January 11th, 2012
Photo courtesy of worldtennismagazine.com
It’s that time of the year again… time for lists. To-do’s, resolutions, and the New York Times 45 Places to Go in 2012, of course. So, if you’re resolved to travel more this year, use this to check a few things off your list. Here are some of our favorites!
#3 Myanmar – After the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from 15 years of house arrest and the lifting of the boycott against the authoritarian regime that kept the country isolated, Myanmar is ready to share cultural treasures and deserted beaches. Experience the remarkable beauty, romance, and mystery of Myanmar aboard the luxurious Orient-Express’ “Road to Mandalay” as it cruises down the Ayeyarwady River.
#4 London – Between the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the Queen’s 60th year on the throne, the summer Olympic Games, and the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens, there is a bevy of reasons to visit London this year. For the ultimate posh location, we recommend the Metropolitan London with its incredible views of Hyde Park and award-winning Nobu restaurant. For a more sanctuary-like hotel, the 5-star Halkin in discreet Belgravia may be more up your alley.
#6 Tokyo – It’s no secret that Tokyo had a tough 2011, which is why there is no better time to travel there than 2012. Due to a decrease in tourism and business travel, rates are down without sacrificing luxury and attention to detail. Staying at the “Lost in Translation” Park Hyatt Tokyo is now better than ever.
#11 Moscow – For those who love history and art, this is the city to visit. Between the reopening of the extravagantly renovated Bolshoi Theater in October and the opening of the Russian Icon Museum, you will find no shortage of things to do here. Located just yards away from the Bolshoi Theater, the five-star Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow is in the prime location to explore this unique city.
#14 San Diego – If you’re looking for good times, good people, and great beer, San Diego should definitely be on your list of places to go this year. If you want to throw in a game of golf before or after your tastings, definitely stay at the Park Hyatt Aviara.
#27 Maldives – It seems that everyone is traveling to the Maldives now-a-days, and it’s no secret why. It’s necklace of 26 tropical atolls in the Indian Ocean make it a place where you can find something that everyone in the family wants to do – scuba dive, fish, surf, or just relax in the pristine sand. There are so many different resorts to choose from – here are our favorites: Park Hyatt Maldives, Anatara Dhigu Resorts & Spas, Anantara Veli Resorts & Spas, Anantara Kihavah Villas, Naladhu, and Cocoa Island.
If you like to “kill two birds with one stone”, you’ll need to check out Crystal Cruises. Their ships plan to drop anchor in each of these destinations in 2012: #1 Panama City; #22 Paraty, Brazil; and #36 Dubrovnik, Croatia.
October 6th, 2011
Get an inside peek at The Halkin’s NEW Assouline Culture Lounge! The hotel’s General Manager, Kenneth Speirs, was interviewed by Superyachts about the chic new lounge. Check out the interview with Kenneth Speirs to get all the behind-the-scenes details!
October 3rd, 2011
Now open in London is the NEW Assouline Culture Lounge at The Halkin. The hotel’s lobby bar has been transformed to showcase some of Assouline’s most iconic coffee table books, including collections in fashion, art, photography, travel, architecture, and design. The Halkin has long been one of the city’s best-kept secrets, nestled among the stately Georgian facades of Belgravia, minutes from Harrods. Passersby now have the perfect place to stop for a midday or evening break. While enjoying signature cocktails and other light bites, they can peruse the beautiful books and other antiquities on display. To bring the literature to life, the lounge will host a series of events with selected authors later this year.
This exciting addition comes as the hotel celebrates its 20th anniversary. It opened its doors in September 1991 as one of the first design-led boutique hotels in London and the first property from COMO Hotels and Resorts. Since then, it has set the benchmark for small, luxury hotels with impeccable attention to detail and world-class service. Located in ultra-chic, residential Belgravia in the heart of London – and moments from the glamorous shopping of Mayfair and Knightsbridge – the hotel has its own award-winning Thai restaurant, nahm, under the direction of Chef David Thompson.
September 27th, 2011
COMO Hotels and Resorts is giving back to the community with your help! In 2010, COMO partnered with MasterCard for the Purchase with Purpose program which helps raise funds for local community projects. Last year, the project raised $35,580 and COMO has decided to bring the program back for 2011!
For every transaction made with a MasterCard card at a COMO property between 1 October and 31 December 2011, MasterCard will donate $30 to a community project with which the COMO property is closely affiliated. The money raised goes to educational and wellbeing initiatives as well as to local schools to improve nutrition and sanitation. In 2010, the funds helped stock the libraries of Tirta Kumara Kindergarten in Bali and the Maafushi and Guraidhoo schools in the Maldives. The program also helped deliver sanitary essentials to the nuns of Kela Goemba in Bhutan and improve sanitation and cooking facilities in the Wat Bangploeng School in Thailand.
