FREE HOTEL: SURVIVE MAMA EXPERIENCE

Fancy a free night in a London Hotel? F**K YEAH! But before you get to excited there is a catch, this hotel room is designed to shatter your nerves and resilience. WHAT? Well it's all to do with release of paranormal thriller MAMA and this pop-up horror hotel will inflict the most horrifying moments from the film on their guests, that's you!

For the chance to spend one night at the temporary scare room at Holiday Inn, Camden Lock you'll need to enter online now. Stays are free of charge and successful entrants will be picked at random. Don't get scared now....

Wed 12th - Thurs 13th June
Holiday Inn London - Camden Lock, 30 Jamestown Road, NW1 7B
http://survivemama2.eventbrite.co.uk

REVIEW: AMPERSAND HOTEL

Last year we broke the news on the Ampersand Hotel opening and this month we checked-in to see how the hotel was getting on. Located minutes from South Kensignton, it's perfectly placed for tourists wanting to do the museums and Hyde Park and also Londoners who fancy a mini-holiday.

Inside the hotel is like a home straight from the pages of ELLE Decor, bright flowery prints, colourful fabrics and plenty of homely touches. The hotel has 111 rooms, we stayed in a studio suite which was pretty spacious with plenty of natural light, the outside wall was floor to ceiling windows. As well as a huge king-bed and sitting area the room benefited from a big bathroom with a roll top bath, double shower and Miller and Harris products. What's more at the end of the tub was a TV and come on, we all like a bit of TV in the tub.

There's free wifi throughout, a free mini-bar (soft drinks only), Nespresso machine and some interesting reading material - we had a book about deadly plants.

Outside of the rooms in the basement, is where you'll find the restaurant Apero - it's here that breakfast is served, the library fully stocked with books and the games room with a ping pong table and various board games for guests to use. There's also a couple of computers if you need them. After a long soak in the bath with rubber ducky we hit the hay for a peaceful nights sleep before heading down to breakfast.


Full marks for breakfast, unlike a standard hotel buffet the Ampersand has a very on trend selection of goodies - bacon brioche anyone? There's also turkish eggs, avocado on toast and Full English. Oh yes it looks like the Ampersand has settled in just fine, a good quality all rounder. We like!

Rooms from £200 per night
The Ampersand Hotel, 10 Harrington Road, London, SW7 3ER
www.ampersandhotel.com

NEWS: HOTEL XENIA IS OPEN

The hotel openings in London are showing no signs of slowing down and lookie what we have here, a brand new hotel which has just opened it's doors. That's right Hotel Xenia opened this week and we're as surprised as anyone given we hadn't seen anything about it before....

The hotel located on Cromwell Road has had a 2 year, £9 million pound face lift and now features 98 rooms and just one suite – the first in London to have a Turkish bath. There's a tablet computer every room, free Wifi and a restaurant called Evoluzione, inspired by nutritionist Chiara Manzi, serving Italian food with a healthy twist - 3 course meal for 800 calories anyone? And there will be daily demonstrations at a dedicated show cooking station - sounds very M&S to us!

There's also alfresco dining, two bars, one with a separate entrance and outdoor space, a herb garden and humidor. Fancy being one of the first through the doors? Then check out the 30% off opening offer, we found rooms from £124

160 Cromwell Road, London, SW5 0TL
www.hotelxenia.co.uk

GET ON BOARD A ROOM FOR LONDON

You remember two years ago when we told you about the "boat" hotel on the South Bank? No? Neither do we really...Anyway it's open for bookings again and you have until midnight to apply, that's right midnight tonight. But before you go getting too excited not only do you have to apply and be picked at random you also have to pay the sum of £300 per night.

The brainchild of arts collective Artangel and Living Architecture, the boat-hotel (boatel, perhaps?) was designed by Turner Prize nominee Fiona Banner and architect David Kohn. It has one en-suite bedroom, kitchenette, library and a viewing deck that promises one of the most spectacular views in London, from Big Ben to St Pauls.

