Saturday Travel Shot(s): The Tower Bridge in London, England

Tags: england, London, tower bridge, uk, visitbritain

The Arch: A New Choice in London Luxury

On my most recent visit to England’s capital city, I was fortunate enough to spend a few nights at a new hotel that just opened its doors a few weeks ago called The Arch London.

As part of a press trip with VisitBritain, I was privy to check into this quaint 82 room collection of seven Georgian townhouses and two mew homes.

I arrived earlier than scheduled, so since my room was not ready, I was advised to take a load off and take full advantage of their study located in the lobby area. I was able to plug in and use their (quick) Wi-Fi, which was great since I need to get some work done.

When my room was available the bell boy was quick to grab my luggage and show me to my room. Upon entering where I would be resting my weary bones after a long night of flying, I was pleasantly surprised (…and for a good reason).

Extremely comfortable bed made for a great night's sleep.

Satellite radio and iPod/iPhone dock

The lovely Arch bathroom

Talk about luxury...a tv in the bathtub!

Fully stocked and complimentary soft drink bar

The standard room in which was booked into was immaculate (although it was also a month old, so I would hope so) and was very inviting. The room included such great features as:

• Complimentary wireless internet access, which was super fast and always kept me connected.

• Complimentary Nespresso machine and Jina tea, which I did not use, but it looked nice.

• Complimentary soft drink bar, which I did use quite often during my stay. It was stocked with a six pack of coca cola, orange juice, apple juice, milk, champagne and two beers. All included in your rate!

• Flat screen television with Sky HD package that includes foreign channels.

• Want to watch a movie? Then head downstairs and borrow a DVD to use in your room’s DVD player.

• Internet radio was next to my bed but did not work when I tried to use it. Also doubles as an iPod/iPhone dock.

• US and European adapters in the room, which came in handy since I had forgotten mine at home.

• Laptop sized safe.

• Super soft and comfortable beds with great comforters and pillows.

• Plus the best feature of all…a television in the bathtub!

If you can pry yourself from your room, then head downstairs to The Arch London’s beautifully decorated and extremely delicious restaurant called HUNter 486. One evening for dinner I ordered the steak tartare with a quail egg and french fries and was in culinary bliss.

So perfectly prepared and all that goodness was washed down with a local English stout that was recommended by one of the restaurant’s managers.

Enjoy some afternoon tea (or a few adult cocktails) in the super cozy Martini Library, located on the lobby floor.

Busy Oxford Street in London

The Arch London is centrally located to all that London has to offer. You are within walking distance to such attractions as Hyde Park (which is just down the block), numerous cafes, trendy Oxford Street and the Marble Arch Underground station.

Although it is still working out very minor kinks, which is natural for any new hotel, The Arch London is simply brilliant and definitely worth a stay the next time you are in London.

For all you gym rats out there, and I am surely not one of them, The Arch London also offers a gym on the property.

For more information on staying at The Arch London, check out their official website.

Tags: england, hotel, London, the arch, Travel

From Spicy Cider to Ostrich Burgers: This is Borough Market

Borough Market in South East London.

Dating back to the 11th century and boasting such goodies as ostrich burgers, Cornish clotted cream and lots of different kinds of cheeses, Borough Market is indeed a foodie’s heaven and a place I spent hours wandering while on a recent visit to London.

Borough Market is a lively and pleasant smelling wholesale and retail food market located in the South East section of London. It is one of the largest markets in the world and provides amazing quality goods from both near and far.

While trading pretty much goes on here seven days a week, the main market is only open Thursday (11am-5pm), Friday (12pm-6pm) and Saturday (9am-5pm).

The 70 plus producers provide such unique goodies as ostrich burgers, Jersey Royal potatoes (not that Jersey!), Arbroath smokie (smoked herring) and Cornish clotted cream.

Back inside the market, be sure to check out the following stands:

Fresh meat and eggs at Wild Beef stand.

• Wild Beef from Richard and Lizzie Vines: Enjoy your meals without all those pesky pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers? Well then you will really Wild Beef, which serves up nothing but quality meat, eggs and more.

• Utobeer: While a little rough around the edges (don’t tell him I said that), Utobeer’s Eddie might seem like one mean dude (okay, he actually is one), but the guy offers plethora of pilsners and an array of ales that would make any lush smile with delight.

Cheese heaven!

• Neal’s Yard Dairy: One of the absolute best cheese destinations I have visited on my travels. From the stinky to the smooth, all your cheese needs are covered at this little shop in Borough Market. Some cheese for sale include cheddar (which was just voted the Brit’s favorite cheese in a recent survey), Stilton (came in second) and Cheshire (one of England’s oldest). I dare you to go into this locale and not sample at least one piece.

• Roast: Cinnamon Club founder Iqbal Wahhab has done it yet again with another outstanding dining option in London. This upscale eatery is located upstairs from the madness that can sometimes be Borough Market. Not surprisingly the restaurant makes most top 10 lists for places to eat in London. Roast’s mixed ingredients of organic, seasonal produce comes from right downstairs at the market.

• New Forest Cider: On a cold and windy London afternoon, nothing says warm and delicious like a hot and spicy cup of cider.

• Gamston Wood Farm: Move aside chickens and turkeys, ostrich is now what’s for dinner. Well at least around Gamston farm it is! After feasting my eyes on some of the ostrich burgers, sausage and meatballs, I was impressed to see that they also sold alligator, kangaroo, zebra and many other exotic animals.

• Wright Bros. Located on 11 Stoney Street, this Oyster wholesaler and importer also makes a mean plate of scallops. I enjoyed them with an extra cold pint of Guinness (what else!?).

If the market looks or sounds familiar, you might have seen it in such movies as Bridget Jones’ Diary, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Here is an insider’s tip: Located alongside Borough Market is Southwark Cathedral, which offers amazing locally grown ingredients made on-site at the church’s Refectory. When the weather is nice, enjoy your meal on the lovely outdoor patio.

Be sure to leave a few hours in one of your days to check out this truly iconic location.

Tags: borough market, england, London

Good Times in London & Glasgow

While I promised updates from the road, it just has been such a busy week in London and Glasgow. I will definitely have a full recap of my trip this week, with many images and travel tips as well.

It was a hell of a good time and thanks again to the great people at VisitBritain for their insanely gracious hospitality and mapping out a fun couple of days that I will soon not forget.

To be continued…

Tags: england, glasgow, great britain, London, scotland, united kingdom, visitbritain

London (and Glasgow) Calling

I am headed back overseas next week for a week long trip to London, England and Glasgow, Scotland courtesy of VisitBritain.

While I have been to England’s capital a few times (I just stopped by a few months ago en route to Sony’s Twilight Football Game at Tintagel Castle), this will be my first time checking out Scotland’s largest city.

I always love to travel to a new destination and Scotland in January, while freezing and a tad snowy/rainy according to the forecast, will definitely make for a great time.

Check back right here for updates throughout my trip between Wednesday January 27 and Monday February 1.

Cheers!

Tags: england, glasgow, London, scotland, Travel, uk, visitbritain