Classic London Hotels

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The British version of Bazaar recently published an article on great London hotels, part of the author’s enviable experience in finding a home away from home while her house was being renovated for a few weeks last year.  The rankings included:

• Claridge’s – Best for Everything
• Brown’s –Best for Ageless Style
• The Bulgari –Best for the High Life
• Duke’s – Best for Solo Women

As to the last, the article acknowledges that Duke’s was the location of Ian Fleming’s favorite bar.  One wonders whether the creator of James Bond would be chilled or intrigued at the idea that his old haunt might be the place for single girls to hang out and have fun in Britain’s capital city.

Personally, I’m a fan of the Lanesborough, a lovely London classic that didn’t make the list.  Okay, so I’ve never actually stayed there – some reports claim it is the most expensive hotel in London.  But I’ve had tea there, and enjoyed the cigar bar with friends on a cold winter’s night.  It is truly one of a kind.  Opened on the site of the St. George’s Hospital in 1933, the original building was torn down, and a new one constructed in the early 1800s, later serving also as a hospital.  Today it’s a glamorous part of one of London’s most brilliant districts, on the Hyde Park Corner and adjacent to Knightsbridge.  Temporarily closed since November 2013, it is undergoing a grand renovation.  For those of us who thought it looked amazing before, we can only imagine what the next chapter will bring.

from Wheels Up! http://ift.tt/1oiCjgJ