The ballot to book available June, July and August 2013 nights is now live. It closes at midnight on Wed 24th April.

www.living-architecture.co.uk

NEWS: THE GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL IS OPEN

Last year we had an influx of London hotels opening in time for the Olympics, and whilst the mad rush to welcome guests might have slowed down there are still a fair few openings in the pipeline. The Great Northern Hotel might have only opened its doors this month but the GNH was actually London's first railway hotel and dates back to 1854. And with just an 18 metre space between the hotel and St Pancras you can literally roll from the train to your pad.

The Grade II listed building has been lovingly restored following a 12 year, £40 million facelift and now features 91 rooms, a destination restaurant named Plum + Spilt Milk and bar. The rooms come in three types;  Couchettes (which are inspired by train sleeper compartments); Wainscot (named after their walnut Wainscot paneling) and Cubitt (named after the architect Lewis Cubitt).

All rooms come with a pretty bumper set of goodies including playlists, a film library, audio book collection and WifI - basically everything you need to travel in comfort. What's more on every floor you'll find a pantry offering free snack and drinks.

Room rates start from £250 however if you book sharpish you can take advantage of the opening offer with rooms online now for £132.

Pancras Road, N1C 4TB
www.gnhlondon.com

REVIEW: BEAUFORT HOTEL

The Beaufort Hotel is located in Knightsbridge just minutes from Harrods and Harvey Nichols - ideal for a shopping break. Located on a quiet road the hotel is set in a couple of townhouses and has a cosy, homely feel. The Beaufort has just 29 rooms and suites and although it doesn't have a fine-dining restaurant or glitzy bar it does have a cosy lounge and fully stocked booze cupboard which just so happens to be complimentary for guests. That's right there is a free bar for all guests which includes champers, spirits, soft drinks, wine and anything else you might fancy from 3pm - 11pm.

We stayed in one of the Junior Suites located on the top floor, the room was spacious with a small seating area, huge double bed, bath and shower with Molton Brown products, the all important robes and free WiFi. If you arrived before 5pm they will even throw in a free afternoon cream tea - yes this is a hotel which keeps on giving.

Breakfast can be taken in your room or lobby and there's a whole host of options to choose from. We went with the sausage sarnie and boiled eggs - cracking! For a home away from home with freebies look no further than The Beaufort

Doubles from £140 per night.

33 Beaufort Gardens, Knightsbridge, London, SW3 1PP
www.thebeaufort.co.uk

THE WORLD'S FIRST CAKE HOTEL...

Next week a new hotel is all set to open in Soho and it looks pretty sweet. In fact a little too sweet as the hotel will be made entirely from cake, that's right a hotel made from cake....Hansel and Gretel would be proud. What's more guests are encouraged to eat the sweet treats, yes you can have your cake and eat it.

The windows and walls are made from 2,000 macaroons, there's a rug made from 1,081 meringues, walls are covered in 20kg of marshmallows, the windowsills are made from fudge and the bath is filled with popcorn. There's even edible books and cushions - gives a whole new meaning to in-room dining.

Opens Thursday 21st March but we have a feeling it won't be around for too long!

Dean Street

£50 ROOMS AT DEAN STREET...

Our long time readers may remember last year when we wrote about Dean Street Townhouse's Dirty Stop Out package. Well low and behold it is back, like before you can stay in the hotel for just £50 but you do need to have dinner in the restaurant.

Yep anyone who dines after 11pm will be able to take up the offer provided of course there is availabilty. And for good measure they will even throw in a an overnight bag with morning after kit - you know in case you forget your toothbrush! Sure beats getting a taxi home...

69 - 71 Dean Street, Soho, W1D
www.deanstreettownhouse.com

50 SHADE OF GREY PLAYROOM...

So you filthy swines, you are going to love this. The playroom which Christian Grey talks of in 50 Shades of Grey has been replicated by a London a dominatrix and is available to rent on Wimdu.co.uk for couples looking for erotic breaks.

