Friday, February 15, 2008

Landmark London is Lovely!

I just came back from a quick trip on a London vacation deal - what a great time!  Although the flight was a little long, it was all worth it when we arrived at the Landmark London hotel.  We were a bit haggard when we arrived just before lunch and we’re hoping that our room would be ready so that we could collapse on our bed and have a nap before exploring the city.  I walked up to the clerk at the desk - keeping my fingers crossed that even though we’d arrived before check in that she would, maybe, hopefully have a room!

She greeted me with a great big smile and I was hopeful that my chances were good… After checking our registration, she asked if I would like a room right away!  Of course, I said yes - and after a moment or two - she said ‘yes - we can get you into a deluxe room right away’!  Hooray!  Nothing beats heading up to a well appointed room after a long Trans Atlantic flight. 

I got so busy telling you about getting our room that I forgot to tell you about the hotel!  What a dream!  It certainly lives up to its name the Landmark London Hotel.  As our taxi dropped us off, I liked seeing the traditionally dressed doorman waiting to greet us.  Complete with a top hat, he opened the door and I began to feel like royalty.  Entering into the lobby, I was gazing with bleary eyes around the beautiful decor and gorgeous traditional touches.  I had high hopes for our room and I wasn’t disappointed!

Before I tell you about our room - I have to talk about the location.  If you want to do shopping, theater and historic sights, you can’t beat the location of this hotel.  Located next door to Regent’s Park, we found it very convenient for almost everything we wanted to do.

O.k. back to the room.  My hubby and I were pleasantly surprised by the size of the rooms because we’ve had friends complain that most hotels in London have rooms that are only a teeny bit bigger than a closet.  We found our room to be spacious, well laid out and had everything we needed.  Our room was decorated in a classic style - which I appreciated given this is a heritage style hotel.  Well, as a true woman - I loved the bathroom!  After having my quick nap after we arrived, I enjoyed the sumptuous marble bathroom and took a relaxing soak in the awesome tub.  Everything was perfect!!

We spent the majority of our time sightseeing (Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Kensington Gardens) and shopping on Oxford, but when we were in the hotel, we took advantage of the amenities.  The hotel has a great pool and fitness facility so there are no excuses for not staying on top of the fitness regime when staying there!  One of the most helpful resources for our travel was a list of sites to see in London - I recommend following this list that Virgin has, it’s great.

Well, you might be wondering about the food… We usually don’t dine at hotel restaurants because of the cost, but we made an exception with our stay at the Landmark.  Friends had told us not to miss the Sunday brunch - and they were right!  Advertised by the hotel as a Sunday Champagne Brunch, it was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the surroundings of the hotel’s beautiful atrium while enjoying culinary delights.  As an added bonus, local musicians entertain the diners and it is a wonderful backdrop to this ultimate brunching experience.  My husband devoured the smoked salmon and perfectly cooked ham while I ate more than my fair share of home baked pastries.  Make sure you leave room for the dessert table!

After a tired start, our stay at the Landmark London is one we won’t soon forget.  I hope we can make it back to London soon on another vacation deal and we’ll be reserving our room and brunch reservations!

Posted by MaryAnn on 02/15 at 11:27 AM
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