With this program, guests have the opportunity to make a real difference in the communities they visit. As if you needed a better reason to go on vacation!
December 1st, 2010
If the seasonal spirit and décor is calling you to London for a Christmas-Carol-esque holiday, The Halkin and the Metropolitan London have some treats to brighten your stay. Before a day at Harrod’s, take advantage of the Met’s complimentary breakfast to fortify you for your day of shopping. The Halkin is offering “Flights of Wine,” perfect for unwinding after a day of museum-exploration or strolling the Thames. This offer is valid from December 19-January 16 for online bookings.
Make sure to check out the festive lights in the West End when perusing the shops on Oxford and Regent streets.
November 5th, 2010
Celebrate the eponymous antihero’s foiled plot to blow up British Parliament to restore a Catholic monarch to the throne. Though Fawkes was executed for his treasonous act, he is celebrated each year with fireworks and bonfires. Tonight and tomorrow night, London has celebrations throughout the city for firework watching and general reveling. Guests at the Metropolitan London and the Halkin can pop over to nearby Hyde Park for an uninterrupted view of the sky. Here are some gatherings if you find yourself in London Town.
November 6
Roundwood Park. Gates open at 6:45 p.m. Show starts at 8. Free admission.
Ravenscourt Park. Gates open at 6 p.m. Bonfire lighted at 7:15. Children’s show at 7:30, main show at 8. Five years old and over, £6; under 5 free; tickets available online.
Battersea Park. Gates open at 6 p.m. Bonfire at 7:30; main show at 8. Since this will be one of the largest of the firework displays in London there are numerous gated entrances, some of which will not be open until late evening. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. tickets will be available at: Albert Gate, Chelsea Gate, Rosery Gate, and Sun Gate. Starting at 6 p.m. tickets can be purchased at: Albert Gate. Alexandra Gate, Beechmore Gate, Chelsea Gate, Ethelburga Gate, MacDuff Gate, Rosery Gate and Sun Gate. Adults, £6; under 10 years, £1.
Morden Park. Gates open at 5:15 p.m. Bonfires at 6:30 and 8:15; shows at 6:45 and 8:30. Sixteen years old and over, £7; under 16, £5; under 4, free; family ticket (two adults, two children), £20.
July 2nd, 2010
Just this morning Iceland Express announced that summer and fall fares to London, Copenhagen, and Luxembourg are on sale for just $399 round trip! There are a limited amount of seats, so if you’ve been toying with the idea of a late summer trip to London to catch the festivals, or a fall getaway in a cozy English cottage, now is the ideal time to book.
June 14th, 2010
This summer, David Thompson, following the success of nahm at The Halkin in London, will be opening a second edition of the restaurant at the Metropolitan hotel in Bangkok – a return to the city that inspired his culinary path. Following a soft opening in mid July, the restaurant will officially open by the end of the month. Launched in 2001, nahm was the first Thai restaurant in Europe to be awarded a Michelin star. With the move, Thompson and nahm up the ante for diners, using local ingredients and letting the infamous Thai markets guide the menus. Key dishes will include a jungle curry with snake-headed local fish known as pla chorn indigenous to the clear waters of rice paddies. The restaurant will also be open for lunch and, for a fun take on a popular Bangkok tradition, will feature “street food” dishes. (Speaking of which, don’t miss the September release of Thompson’s second cookbook, Thai Street Food.)
Ma hor Crushed prawn curry with turmeric and coconut
The restaurant will occupy the former Cy’an and will be designed by Japanese interior architect Koichiro Ikebuchi, who also designed Uma Ubud in Bali and Aoki, a heralded Japanese restaurant in Singapore. It will feature natural wood, including screens for privacy, and warm oranges and browns with shimmering bronze plates on tables. The space will be steeped in natural daylight and, in the evening, enriched by the soft lighting of the nearby outdoor pool. Other features include a private dining room and terrace dining.
David Thompson is universally acknowledged as a leading authority on Thai food. Originally from Australia, he first travelled to Thailand in 1986 and moved to Bangkok a year later. When he returned to Sydney in 1991, he opened his iconic Darley Street Thai restaurant, and, in 1995, he followed with Sailor’s Thai, which continues today.
May 28th, 2010
While Londoners flock down to the Mediterranean, August is the time for a Yankee invasion. Restaurants aren’t as crowded, it’s easier to get tickets to coveted West End shows, and Buckingham Palace opens its doors to visitors (see our full round-up below). Two of the city’s hottest hotels, the Metropolitan and The Halkin, are also offering discounted rates, making it easy to hop across the Atlantic for a British mini-break. The hotels sit in a prime locale, sandwiched by Hyde Park and the Buckingham Palace Gardens, perfect for summer strolls and picnics.