Located in a Georgian townhouse just minutes from Oxford Circus and Regent’s Park, Georgina Wilde’s playroom comes fully equipped with a plethora of BDSM equipment and props. With everything from floggers and paddles, to whipping benches and suspension devices, couples can fulfill their kinky fantasies from the privacy of this self-contained adult play space.

Georgina Wilde’s playroom is available for overnight stays from £263. Fancy a stay in the infamous playroom, get booking....er, send us your photos ;)

Wimdu.co.uk

REVIEW: THE LEVIN HOTEL

The Levin Hotel is located in the heart of Knightsbridge, in fact you couldn't get any closer to Harrods if you tried - unless of course you slept in the puppy cages. The boutique hotel has just 12 cosy rooms, each decked out in chic furniture and modern fittings with those all important homely touches.

We spent the night in the Junior Suite which is the biggest of all the rooms and features a separate living area with two sofas, bright bathroom with heated flooring, deep bathtub and shower, huge beds, widescreen TV, an in-room library of classic books, Kiehl's products and the all important robes and slippers. Although if we're honest even the Classic Doubles are pretty specious.


The bed was extremely comfortable and it was nice to feel like you could really relax in your surrounds especially after spending the afternoon trawling the shops. The hotel also offers free WiFi throughout, in-room Champagne mini-bars and iPads available upon request.

In the basement of the hotel is Le Metro bistro and it's here where breakfast is served although if it's not included we'd suggest skipping it and opting for somewhere outside. The staff are friendly and helpful with a good knowledge of the surrounding area and as there are only 12 rooms they all know your name! No chance of sneaking in inconspicuous here. The Levin is a great choice if you're looking for a home away from home and somewhere you can truly relax away from the madness of London.

Prices start from £244 per room
The Levin Hotel, 28 Basil Street, London, SW3 1AS
www.thelevinhotel.co.uk

REVIEW: THE ARCH

Spanning over seven grade two listed townhouses is the rather arty boutique hotel, The Arch. Smack bang in Marble Arch, conveniently located for shopping trips the hotel has 82 guestrooms and suites designed by RDD Interior Architectural Design and features installations from emerging British artists throughout the hotel. The cosy London bolthole also features a slick restaurant and bar, the Hunter 486 brassiere which takes its name from the 1950s dialling code for Marylebone and a gym, which although on the small side is fully stocked with the latest high tech machines and open 24 hours.

We recently spent the night in one of the spacious Junior Suites with four poster bed, sofa and flowery wallpaper it has the feel of a country house hotel. Whilst the rooms are attractive and comfortable the added extras are really where The Arch excels. The room features a Nespresso machine, complementary soft drinks from the mini-bar, free WiFi, Malin + Goetz products and all the technology you might need and more.

First things first we decided to tackle the bathroom which came with a rain shower and huge bath with a widescreen TV conveniently placed on the wall. So we filled it full, whacked in the bubble bath and watched the whole of Teen Wolf in the tub. Seriously does life get any better? After the soak we robed up, put on our slippers and got ourselves ready for dinner in Hunter 486.

The Hunter 486 Brasserie is set in a room split into two, one half is tailored more towards eating with an open plan kitchen and the other, named the Le Salon de Champagne is perfect for pre/post dinner drinking with booths and comfy chairs. The decor like the rest of the hotel is inviting, the kind of place you’re quite happy to sit over a long dinner with plush fabrics, trendy lighting and quirky touches. Food wise an a la carte style menu is available offering European dishes as well as a dish of the day section, luckily we were there on a Sunday so got to try the beef roast which was top notch! Whilst other highlights included the Shrimp and Avocado cocktail served in a jam jar on a wooden board and the mini Pavlova.

Breakfast is also served in Hunter 486 and not only is there a good buffet selection the hot dishes are well worth a look and huge. For a cosy hotel in the center of London you’d be right at home in The Arch. What’s more if you book now the hotel are offering 3 nights for the price of 2 on weekend stays with a complimentary upgrade and why the hell not?

Rooms from £205

The Arch London, 50 Great Cumberland Place, Marble Arch, W1H 7FD
www.thearchlondon.com

HOTEL NEWS: THE RITZ GOES STREET...

