Win A Stay, In the shadows of Tower Bridge

“Smart Hotel”  Terrific location” Excellent Service” “one of the best in London”  these are just a few things that describe one of Hiltons newer properties on the London Hotel Scene.  Already knocking spots of the competition in terms of guest service and highly ranked on Trip Advisor, this hotel has clearly made its mark on its past and present customers.

The striking exterior of the hotel illuminates’ your arrival and is ideally situated on the doorstep of the City. The 245-bedroom hotel with high speed internet access in every guest room and wireless broadband internet access throughout offers something different and whether you’re on business or pleasure the subtle touches of colour will enlighten your stay.

Set against the backdrop of one of London’s best known historical landmarks you are literally immersed in the cultural side of London’s thriving London bridge district.  With so much to chose from to fill your time off you will no doubt have to return!  From the London Dungeon, to the Vinopolis wine tour, Borough Market to the spectacular London Bridge.  What a day! But safe to know that you can take advantage of the hotel’s lively cocktail bar before enjoying the delights of the restaurant’s European cuisine to complete a memorable stay at the Hilton Tower Bridge Hotel

If I was to recommend any of the above attractions it would most certainly be the Tower Bridge Tour or failing that why not watch the opening of the bridge to allow some of London’s taller ships access to the heart of the city.  If however you just cannot cram it in we have found five of our most favorite facts about the Bridge that will make even the most skeptic believe you have experienced the tour.

1910 – the high-level walkways, which were designed so that the public could still cross the bridge when it was raised, were closed down due to lack of use.

1912 – during an emergency, Frank McClean had to fly between the bascules and the high-level walkways in his Short biplane, to avoid an accident.

1952 – a London bus driven by Albert Gunton had to leap from one bascule to the other when the bridge began to rise with the number 78 bus still on it.

1977 – Tower Bridge was painted red, white and blue to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. (Before that, it was painted a chocolate brown colour).

1982 – Tower Bridge opened to the public for the first time since 1910, with a permanent exhibition inside called The Tower Bridge Experience.

So why not experience the Hilton London Tower Bridge for yourself, with rates on lastminute.com from £140.00 during the December sale or enter the below competition to win a 1 night stay including dinner and breakfast.

So, let me enter I hear you cry, firstly you need to like our London Hotel Experts facebook page and then answer the following question:

“If you could spend Christmas anywhere in the world with anyone in the world, who would it be?”

Entries stay open until 5pm on Friday 16th December and the winner will be announced on Monday 19th December, so, what are you waiting for, get finger to keyboard and start writing. Only the best one will win. Good Luck!

Before entering to win the prize, you must read the Terms and Conditions governing this competition.  When you enter the competition, you will be deemed to have accepted and agreed to these.

London’s newest design hotel opens and boy is it affordable!

It has been just under a month since London’s brand new design hotel, Aloft London Excel, hosted guests for its official launch party. Following the launch of W London earlier this year, Starwood Hotels & Resorts welcomed a crowd of over 300 guests who were able to enjoy signature cocktails created specifically for the opening event by Aloft mixologists. The night continued with an unexpected stunt by London’s premier free-running club, 3RUN, outside of the hotel, before the evening got even more special with an amazing performance by “Turning Up the Spotlight” music contest winners Fastlane Candies. Afterwards, a live graphic design battle was staged between some of London’s coolest graphic designers.

Located in the heart of London’s Docklands, Aloft London Excel is the first Aloft hotel to open in the UK and the second Aloft hotel to open in Europe. Created to shake up the staid mid-market hotel sector by delivering urban-influenced design at an affordable price.

Aloft London Excel features 252 loft-like guest rooms, a buzzing w xyz bar, a grab-and-go food offering and industrial design elements throughout. Prices start at £120 plus VAT per room per night.

The hotel launched with a digital art battle by street artists from Cut & Paste and Secret Wars. Artists went head to head to create a piece of art inspired by a theme of ‘Innovation in East London.’ The winner, Sam Bevington, had his piece of artwork projected onto the side of the hotel building. This was the first time Cut & Paste has ever collaborated with Secret Wars in an event curated by creative art network, Monorex.

Renowned East London promoters Urban Nerds provided the music, with Urban Knights, Rattus Rattus & Klose One and Sophie Lloyd taking to the decks. Parkour performers 3RUN took over the space with a unique visual performance whilst guests sipped on exclusive cocktails at the w xyz bar, created by cutting-edge mixologist Ruth Ball of Alchemist Dreams.

Michael Wale, Senior Vice President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts said, “We are delighted to be launching the Aloft London Excel tonight with a showcase of the UK’s very best emerging talent. Aloft London brings urban-inspired, affordable accommodation to London’s hotel scene and provides an exciting new option for today’s culture conscious independent travellers.”