At The Met, book ahead with the “Ultimate Savings” offer to get a City Room from £179, roughly $257 (compared to the standard rate of £390, a savings of 55% and roughly $305) with a minimum of two nights. (Must be booked at least seven nights in advance, valid through December 31, 2010.) Over at The Halkin, “Extend that Weekend Feeling” is discounting weekend rates by 20% when guests stay three nights. A double room starts at £450 a night, roughly $650. Three nights at that rate would £1350, or roughly $1950, but with the discount it’s only £1080 ($1560), making it a savings of about $390. Use that little bonus to load up on Top Shop must-haves or to procure tickets to a West End show. After a day of finding quirky antique treasures on Portobello Road or numerous crossings of the Thames, relax and take in the green views from one of the 51 rooms overlooking Hyde Park at the Metropolitan. At The Halkin, fill up on Thai fare at Chef David Thompson’s nahm, the first Thai restaurant in Europe to be awarded a Michelin star.
Herewith, our round-up of August’s key events…
Music Festivals
V Festival
What: a two-day festival featuring artists Kings of Leon, Passion Pit, Imogen Heap, and many more
When: August 21-22
Where: Hylands Park and Weston Park
80s Rewind Festival
What: celebration of 80s music, dressing up encouraged
When: August 20
Where: Remenham, Oxon (about an hour from London)
LED Festival
What: David Guetta, Audio Bully, and more pump out dance music in the last summer festival at Victoria Park
When: August 27
Where: Victoria Park
Get Loaded in the Park
What: The last concert in August promises to be one of the best parties of the summer.
When: August 29
Where: Clapham Common
Hyde Park in the summer
Art Exhibits
Henry Moore
What: An exhibition celebrating the artist’s influence in 20th century sculpture
When: Through August 15
Where: The Tate Britain
Victoria & Albert: Art & Love in London
What: An exhibition featuring over 400 works from the Royal Collection gathered during the lives of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
When: Through October 31
Where: The Queen’s Gallery
Newspeak: British Art Now
What: An exhibition focused on the new and exciting artists coming out of the UK in the past few years
When: June 2-October 17
Where: The Saatchi Gallery
West End Shows
La Bête
What: David Hirson’s fun 1991 play tells the story of a dramatist leading an acting company in the 17th-century court of Prince Conti, starring Joanna Lumley, aka Patsy from Ab Fab.
When: June 28-August 28
The Merry Wives of Windsor at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
What: Enjoy this comedy in Shakespeare’s own Globe Theatre.
When: August 14-October 2
Into The Woods at London’s Open Air Theatre
What: Watch the celebrated Sondheim play outdoors in Regent’s Park
When: August 5-September 11
New Restaurants
Bar Boulud – Knightsbridge
This New York gem opened a British outpost in May with two bright rooms, a charcuterie counter, and a lounge.
Petrus – Belgravia
Gordon Ramsey’s French restaurant opened in March and boasts a glass wine case with 2,000 bottles.
Viajante – Bethnal Green
Opened in April, this eclectic new spot is in the former Bethnal Green Town Hall.
The Milroy – Mayfair
Just opened in May to the public, the restaurant serves up modern European fare and occupies the space that once housed Henry VIII’s hunting lodge.
More
Notting Hill Carnival
What: A huge street fair set up by London’s West Indian population, full of food carts, steel drum bands, and crazy costumes.
When: August 29-30
Outdoor Opera in Holland Park
What: Operas in the open air, set in beautiful Holland Park.
When: La Forza del Destino, August 4, 6, 10, 12, 14 at 7:30pm
Francesca da Rimini, August 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 at 7:30pm
Fantastic Mr. Fox, August 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14 at 7:30pm
Dover Street Market
What: Take advantage of summer sales at this fashion forward hot spot. The chic flock here for the latest from Lanvin, YSL, and Rodarte.
March 5th, 2010
Hyde Park at night (left) and the Belgravia Suite at The Halkin
Holding off on that dream trip to London? Delay no more. As the pound slumps in the world market (£1.00 is equal to about $1.50), one of the world’s more expensive cities is now more affordable for Americans than ever. Say goodbye to traveler’s guilt!
Book the Ultimate Savings offer at Park Lane’s chic Metropolitan London seven nights prior to your reservation date and take advantage of the irresistible exchange rate. With a minimum stay of two nights, rates start from £179 ($269) for a City Room per night (not including VAT).
Or pop over to The Halkin for an Extend that Weekend Feeling offer. Book three nights (Thursday—Sunday) and save a minimum of 20% on your stay against the best unrestricted available rate. This offer is based on a minimum of three consecutive nights and is applicable to all room categories. Both offers are valid until December 31.