The Ritz hotel famous for it's plush interiors and high end clientele has announced it's going street. Well OK maybe not totally street but they have announced they are relaxing their dress code, that's right jeans are allowed and no jacket is needed for guests at The Rivoli Bar and Long Gallery.

But don't go getting too excited sportswear is still banned which is a shame as we all love enjoying cocktails in our Kappa trakkies right? No? Just us then...

What's more the hotel are also reducing the Wi-Fi charges and it's about time, especially given that it used to cost a whooping £26 for 24 hours. Hopefully this will be the sign of things to come and see more hotels which charge huge room rates offering free internet.

150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR
www.theritzlondon.com

REVIEW: RADISSON BLU EDWARDIAN MERCER STREET

The Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street is quite a mouthful isn't it? The hotel's lengthy name was part of the £15 million pound refurbishment which saw it re-open late last year as a brand, spanking new modern hotel.

Located in the heart of Covent Garden there really couldn't be a better location for a hotel, it has great shops, restaurants and bars on its door step and has excellent tube and bus transport links. From the outside the hotel blends in well with its surrounds and from the inside, well we were impressed. A mixture of modern and traditional the hotel offers not only great decor but excellent service and facilities too.

We recently stayed in one of the Studio suites which benefits from windows over the busy shopping streets below and what's more these windows open - always a plus when you don't have to rely on the air-con. The room was very spacious with a huge king-sized bed, sofa, two arm chairs, impressive Apple entertainment system (with the ability to link up your phone to the TV), table and chairs, walk-in wardrobe style area with a dressing table, mini-bar in the form of a SMEG fridge and a bathroom with bath, separate shower and yummy toiletries and plenty of them. Yes, you could say this was a pad.

Outside of the room the hotel has a small gym and business centre but we'd suggest you bypass them and headed to the Dial Bar and restaurant. Breakfast is also laid on here and there is a good selection to choose from with a cold spread and hot options available to order. Whilst on a night this place really comes to life, we visited on a Tuesday and it was bustling. With comfy, stylish surrounds and dishes like Pancetta wrapped diver caught scallops with leek puree and Gloucester Old Spot pork cutlet with colcannon, and an apple and cinnamon compote there is little wonder why!

It’s a beaut alright.

Rooms from £199

20 Mercer Street, Covent Garden, WC2H
www.radissonblu-edwardian.com

NEWS: INTERCONTINENTAL WESTMINSTER OPENS

The Intercontinental Westminster is open! Located in a former government building, it's the second Intercontinental hotel in London, the first one opened on Park Lane 36 years ago. The hotel is next door to Scotland Yard and a few minutes' walk from Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament.

The hotel has 256 rooms, 7 meeting rooms and a Blue Boar Smokehouse and Bar which has its own on site smoking ovens - we bet that shows up on a few expenses! There is also a gym, FREE WiFi throughout and a lobby serving afternoon tea. From the look of the Facebook page it certainly looks like the staff have a good sense of humour too!

Rooms from £225. Get it whilst its hot...

22-28 Broadway, SW1H

www.ichotelsgroup.com

REVIEW: THE MALMAISON

We’re big fans of the Mal brand having stayed at Malmaison hotels in Newcastle, Oxford and Manchester but we’d never stayed at the Mal London – until now. The Malmaison London is located in Farringdon, right next to Smithfield Meat Market, the trendy area of Clerkenwell and a short walk from Old Street and Liverpool Street. The Mal grabs your attention the moment you enter, the deep sensual décor, velvet materials and low lit lighting make the place feel attractive, inviting and extremely cosy. You could also say a tad provocative too, just check out the painting by the lift – oooo errr misses!

We checked into one of the first floor corner suites – a spacious room, even with its huge king sized bed, there was more than enough room to swing a cat in. The room has all of the amenities every modern hotel should have like a nespresso machine, super fast wi-fi and music player. The bathrooms must be the lightest aspect of the entire hotel, all bright white with free standing power-shower and deep bath tubs – at this point we should mention the toiletries which are some of our favourite hotel products, the grapefruit soap smells immense!

