WIN! A night at a luxury london hotel…

I know what you’re thinking, I am in love with the Chiswick Moran Hotel! Well, it could be worse I guess! Maybe it was the gourmet burger I had there, maybe it was the fact that there was not millions of tourists swarming the lobby, maybe it was the size of the rooms, maybe it was the way the moonlight caught the hotel sign, whatever it was, errr, I’ve lost my train of thought already.

YES! WIN ONE NIGHT at the Chiswick Moran Hotel! subject to availability naturally. We’ll make this one really simple – instead of posting a response on our facebook page this time, instead we want you to leave a comment at the end of this post, the funniest/best/loveliest/comment will win – simple as that! To leave a comment simply scroooollll to the bottom (see below!) and leave a comment! Best of luck, enjoy the bank holiday, and hopefully see a lot of you guys tomorrow (1st June) :)

The Great wheel of London’s yesteryear

Well, I’ve taken a leaf out of my colleague’s John’s book & have gone for a bit of an historical angle this morning! Strolling past the London Eye a couple of days back, I was suddenly reminded of London’s former ferris wheel…… What you say? A Ferris wheel in London before the London Eye? I don’t remember that, well, if you did you’d certainly have to be over a 100 years old sir.

Yes, a previous, and cruelly ignored piece of London history… back in 1894, as part of the Great Exhibition of London, the Earl’s Court great wheel stood 300 metres high (the London is 434m), and could carry over 1200 passengers at one time. Alas, the wheel, even though hugely popular at the beginning (queues all the way to brompton road squire), it became less popular and in 1907 took the last passenger before being demolished…. of course, it is the Earl’s Court exhibition centre which now proudly stands in its place.

A corker of a tale about the great wheel was that it was notoriously faulty. Passengers were always being victim to being stuck on the wheel, so much so that many a gentleman who would find themselves in the local pub until closing hours would often stumble home reporting to the missus that they ‘got stuck on the wheel’. On one particular night passengers were stuck in the upper cars of the wheel with no hope of the wheel moving! they spent the night there whilst coffee & sarnies were sent upwards – it wasn’t until the next morning that the fire brigade finally got the poor punters down!

So, next time you pass the majestical London eye, spare a thought for its former ferrisy friend! (although by the sounds of things the London eye is a tad more reliable!!

Luxury London Hotel AND a decent sized room!

If I hear another guest comment about ’small london hotel rooms’ well, come on guys, this is london, one of the oldest cities in the modern world (easy martin easy), and woooh wooh hold me back if I hear complaints about the magnificent tube (the oldest and largest subterannean network of its ilk, that one yeah? (Oh but in Singapore… Singapore? Its only been around for a day, of course the metro system is great), ok, ok, I’ve had my pills…. Phew, am alright, am alright.

So, I have the solution for everyone anyway. Check this out… Looking for a luxury hotel, something maybe similar to the beauty that is the Cavendish?, but for half the cost, and next to a tube station, oh, and a great sized room (yep, even in old londinium), then my lovelies, look no further than the hidden jewel that is the Chiswick Moran Hotel .

I know, and let me just stop your thought process right there buddy! Forget about the location (or not, Chiswick btw is cracking), look at it this way, luxury london hotel, half the price of a swanky mayfair gaffe, next to a tube which in seven stops only delivers you into the heart of the west end.

Who’s the fool now eh?!

The Chiswick Moran is everything a london hotel should be… Wide and vast public spaces, stunning & fresh bedrooms lovingly created, wondeful service, and well connected to either west london (westfield, wembley, heathrow etc) or the centre, a mere few stops away on the central line.

And, the World bar is leisurely-large, copiously-comfy, and welcomingly, err, welcoming.

All London needs is love, love, love

Tip of the day: listen to the beatles ‘all you need is love’ first thing in the morning, or maybe on the stroll to the station, you cannot help but be a smidge inspired at day break by this entirely positive missive, look trust me ok, what do you mean I haven’t slept a lot recently? Now look here…

So, there I was strolling to work this morning, the fab four sending out the vibes, the sun shining, a water main burst with kids playing in it (no, wait), anyway, I was feeling the love alright. I was thinking about certain hotel/hoteliers and how over the last few years some great moments, and heck hellfire I am gonna say it, I’ve made some great hotel friends along the way (you know who you are), and it just makes this job allll the better, loving you guys (some truly have a special place in my heart (ok stop now) !!

So, as we’ve got this mega-ultra-run coming up this Tuesday (oh dear lord) and with various hoteliers getting involved, sponsoring us hhhugggeee, supporting us on the day, the word of the day is definitely “overwhelming-ness” (yes, it is a word). Aside from the 300+ hotels we shall be passing, the little summary-ette of events is as follows….

7.30am
 Start 40 mile run at lastminute.com offices 39 Victoria Street
 
8.20am
 Barry from Grange Hotels joins the run at Grange St Pauls
 
8.55am
 10 staff from the Andaz Liverpool St join the run for a few miles thru the city rush hour
 
9am
 Julian (GM from Threadneedles) joins the run
 
9.55am
 Rad Ed Bloomsbury St STOP to eat bananas/snack provided by the hotel
 
10.30am
 Rad Ed Hampshire (Leicester Square) STOP for POWER BREAK provided by the hotel
 
11am
 10 lastminute.com runners (including our Vice President) join the run at Hol Inn Mayfair
 
11.10am
 Hilton Park Lane provides outdoor massage in front of the hotel & water for the runners
 
11.20am
 Grosvenor House provides ice cream for all & meet Rebecca from NSPCC
 
11.35am
 Rad Ed Berkshire (meet Patricia) end of Mini-Mayfair-Marathon for 10 lastminute.com runners
 
12.05pm
 Joseph from Dorset Square joins the run
 
12.15pm
 Agnes & Simone from Rad Blu Portman Square join the run
 
12.55pm
 26 mile mark at the BW Paddington Court
 
2.20pm
 Stop at Marriott Kensington for POWER BREAK and chocolate strawberries
 
4.10pm
 Mini reception greeting at Rubens
 
5ish!
 Finish at lastminute.com office, 39 Victoria St

For the FULL ITINERARY click here
 
Wow! If/when we survive, naturally, you’ll be reading/viewing our post-run report.
So, that’s allll to be said on the run up (ahem) to our run. We’ve raised well over £3000, we’ve got the participation & support of our closest London hotel partners, we’ve auctioned off a money could not buy package, we’ve trained hard, Team Amsterdam are doing a similar event, we’ve spent a lot of time organising (spare a thought for Saskia & Gemma who will be filming/photo-ing the day) and there’s a lot of love here people.

We’ll see you on June 1st
Peace & love, love, lovvvveeeeee