Wanting a mixture of culture, relaxation, sightseeing, great food and of course a touch of luxury, my perfect London staycation would combine all of my favorite past times and places in my home city.
I would start my weekend by waking up in a loft room at the
Sanderson hotel, which is one of my favorite hotels in town. Philippe Starck’s quirky trademarks are visible all around the hotel, from the giant lip sofa as you enter the lobby to the eerie galaxy motifs in the lifts, whilst the bright and spacious loft suites are the epitome of style and comfort.
A great site I recently discovered for London trips is
Hotel Direct, which has some fantastic offers on 4 & 5 star London hotels, enabling me to treat myself to some pampering at the hotel’s pristinely white and luxurious Agua spa to kick start my staycation.
The
Wolseley is somewhat of a breakfast institution and is one of the best places to people watch as many of London’s ‘movers and shakers’ frequent the ‘European Grand Café’ style restaurant.
The atmosphere inside the beautiful Venetian interior is always lively and the tables nearly always full, as rumor has it they serve the best eggs in town.
On my perfect London weekend I would order the Wolseley’s signature Eggs Benedict and a steaming hot chocolate whilst indulging in an uninterrupted browse of the papers, taking in the buzzing atmosphere as I read.
Undoubtedly the best way to see London is on foot as there are so many things to see and discover, even for those that live here. One of my favorite places to explore on a leisurely wander is the South Bank, as so many key sights can be seen on that stretch of the Thames and the atmosphere is always lively at weekends. Pass the impressive MI5 building onto the Oxo Tower and all of the beautiful bridges, including the most recent Millennium addition. Pause and enjoy the street performers, gaze up at the London Eye and conclude your stroll at Big Ben.
Granted that the area attracts a lot of tourists, but it is still an inspiring neighbourhood and many a native Londoner can be seen enjoying the various festivals hosted along the river throughout the year. A great place to enjoy early morning before it gets too crowded; the Southbank is the ideal place to work off a heavy Wolseley breakfast.
Peggy Porschen is London’s cake authority and her gorgeous pink parlour in exclusive Belgravia is a must visit for those with a sweet tooth. The cute café serving pink lemonade, champagne, and of course tea is brimming with hand crafted cakes and other cavity inducing treats. No staycation weekend is complete without stopping by and stocking up on the scrumptious pastel coloured delights.
For a truly unique and a relaxing way to spend an afternoon, a trip to the
Electric cinema in Notting Hill is a must. The one hundred year old cinema boasts sumptuous leather armchairs and foot stools, along with a cocktail bar serving drinks and delicious snacks, allowing you to enjoy your film in lavish style; something I would definitely include in my perfect London weekend.
Undoubtedly one of the best views in London and with great food to boot, Sushi Samba would be the place I would spend a lively Saturday night.
Situated on the 38th and 39th floor of the Heron Tower in the city, Sushi Samba is one of the coolest and distinctive bar/restaurants in London. After riding the break-neck lift to arrive at the buzzing venue, take your seats under the canopy of bamboo and look out on the spectacular illuminated sights of the city which you will struggle to rival anywhere else in town.
The Wagyu beef and fruity Nina Fresa cocktail would be my order of choice, followed by chocolate banana cake with rum ice cream.
My ideal way to round the evening off would be to retire to the outside terrace and enjoy a few after dinner cocktails under the dazzling tree bar.
So that is my perfect London weekend – how would you spend yours?
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With friends from back home, coming to town for the weekend and demanding a comprehensive London experience without the usual tourist trappings, I got to thinking about how I would spend my ideal 24 hours in the British capital.