In a city like London you are pretty much guaranteed to be out and about all day so getting back here to the privacy of your own room, where it’s quiet, warm and comfy is bliss. Stick on the giant plasma, have a bath, sit and look out of the window…whatever your fancy the Malmaison is your retreat. And if you do want to leave your room you’ll find cracking cocktails and The Stack waiting for you downstairs.

Breakfast feels a little on the formal side, it’s nice to have uniformed waiters and waitress attentively pouring teas and fetching toast but the white tablecloths are a little full on. The food menu on the other hand is ACE, try the breakfast muffins with sausage, bacon or egg, or go nuts and ask for a combination. There is smoked salmon and eggs, eggs Benedict, the full shebang and a massive selection of cold goodies too. What’s more you might even be lucky enough to see next doors tabby cat creeping in to get his filthy paws on your cream.

The hotel is one of London’s best kept secrets and a great place to gently immerse yourself in the London madness given its hidden away location overlooking the pretty private Charterhouse Square. Rooms start from just £99 on weekends – what’s not to like?

Malmaison 18-21 Charterhouse Square EC1M
www.malmaison.com

REVIEW: SOUTH PLACE HOTEL

Back in June we brought you news of the planned opening of South Place Hotel, the first hotel from the D & D London, the group behind a fair few restaurants in the city. Well the hotel is now open and having heard great things we checked-in to try it out...

Located in Moorgate, the hotel is also within a short walking distance of Barbican, Old Street and Liverpool Street stations which means it pretty much has transport covered. The 80 rooms come in five different types, our abode was one of the South Place rooms. The room came with all mod cons; a widescreen TV, king sized bed, free WiFi, impressive mini-bar and the odd quirk here and there, including the "IN" and "OUT" brochures which act as a guide for guests inside the room and outside the room. But the highlight had to be the bath, it was huge, so big you could fit two in side by side comfortable - saucy? We like.



The communal areas of the hotel are where it really comes alive, the ground floor offering an all day casual restaurant and bar, both of which were jumping on a Friday evening. Whilst up on the roof you'll find The Garden outdoor bar, Angler the fish restaurant which serves seriously good food and then there is Le Chiffre. Le Chiffre is a private members club which only open to hotel guests and let's face it this place is super cool. Not only is there a pool table, library stocked with staple reads and a bar which resembles a booze cupboard, the room also houses a turntable with a collection of iconic records for your enjoyment.

It's clear that a lot of thought has gone into South Place Hotel, from the staff uniforms which have been designed by D S Dundee to the limited edition in-room prints. The staff are also pretty on it too, having called to request some earplugs at 1am due to noisy air con they were literally at our door minutes later. For a slick stay in a convenient location with all your drinking and eating needs taken care of inside the hotel, South Place ticks all the boxes.

Rooms from £176 per night.

3 South Place, EC2M
www.southplacehotel.com

REVIEW: SAFESTAY

London is home to some of the most famous and glamorous hotels in the world; The Ritz on Piccadilly, The Savoy on the Strand, Claridge's in Mayfair. Even the boutique hotels like the Fox and Anchor, CitizenM and Myhotels amongst others are chic and luxurious, meaning that staying in a Premier Inn when you visit London just isn't an option.

Of course, these big names don't fit everyone's budget which means there's a gap in the market for genuinely affordable luxury. This is where the likes of Tune, The Hoxton and Z Hotels come in and now, Safestay. To call them a hostel would be a disservice, so we renamed the "poshtel". Based near Elephant and Castle, the area might not conjure up images of sophistication but the Zone 1 location within walking distance of The South Bank and Central London will certainly appeal to visitors.

The building is recognisable from the outside as the old Labour Party headquarters, but the inside is modern and stylish, having been completely refurbished. Countless rooms serve every purpose and every budget, from private family rooms to dormitory bunks. We've experienced plenty of hostels throughout the world and we would be delighted to find facilities like this anywhere on our travels. Every room has an en suite bathroom and breakfast is included in the room rate. Private rooms also include a TV (a huge flatscreen dominated one wall in our room), towels and complimentary tea and coffee.

