You don’t need another person to tell you that things are complicated right now, or that we’re living in very ‘uncertain’ times, or that summer 2020 was basically the summer that never was. You and everyone else have heard it all before.
When it comes to travel, sure, a lucky number of you may have managed to time your flight and pick your destination at just the right moment to be able to enjoy some fun trips abroad without having to quarantine for two weeks on you return.
As for the rest of us, between the looming threats of local lockdowns, the prospect of a second wave and the ever-changing list of countries exempt from quarantine rules, you’d be forgiven for not wanting to push your luck when it comes to travelling abroad during the pandemic.
There are plenty of beautiful tourist destinations in the UK, but now that summer is over and the long nights will soon be drawing in, staying in is going to be increasingly preferable to going out.
That coupled with the fact that many hotels are offering cheaper rates – what with coronavirus limiting and/or discouraging travel – has plenty of people thinking that the right way to treat themselves to a break in 2020 is with a fancy hotel staycation on UK shores.
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So I put that theory to the test and tried four different London hotels on for size to see if spending a holiday’s worth of money on being taken care of for a night or two somewhere fancy is a valid alternative to going on a holiday abroad.
The Trafalgar St James (Trafalgar Square)
If you’re looking for peace and quiet, this is a great place to get it. The rooms are almost deathly quiet and the double-layered windows were enough to block out pretty much all of the sound from the street.
Given the exceptionally central location of the hotel, that’s a godsend. The windows were even enough to silence the excessive and utterly nonsensical noise of an anti-vax protest going on in Trafalgar Square while we were there.
The hotel is also a handy walking distance from Soho, St James’ Park, the South Bank, and Oxford Street. Tourist attractions like the London Eye and London Dungeon are also roughly 15 minutes away so you don’t have to wander far at all for something to do.
We tried a selection of small plates (which were tasty but not mind-blowing) at The Rooftop restaurant on Friday, and with the Rockwell hotel bar currently closed due to (you guessed it) the pandemic, it feels like the restaurant might be somewhat taking its place – at least for a few of the other punters. Dinner there comes complete with views over the city, fairly loud music for a sit-down meal and multi-coloured lights setting an almost party-esque mood. If you’re looking for something that can vaguely give you night out vibes in these Covid times, but with a bit more food, then Friday night at The Rooftop may well do it for you.
In contrast, breakfast at The Rooftop is a far more chill affair, with just the faintest tunes in the background and a full view of Trafalgar Square. On a clear day, it’s quite beautiful. In lieu of a breakfast buffet, you’re brought an afternoon tea stand on which you’ll find little pastries, pots of yoghurt, berries, cheese and ham slices and smoked salmon. There’s also a menu to choose from – I ordered the Eggs Florentine which came with some lamentably bland hollandaise.
In our room the bed was big, the carpet was soft, and the sofa (yes, sofa) was good to work from even though the lack of plug in that part of the room made it clear that it wasn’t the designer’s intention for the living area to double as a home office. It’s also worth noting that the free shampoo, conditioner and lotion were all Molton Brown products which my hair and bod very much loved.
My plus one also informed me that, while the WiFi can handle streaming pretty nicely, it wasn’t enough for him to game to his heart’s content. Do with that information what you will.
Staycation score: 7.5/10
While the food wasn’t really worth writing home about, the rooms are spacious and peaceful and the hotel is perfectly located to explore the city on your doorstep. With prices starting from £150 a night on average for October, a couple of nights at the Trafalgar St James would definitely be a worthy stand-in for a holiday abroad – especially for people looking to experience the city for the first time.
Rosewood London (Holborn)
The 5-star Rosewood London hotel is known for being among the best of the best for good reason.
From when you first set foot in the courtyard and you’re greeted by a porter who walks you to the lobby to after you check out and are offered help booking transport and a place to keep your bags, you’re taken care of. What’s more, the staff are able to look after you without crowding you or making you feel like you’re being fussed over – an important balance when it comes to being able to just relax and enjoy the space you’re in.
And the space itself is lush. Everywhere you look you see marble and dark wood furnishing, and the rooms are pristine. We stayed in the 113-square-meter Garden House, which was even more ridiculous than I expected, complete with a dining room, den, kitchen, dining room, powder room, roof terrace, four TVs (including one above the bath), one and a half bathrooms, heated toilet seats, high tech bidets and marble. Marble everywhere.
The Czech & Speake conditioner provided made my hair very happy, and there are also added Covid-friendly freebies such as a hygiene kit that includes single-use face masks, hand sanitiser and hand wipes, and more single-use masks available to grab around the hotel.
A one-night stay here was enough to leave me feeling refreshed and recharged, and I didn’t even get to try the spa (which is, for the moment, still open).
The hotel restaurant, the Holborn Dining room, has a low-key-fancy vibe to it which is, again, important when it comes to being able to kick back and enjoy yourself. Sure, you’re eating delicious food surrounded by marble pillars, but there’s no pomp or circumstance so none of these things are intimidating – for someone with an anxious-leaning personality like myself, this kind of thing goes a long way.
All this finery comes with a hefty price tag, with the room we stayed in costing (at the time of writing) between roughly £3,800-£4,300 for one (1) night, and the cheapest room in the hotel going for over £450 a night on average at the time of writing. With that in mind, if that’s the kind of money you can see yourself spending on a staycation, then you’ll absolutely get what you pay for.
