I think there is no truer travel quote than the Samuel Johnson one that says, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”
London is easy to get around, has an eclectic world energy, posh restaurants, chic hotels and some of the best museums in the world. There’s not much that could make a trip to London better than living there, but if you can’t move your life to England, the next best thing is planning your visit around a fabulous home away from home, and there’s no better place than The Haymarket Hotel.
This fabulous hotel is centrally located about a two-minute walk from Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery museum.
If you’ve never traveled to London before, there is no better place to explore the city than from this area, which is also within walking distance to popular tourists hangouts like Covent Garden and the River Thames.
Recently, we returned to London to visit all our favorite spots and used the Haymarket Hotel as our home base.
The Hotel is set up more like comfortable luxury townhouses, with our one bedroom suite featuring a full sized living room, two bathrooms, changing room and desk, plus our bedroom. The suite allows you to really relax into the space and treat it as your own, perfectly styled, home. Besides the generous space, the attention to design really puts this hotel in a league all its own.
Kit Kemp, one of the owners, designs each hotel within the Firmdale Collection to reflect a modern British aesthetic, something that is bold and unique. The design and layout of each townhouse style suite both add to the feeling of home and something that I’ve never felt before in a traditional hotel setting.
Beyond the room itself, the Haymarket Hotel goes above and beyond with welcoming their guests and making sure every amenity is available and the guests are cared for with extreme thoughtfulness. Do you like to swim? Check out the indoor pool, which has a cool nightclub bar setting. Do you need to work out? No problem with their state of the art workout room with every piece of equipment you could need. Are you traveling with kids? Make sure to inform the hotel so you can be provided with board games and mini-robes to make your littles feel just as special as you in this big city.
The cherry on top for me was the surprise service of house infused rhubarb gin martinis. Complete with ice, two martini glasses, olives, and instructions on how to mix the martinis, we relaxed after our long flight with these delicious cocktails in the living room. Planning out our afternoon, it was nice to feel comfortable in our space and not rushed to get out and explore.
Usually the hotel is secondary to the city’s attractions, but thanks to the incredible service and design within the Haymarket Hotel, it is just as important.
After finishing our martinis, we bundled up and headed to nearby National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery museums. With new and inspiring exhibits at the National Gallery changing every month, we were sure to check out that gallery first. From their we walked to Covent Garden to check out the Christmas décor and buy some gifts for family back in America.
We wandered around the city, from Covent Garden to Big Ben and back to the Haymarket Hotel, all in one afternoon. The location couldn’t be better and even though our suite had windows featuring the main street, we couldn’t hear a single noise once our door was closed. We took a long bath (with was made longer with the built in TV right over the water knobs) and then got changed for dinner at the hotel restaurant, Brumus, that offers main courses like Roast Suffolk chicken, savoury bread pudding, game chips and gravy for around 20 pounds and daily specials like Steak and kidney pudding each night for around 15 pounds. Do not leave without trying their fresh cinnamon donuts or a made to order Monkey Business sundae.
We returned to our suite, stuffed and extremely satisfied. Pulling down the covers to enjoy some shuteye, I appreciated the fresh bottles of water placed on each bedside table and the soft duvet cover. The mattress was the perfect combination of soft and firm, as if you’re floating on a thick cloud. It didn’t take long before I was dreaming of our next day in London, which appropriately included afternoon tea at Brumus and a long dip in the heated pool.
If you are planning a trip to London, wouldn’t you want to experience the absolute best, in service and accommodations? If so, the first thing to do is book a stay at the Haymarket Hotel. Once you do that, here are a few additional tips for a fantastic trip to our favorite city:
– Have brunch at Brumus and order the British Bloody Mary
– Go shopping on Regent Street
– See a show at Haymarket Theatre Royal or Drury Lane Theatre
– Have dinner at The Northall Restaurant at The Corinthia Hotel London one night
– Visit the Tate Modern and the National Gallery for two incredible and very different art experiences
– Take the kids to the V & A or the National History Museum
– See the Changing of the Guards