The rooms are spotlessly clean and the beds are comfy and warm. We will certainly be recommending Safestay to our friends who are visiting London. Downstairs in the main bar and restaurant area are dozens of comfy chairs and sofas with TVs, a pool table and a large heated outdoor area. If you're feeling sociable, this is the perfect opportunity to meet young people, mainly backpackers, and make some new friends over a beer or two. However, the best part is the price - When they say budget, the mean it, with beds starting from £18 and private rooms from £58. Safestay is great fun, full of interesting people, in a great location and most importantly an absolute bargain. Hopefully there will soon be branches abroad for us to visit too!

144-152 Walworth Road, SE17 1JL
www.safestay.co.uk

REVIEW: HILTON GATWICK AIRPORT

Stress free. That's what staying overnight at the Hilton Gatwick Airport is. Believe you and me when we say we've 'accidently' missed a flight or two due to journeys to the airport or just general disorganisation.

The 4 star hotel is just a 5 minute walk away from the South Terminal and it's the only hotel at Gatwick Airport that has a covered walkway linked to the South Terminal. Great news if you just can't face the cold after stepping off a flight from a tropical country.

We recently stayed in one of the Executive rooms located in the new block which features floor to ceiling glass windows with some pretty impressive views of the countryside and aeroplanes coming in. The Executive rooms are spacious, extremely comfortable and have all of the amenities you'd need for a stay without having to unpack anything - well perhaps some clean pants but each to their own!

The bathroom has both a shower and bath, there is nothing better than having a long soak before a jolly or washing away the aches of a long flight. There are dental kits, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, mouthwash, creams and various other products. The rooms come with large TV's, tea and coffee making facilities and FREE WiFi.

Outside of the room the Garden Restaurant is the place to grab breakfast pretty much through the night for early departures. There is also a sports bar, a'la carte restaurant, costa coffee, executive lounge and a small gym. A great place to ease the pain of an early morning departure and start the holiday in style.

Rooms from £100 per night.

Hilton London Gatwick Airport South Terminal, Gatwick, RH6
www.hilton.com

THE AMPERSAND HOTEL IS OPEN....

Our regular readers may remember earlier this year when we broke the news about The Ampersand Hotel opening. Well the hotel has now opened its doors in South Kensington and we can confirm it looks just as good in the flesh as it does in the pictures!

The hotel houses 111 rooms in a beautifully converted building which dates back to 1888. Each of the rooms has been individually designed, with decor inspired by the local London neighbourhood, from the music of the Royal Albert Hall to the Chelsea Physic Garden's flowers. The rooms range from standard doubles to suites with private balconies.

There are also plenty of reasons to visit outside of the rooms - the hotel's restaurant Apero serves up Mediterranean style dishes and killer cocktails (trust us they are killer!) in a trendy cellar style environment. Whilst afternoon tea will be served in The Drawing Rooms and for more intimate dinners there is The Wine Room with its own vast wine cellar. There's a gym too incase you want to work off all of that food.

Rooms start at £200 per night.
10 Harrington Road London, SW7 3ER
www.ampersandhotel.com

NEWS: SOUTH PLACE HOTEL IS OPEN...

Back in June we broke the news on the South Place Hotel, the first hotel from restaurateurs D&D and as of today the hotel is OPEN. Located at 3 South Place between Moorgate and Liverpool Street the hotel features a British diner on the Ground Floor with 24 hour bar, a seafood restaurant, Angler on the Seventh Floor (not open until 17th Sept) alongside a selection of treatment rooms, a games room and 80 rooms and suites.

The interiors are designed by Conran (who also did the stunning nearby Boundary hotel), the rooms all feature individual artwork, cashmere wrapped mattresses and ‘Oranges and Lemons’ amenities by perfumer James Heeley. What's more all guests recieve a welcome box by Studio Conran with a bespoke, hand-drawn map by Emily Chappell - seriously could this hotel be any COOLER?

