LONDON: Think about about how to spend 48 hours in London, indulge yourself at the most delicious restaurants, shop, discover and stay fit and healthy at the same time. Easy answer, we choose a hotel that is so perfectly located that we can walk to all the destinations, see as much as possible and enjoy the mild climate even in winter for our pre-Xmas shopping.
Team IRMA stayed at the newly renovated CORINTHIA HOTEL, one of the most stunning new hotels in town. You have everything in the hotel that makes you actually almost don’t want to leave the place: a chocolate and flower shop, an ESPA beauty spa with pool, Massimo, a great Italian restaurant and wine bar, and of course a five o’clock tea. The hotel is located right at the River Thames and close to the beautiful Green Park and St. James Park, so walking from A to Z is a real pleasure. Let’s go!
DAY ONE
LONDON EYE: Just cross Westminster Bridge and walk to the London Eye. Don’t queue for a ticket, instead walk along the Thames, enjoy the misty fog (it’s good for your skin) and head towards TATE MODERN to see the latest exhibitions. At the moment the must-see exhibition is The World Goes Pop.
SOCIETY CLUB: On your way back cross Millennium Bridge and take a coffee break at the cafe at Society Club at Ingestre Place, one of our favourite places to daydream, people watch and for the best coffee in town.
COVENT GARDEN: From there we head to CHARLOTTE TILBURY’s new beauty parlour that recently opened and brings you into a boudoir kind of atmosphere where you can dream of any beauty item you haven’t even thought of before.
OXFORD STREET is close by and if you feel like getting some presents for your friends, why not just pop into TOPSHOP, get in High Street fashion mood and listen to the charts.
NOPI at WARWICK STREET: Chef Yotam Ottolenghi opened a little restaurant and cooks oriental, eastern and western inspired dishes that are all beautifully arranged on large plates and inspire you to cook at home.
MADDOX STREET isn’t far and you could just pass by SKETCH restaurant or make your tailor appointment at HUNTSMAN or KILGOUR on SAVILE ROW, maybe a unique winter coat or some tweedy men’s trousers.
DAY TWO: LET’S GO THE OTHER WAY AROUND
THE MALL: Start your morning with a walk through St. James Park and right along Buckingham Palace into Green Park. If the sun is shining, take a 20-minute break in a sundeck chair and enjoy the sun after breakfast. If it rains, take a look at the ICA that has always interesting exhibitions going on.
JEREMY STREET is for the best stores specializing in soap, perfumery and cheese. Located right behind Buckingham Palace you’ll find everything that has and still is being delivered to the Queen’s doorstep. Walk along the street and pick everything you need for your own palace at home.
PICCADILLY is great to take your first snap-chats and we love the short ad movies on the giant billboards. Have a look at LILLYWHITES for the finest sport equipment as the British know best how to do sportswear. I buy large white Rugby sweaters that are also perfect for skiing.
ASSOULINE on PICCADILLY is worth spending some time in. Not only can you spend hours browsing through their great coffee table books but you can also have salmon sandwiches at the bar, have a look at their antique showroom or just think about a bespoke books. Read more about it here.
The ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS has an excellent Ai Wei Wei show going at the moment and before you step in, get a coffee and delicious macarons at LADURÉE next door and look at the most beautiful vintage jewellery at the BURLINGTON ARCADE.
REGENT STREET: Lunch could be at THOMAS’S at Burberry, where you can dive into their world of classic raincoats and and high fashioned Prorsum line or just walk through the store and note how the digital social media world and online shopping merge with a bricks & mortar shop.
TRAFALGAR SQUARE
If you still have some energy left, visit the NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY for their permanent collection.
When walking back home, you can look forward for your spa treatment and some quick laps in the hotel pool.
ADDRESSES:
Corinthia Hotel
Tate Modern
The Society Club
Charlotte Tilbury
Topshop
Nopi
Sketch
Huntsman
Kilgour
ICA
Lillywhites
Assouline
Royal Academy of Arts
Ladurée
Burlington Arcade
Thomas’s
National Portrait Gallery