Staycation score: 9.9/10
There’s virtually nothing that Rosewood London could do to improve. The only reason I haven’t given it 10/10 is the hefty price tag – this may stop many people being able to justify enjoying a stay here for a simple staycation rather than a big occasion.
The Dixon (Tower Bridge)
The room we stayed in at The Dixon was classy, fairly simple and functional. With a big cosy bed dominating the space and a bathroom the size of a small living room, it’s a relaxing place to be but perhaps not the kind of room you’d want to hang out in for the joy of it. Rather it’s a good place to come back and recharge in front of the TV with a bottle of wine after a day exploring the near-by South Bank and Borough Market.
The decor of this 4-star hotel seems to have been carefully thought out at every stage, with an emphasis on marrying the old with the new. While touches like the wall of keys which were found on the site as it was being renovated are thoughtful, they aren’t always hugely pleasing to look at.
With that being said, the history of the building – which is a Grade II-listed building which used to be the Tower Bridge Magistrates’ Court – is very interesting, and the fact that they’ve put so much care into preserving original elements of the structure like the floor of the entryway and the Courtroom bar – which was an actual courtroom – is lovely. On that note, while the bar itself is closed due to the current restrictions, the space is still open for people to sit and drink after their meal.
The decor in the Provisioners restaurant also deserves a mention, with the German Bauhaus-esque style they’ve chosen leaving me riddled with kitchen/dining room envy, making notes for things I could add to my own home.
When it comes to Covid social etiquette, the staff at The Dixon have made it as easy as possible for guests, with gentle requests that you flag what time you want to eat breakfast and dinner, a morning menu limited to a full English or continental (choose the full English), and easy social distancing queues like sitting only where the table is already set.
Another nice touch is the cafe/co-working space they have set up at one end of the restaurant, presumably well aware that both guests and walk-ins will be looking for a pleasing place to work remotely. If you’re into coffee and want a souvenir, The Dixon grind their own blend and you can buy bags to take home.
While the food is tasty and unfussy – with the restaurant in the middle of a partnership with Jack Whitehall called FoodSlut, which tastes exactly how it sounds – where our dining experience really shined was the cocktails. I am, after all, a consummate professional and therefore made it my business to try as many as I reasonably could, and each one I put in my mouth was a delightful and dangerous combination of refreshing and potent. The menu says they’re full of booze but your mouth won’t believe what your eyes – you have been warned.
Staycation score: 8/10
Even though the building is grand, the overall experience can be described as low key, the location is handy for exploring, and, with deals and packages for rooms costing from around £100/£110 a night at the time of writing, the price is welcoming too. While the building has a fascinating history and the room was very comfy, the hotel’s restaurant and bar are probably the most enjoyable parts.
Prince Akatoki (Marble Arch)
When it comes to the interior decor and overall vibe, the tranquil and spa-like 5-star Prince Akatoki hotel was probably my favourite.
This hotel seeks to celebrate ‘the art, ritual and elegance of Japanese hospitality.’ You walk in and are greeted by a bright and gentle colour palette and air that smells like lavender – yes, it seems rich people even get better oxygen than the rest of us.
Guests are welcomed with a complimentary and surprisingly refreshing glass of sake on their arrival (should they choose to accept it). You also get the option of ordering complimentary sleepy time teas to your door in the evening. Turn down service even includes staff turning a relaxing radio station on the TV to greet you when you get back to your room.
The only downside to the room is the fact that we could hear whatever went on in the hallway pretty clearly. Sexually active adults: beware. That will probably go both ways.
The hotel isn’t huge, but you get the impression that they’ve made the absolute most of the space they have, with the restaurant located just off the lobby and even a small gym, which is free for all guests to use and can fit three socially distanced people in at once. Even though the lower ground floor suite I stayed in had a view-less patio, they’ve put in a large print of a tranquil garden that almost works.
The Tokii restaurant serves up a delicious mixture of Japanese and British classics. You might not expect to get refreshing sushi dishes and honestly fantastic truffle chips in the same establishment, but you can. The desserts are also bonkers – we tried the matcha fondant and the yuzu crème brulee tart which were both outstanding.
The catch? Some of the dishes can be pricey, but ordering from the A La Carte menu will get you a free bottle of wine. On top of that, Tokii is offering Eat Out to Help Out-esque deals, with £10 off per person when booking from Monday to Wednesday. At the time of writing, The Prince Akatoki is also offering up to 35% off your stay in a staycation deal – which includes a free Full English in the morning – for a limited time if you book online.
Staycation score: 9/10
The exceedingly chill vibe and the delicious food make up for the fact that your room may not be exactly soundproof. Definitely a staycation-worthy hotel.
Overall verdict
Based on my stays, I’d definitely say that treating yourself to a few nights in a hotel somewhere is definitely worth it if you can afford it. That goes double since 2020 has been such a wild ride and we could probably all do with a little rnr.
I’d suggest staying somewhere for at least two nights if you’re able – that way you get the chance to take everything in and make the most of your surroundings.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/03/hotel-staycations-a-decent-alternative-to-a-holiday-abroad-or-a-waste-of-money-13296500/
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