The strong focus on art and design runs throughout the hotel with sculptures and illustrations in the public areas, a hidden garden on the first floor and seriously hip staff uniforms designed by DS Dundee, specialists in British tailoring based in the East End of London.

Rooms start at £300, with introductory, non-refundable weekend rates from £176 for a limited period only.

3-4 South Palace, EC2M
www.southplacehotel.com

REVIEW: BAGLIONI LONDON

The five-star Baglioni hotel sits in one of the best locations in the city, right on the edge of Hyde Park, moments from High Street Kensington, the Royal Albert Hall and Knightsbridge. The hotel features 67 rooms, a restaurant, bar, terrace, spa and small gym. It belongs to the luxury Italian hotel group whose properties are mainly in Italy with the odd one in Marrakech, London and France for good measure.

The welcome is everything you'd want from a five-star hotel, the doorman holds the door and takes one's luggage, whilst the receptionist offers you a cold drink and refreshing towel during check-in. The decor is opulent, lots of dark tones and golds, it almost has an Egyptian feel to it.

Our room for the night was a Courtyard Junior Suite, named so because the suites have access to a quiet, inner courtyard with furniture for guests to use. Inside the suites have a lounge area with Illy espresso machine, iPod dock, large TV and comfy sofa, a bathroom with bath, shower and robes and bedroom with king-sized bed, large TV and slippers.

After taking advantage of the location and spending the day exploring Hyde Park followed by a post-dinner stroll we returned to find our room all prepared for bedtime. We slept like babies and didn't hear a peep all night, surely something to do with the hotel's sound proofing which is second to none.

The next morning we pottered to the restauarant and explored the buffet breakfast, a good selection of hot and cold items to suit all tastes. Check-out was fast and we left the same way we'd arrived through the door kindly held open by the doorman. The Baglioni hotel may not be the newest London property nor have any wild news stories but its offering is perfected, and it feels 5-star throughout. What's more it has the location and no-one can beat that!

Rooms from £279
60 Hyde Park Gate, Kensington, London SW7 5BB
www.baglionihotels.com

SLEEP AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSUEM...

Back in June the Natural History Museum opened it's doors at night offering members of the public the chance to spend the night in the museum - a'la Ben Stiller style or so we'd like to imagine anyway. This month the museum will yet again welcome guests at night for a special Dino Snore on Friday 17th August.

Once guests have set up camp (under the Diplodocus skeleton) they will head to the restaurant for a 3-course dinner. Then the events will begin, there will be an all-night monster movie marathon, a science show, Big Nature Quiz, midnight feast including some edible insects, life drawing class and many more weird and wonderful things to keep you entertained from dusk to dawn.

The experience doesn't come cheap at £175 however that includes dinner and breakfast and when you think of hotel prices in London it doesn't seem that bad does it?

Fri 17th Aug, 7:30pm
Exhibition Road  Kensington, SW7  
www.nhmshop.co.uk

REVIEW: THE FOX AND ANCHOR

The Fox and Anchor is a gastropub come boutique hotel tucked away in Farringdon close to Smithfield market. The pub itself feels like it had been taken straight from a Charles dickens novel. A Victiorian building, it has now been beautifully restored to offer the perfect mix of twenty first century and traditional.

With just 6 rooms the heart of the hotel lies in the busy pub downstairs. We ate in the quieter area at the back of the pub which was still pretty busy even though it was a Sunday night and we were in the middle of the city. Says something good we think!

The menu offers a range of traditional English grub, from pies and burgers to fish and chips, operating under the philosophy 'simple food done well'. To start we had the scotch egg with curried mayo which was up there with London's best Scotch Eggs. The egg was soft and gooey whilst the meat was thick and salty. We also tried the English asparagus with poached duck egg covered with a thick, creamy Hollandaise sauce.

