Brideshead Revisited English country house, the new hotel is already getting noticed (it made Conde Nast Traveller’s ‘Hot List 2003’). The hotel promises a haven of tranquillity and a stay that is individually tailored to each guest’s need. Designed following feng shui principles, the interior has a sexy eclectic style. The 45 guest rooms are decorated in peaceful pastel colours, with contemporary and antique furniture, soft furnishings and fresh flowers. As well as the Eastern-style Thai suite, with its own steam room, there are the two Red Rooms, situated behind the bar, designed for decadence and indulgence. All rooms have CD/DVD player, flat-screen TVs, telephone and ISDN access, cashmere throws and hot water bottles. The hotel also has two function rooms, a bar-restaurant, a small gym, a spa/treatment room, a resident-only conservatory with complimentary e-mail and refreshments. Guest services include personal shoppers, massage, meditation and botox.
35 Ixworth Place, SW3
Tel: (020) 7225 7500.
E-mail: mychelsea@myhotels.co.uk
Website: www.myhotels.co.uk
Price: From £220.