WIN! Two hotel-nights in Venice

Ah Venice, Venizia, they say one of the most romantic places in the whole world. Am not sure if it is just me that’s noticed this (probably not) but on the Rialto bridge at night it is literally littered with couples snogging, it must be these people are thinking, right, we’ve done the Gondola, we’ve seen the beautiful cavernous streets, we’ve done the Lido, with had our €10 coffee in St Mark’s square, what else is there – wait – we haven’t had the snog on the Rialto bridge.

So – you can WIN two hotel nights in Venice at the stunning Hotel Rialto, which is directly off the Rialto Bridge, perfect for you romantic types! You can have your snog and then go straight to your hotel for errr, I’ll leave it there. To WIN, read on dear reader…

Actually, Venice holds a special place in my heart (for all the wrong reasons naturally)… Long ago when wikipedia was shiny and new, I was desperate to log my own entry on something… anything, and having just returned from Venice at the time (yeah we snogged on the Rialto bridge, thanks for asking), I was looking and for some info on the bridge that connects the mainland to the Venice (Il Ponte della Libertà (the Freedom Bridge)) there was none, so before you can say ‘reverse the polarity of the neutron flow’ – I created the entry ‘Ponte della Liberta’ my creation immortalised in trivia (!) forever.

Ah yes, sorry, WIN two hotel nights in Venice**, lol, it’s the excitement of a long weekend ahead that has distracted me. Righty, we’ll make this easy this week. As you know, myself and the legend that is Dan Evans, are running 40 miles on June 1st for our Big London Hotels Run, for a chance to win, simply tell us on our facebook page the name of the hotel that we’ll be stopping for an ‘ice cream break’ (or a gelato if you like!) during the run! Then we’ll put alllll the winning entries into the hat and pick a winner next week. Short week next week guys, have a great long weekend, big love from team london.

**Prize is subject to availability & travel dates are between 20th July to 20th August & 15th November to 24th December 2010.

O2 – please give the doctor his tardis back

Summer is definitely here. I know because ‘the madness’ has already arrived. I knew it this morning when the coffee machine decided to splutter and kerplop out its probably very last coffee, it kind of shook, shimmied, made a noise that may make sense to some aliens, and then spat out a kind of lukewarm brown blobby thing. With a start like that, it can only get better… and it did!….

First meeting of the day was with & at The O2 – alright! Who says the hotels industry is boring! The kid in me is always impressed at the big ol’ tent that is The O2, I love it, just as the kid in me is overwhelmed at the success and phenomenal comeback of the good doctor – Doctoorrrrr Who, i mean. The fact that a mere 5 years ago myself and fellow ‘Who-ers’ were ridiculed and sneered at (especially when we bought our Dr Who merchandise from the children’s book section – hahha – who’s laughing now?!), and now – ahhhh how we revel in the great success of our favourite time lord back in the haven of our (two) hearts.

So so so so (I am going somewhere with this honest), it was a double whammy that our meeting was held in the O2 lounge, literally, a double for the interior of Dr Who’s tardis, look at it, standing chatting at one of the illuminous consoles I could only imagine that once the meeting had finished, we’d step outside and we’d be back in the ’60s fighting off the fiendishly art-deco daleks.

Alas, that didn’t happen – but equally as exciting – when our Sales Director for UK Lifestyle at lastminute.com; Mark Bower (the stranglee in the pic) walked into the lounge, on his i-phone it appointed him as the ‘Mayor of the O2′ in relation to both his frequent patronage of the O2 and of course his prestigious and illustrious persona.

So quite a meeting really, at the O2, in the tardis, with noblemen appointed by an app, it was (or should that be ‘it will be?’) the future baby. Fabulous.

On the way back to the office, en-route in Westminster station, the new Mayor of the o2 showed us a great shortcut when changing from the Juuub (that’s the Jubilee line to you humans) to the District/Circle… the lift! Technically, it is quicker to do the lift than it is to enter the myriad of escalators – it was a first for me anyway. Wow all this and it’s not even lunch yet… wait – it’s lunch.

ps – o2 guys, the doctor said just leave the keys under the mat

Check out the relaunched Holiday Inn London Mayfair…

Admittedly you see a lot of strange things in this job (and that’s just in the office hahah) so it was no more bizarre than normal to see over 400 pillows in a skip whilst I was at the Holiday Inn London Mayfair earlier today, I felt like jumping in (then thought better of it). As you guess, our friends at the hotel are having a bit of a clear out!

Yes – this is the relaunch of the Holiday Inn brand – complete with shiny new logos, which reflect the breathe of fresh air (literally in the Holiday Inn London Mayfair’s case as in the lobby they have their signature scent of lemongrass, yummy), that the Intercontinental brand have given to their Holiday Inns.

The official relaunch of the brand is this Friday actually; Holiday Inn have spent over £100m across the UK on their Holiday Inn hotels, and complete the big day with the launch of their new tv ad campaign too.