The Fox has a reputation for burgers so we tried two, the traditional Fox and Anchor Beef Burger and the Lobster, Crab and Prawn! The reputation is well deserved, the beef burger was juicy and tender, cooked medium rare and an absolute handful. The fish burger was crammed with juicy prawns and lobster which gave it a real meaty feel, even though it clearly wasn't meat. Both came with goose fat chips which were more like half a potato definitely not a skinny fry.

Too full for desert we finished off our bottle of red instead before tottering off upstairs to stay in our abode for the night, The Smithfield suite. The traditional modern design continues upstairs in the six individual cosy rooms. The main feature of ours was definitely the bath, a free standing, roll-top bath big enough for sharing - oooo la la! The beds are King sized too and there is a walk-in shower as well as all mod cons. The rooms actually don't feel like a London hotel, in fact they'd be more at home in a country town but that only adds to the charm.

For a romantic stay in the city, The Fox and Anchor is where it's at!

Rooms from £115
115 Charterhouse Street, EC1M
www.foxandanchor.com

HECKFIELD PLACE OPENING 2013

We've seen a big trend in London "country" hotels of late with Coworth Park and Syon Park both opening within the last two years. Now Heckfield Place, which jumped onto our radar last year has finally announced an opening date.

Located just an hour from the city, Heckfield Place set in 400 acres of garden, woodland and rolling Hampshire countryside is all set to open March 2013. The hotel is a converted 18th century manor house and the refurbished interiors will retain the feeling of a private residence.

The hotel will have just 60 individually designed rooms, a small restaurant which will obtain a selection of it's ingredients including Berkshire Pigs and a herd of rare breed Aberdeen Angus cows from the working farm already on the estate, and a kitchen garden, an underground cinema and library. Outside of the main house there will be cottages with treatment rooms, horse riding, golf and  fishing.

Heckfield Place, Heckfield, Hampshire, RG27 0LD
http://www.heckfieldplace.com/

Photo Credit: ljphotographics.co.uk

REVIEW: CITIZENM BANKSIDE

CitizenM have landed in London! The hotel group who pride themselves on creating affordable luxury have opened the doors on a brand spanking new hotel on Bankside, just behind the Tate Modern. Londontheinside checked-in on the hotel's very first night, to try out the hotel and see how the CitizenM compared to other London hotels...

Even before you enter the building you can tell this is one funky hotel, there is a huge sign hanging outside which states "Another World Is Possible" and a wooden square entrance which is lit up in red. Check in is on the left and can be done virtually via the computers - if this scares you then fear not there are "Ambassadors" around to help.

Once you've checked in you are given a key card which operates the lift and your room door. However before you go rushing up to bed we'd seriously suggest checking out the uber-cool public areas which are decked out with quirky furniture, ornaments and statement artwork - we spotted huge Andy Warhol and Robbie Williams prints, union jack cushions, seashells in jars and tons and tons of books!

There is a destination bar which serves cocktails, beers and hot drinks and canteenM, a small shop style area which is open 24 hours in case you want to grab a quick snack or breakfast in the morning. There are work station areas for you to plug your laptop in and iMacs available to use. The whole ground floor is open plan and almost feels like a posh hostel as it's very sociable.
 

Upstairs are 192 rooms which are all exactly the same, compact and simple whilst still managing to fit in an XL (and very comfy!) bed, shower and fridge. The rooms are pretty high-tech too, all feature a tablet mood pad which operates everything from the TV to the mood lighting and can be used to access the Internet too. There is free WiFi throughout the hotel, free movies in your room and some funky toiletries on offer.


The rooms all have large windows with electric blinds, ours looked out onto the courtyard and into other peoples rooms which was slightly weird in the morning watching everyone get up. The only thing we didn't like was the fact we couldn't turn off the fan and there was no iPod docking station but that was mainly because we'd forgotten our charger.

The next morning we sampled some breakfast and were suitably impressed with the spread; everything from bacon and sausages to croissants, fruit and granola. We left the CitizenM very impressed, we have no doubt this hotel (and the next two hotels planned for London) will gain a lot of fans - London hotels take note CitizenM is raising the game!

Rooms from £130
20 Lavington Street, SE1
www.citizenm.com