So what’s new at the Holiday Inn London Mayfair? Well, the new brand logo is all over the hotel, as you can they have a very arty lit logo at reception, and across their grand exterior. The staff are fantastically friendly - deliberately part of the new relaunch – to dispel the myth that Holiday Inn’s are all the same across the country, it works too, the staff are great, hugely friendly and very personable – hugely important in this review-obssessed hotel culture.

All the bedding is new (hence the 400 pillows as skip-fodder), all the shower-rails, mattesses, & general furnishings new too. I particularly liked the twin rooms during the show-round – perfect for families (an absolute rarity in the West-End), and again & always a key point for me, very very quiet & tranquil (I think when your daily routine is as manic & insane as mine, you appreciate the peace a lot more!!).

If you haven’t been to Mayfair in a while and you’re looking to stay in the centre of everything, please do stay or swing by the Holiday Inn London Mayfair, it’s always refreshing to see a big change in a fave london hotel (wow – next job for me MartyPants the tour guide!).

the charmed life @ London’s best kept boutique hotel secret…

My Spanish friend yesterday told me that I led a charmed life – how would I know? – I don’t have another to compare it to, anyway, his thoughts won’t be changed when he reads about my absolutely faberoonie lunchtime appointment at the St James’s Hotel & Club. The Spanish have a delightful proverb which more or less mas o menos translates into ‘You were  born with a rose in your bottom’, the Brits of course, have the similar ‘You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth’, I prefer the Spanish! I don’t think this is true of me by the way, but certainly when I tucked into my phenomenally palate-tastic, flavoursome Lune Valley Lamb at the St James’s restaurant; Seven Park Place by William Drabble I certainly felt very privileged……

Soon after ordering the meal began by our delightful & friendly waitress bringing us a pre-starter, roasted salmon with beetroot, it was a small surprise (but hugely welcome) beginning but with immense flavour (ooh look at me, next I’ll writing Michael Winner’s column).

For the actual starter, Scallops. I remember my wife had these when we once dined there (I knowww what you’re thinking, look – it was a special night – trust me I never go out any more!), and she hasn’t stopped raving about them since, they were of course super yummy, both my host; George & I cleared them away in seconds!

And then, the real treat came… I had the Lamb (okk, the Assiette of Lune valley lamb with confit tomato & basil), when it arrived we were in mid-conversation (I can, ahem, speak a lot!) yet the smell of the lamb was so immense I literally had to hold back my stomach from it trying to lift the cutlery itself. As you can see with the pic, it is different cuts of lamb – Braised Middle Neck, Best-end, tongue, and then with sweetbread, confit tomato, and confit potato cooked with lamb fat. I promise you it was better than it sounds. I eat every last morsel, and it could easily be the one of the best meals I have ever eaten. I particularly revelled in the presentation – loved the best-end with the green edging especially (looked like turf around it- sorry chef, I mean that in a good way).

And yessss, I had a dessert too, the Milk Choc Mousse with blood orange jelly. Look – life is short, it is for living okkkk. They know what they’re doing at the Seven Park Place by William Drabble and please guys – keep on doing it. The great thing (ok, one of the great things) is that you feel incredibly exclusive in the restaurant, there are just a few tables which then spill out onto the stunning bar; absolutely the place to dazzle, impress, or simply have a great fine dining experience (hint hint – when can I come back guys?).

What’s that you say? this is a london hotel site? ah yes, err, I was forgetting myself. The hotel itself ok, ok, am getting there! The staff are truly exceptional characters, my contact George is a legend amongst the London Hotel industry – a ledge I tells ya – his colleauge Kate, hugely entertaining, the barman – an absolute character-extraordinaire – oozing charm & wit, and of course; the ‘lovely’ Ida (where do these nicknames come from? well-deserved mind, & if my wife is reading, no, I didn’t create the nickname – honest). 

Oh ookkkkkk, and the hotel has bedrooms too!  Amazing sized rooms for a London hotel (especially when tucked away in a discreet sidestreet just off Piccadilly! – in fact, you’d be forgiven for even forgetting you’re in the main hub of everything, the hotel is absolutely the definition of tranquility itself, and also by the way - there is an alley-way, that get this leads directly into Green Park – brilliant).

Super kingsize beds in all the rooms, and a stunning balcony leading out to your own private seating area – perfect for the glorious summer London is sure to have (ahhh, I’ve jinxed it haven’t I!).

Ok so in summation, not a bad hotel, joking, am jookkking….. This is a true gem in London’s canon of boutique hotels, it is a boutique london hotel in every sense; small, discreet, unique, select, quirky, bespoke, fun, entertaining, a real real delight and a huge breathe of fresh air in the london hotel set, if you’re looking for a truly special stay in the centre of london, stay here, you’ve got my charmed-life guarantee