Now that its been a few years that I've been working in the travel industry, getting a chance to do escapades some long and others short, has become a big part of my life. I'll leave you with a little love story before we get into the trip. Right before Covid-19 broke out, I had been invited by the Rosewood to a lunch in Miami. It was here that I met a man that would become my boyfriend a little over a year later. We had only been together a few months before my birthday snuck up. Like most girls, my best friend and I played "guess what he's getting you" over FaceTime, more than once I'm sad to say... I was convinced we would be going to a nice event in Miami where we both live, maybe a new restaurant? You can imagine how excited I was when he handed me an envelope with our flight and hotel confirmations for a weekend in London. So, without further ado, here was our wonderful three day trip to London Town.
Before Traveling to the UK
Before making your way to the United Kingdom be sure to check the official government websites with the latest updates on what is required before entering the country. Autumn 2021 the following was required for vaccinated travelers:
1. A pre-ordered day 2 test, an antigen/at home test is enough
2. After completing the COVID-19 test you are required to fill out a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) https://www.gov.uk/provide-journey-contact-details-before-travel-uk
3 Days in London
First stop was the Four Seasons Trinity Square. This landmark hotel sits perfectly in front of the Tower of London. You really never go wrong with the Four Seasons, but this hotel was exceptional. The attentiveness of all of the employees was remarkable, the entrance to the hotel is peaceful and elegant, it felt like we were being transported to the past. Our room was ready for our morning arrival, which was perfect for us to freshen up and start the day in the city. This timeless hotel gave us live entertainment, and delicious cocktails that were our night caps during our stay. It was the perfect home for our first two nights in London.
STAY
Our last night was spent in the Four Seasons at Park Lane. As you enter the hotel the friendly doorman greets you and you are welcomed by the iconic Four Seasons flower display. The hotel is located directly in front of Hyde Park, and is just a short walk from Buckingham Palace and Westminster. The modern touches in the hotel provide total comfort, the cocktails at the bar downstairs were exceptionally made, and like at the Four Seasons Trinity Square, the service is remarkable. Services like the house car that took us to areas close by in the neighborhood made our stay seamless.
Landing in London was wet. The weather was absolutely biblical as they kept saying there. We weren't about to start complaining, coming from the heat of Miami summer - even in October, we welcomed the crisp air and chilly rain. We landed at half past six in the morning, pro: we had the whole day to explore the city, con: I got a total of 1 hour of sleep on the plane. Thankfully our room was ready for our arrival, so we freshened up and decided to power through our sleepiness.
Tip: we didn't book transportation, we found that taking a taxi into the city during rush hour was about 30 GBP cheaper than booked transportation, if you don't want to spend as much, the Heathrow Express into Paddington or getting the tube on the Piccadilly line is the move. A taxi or transfer during rush hour from Heathrow is about 120 - 150 GBP.
A few years ago, I was visiting my friend Georgie in London, she mentioned going to have drinks at Sky Bar. Of course, like a lot of the trendy places in London, everything was booked. So when my boyfriend gave me my birthday present, I jumped at the chance to book drinks - 2 months out. I looked up the time of sunset in London on that day and booked a time slot for then. We were joined by Georgie, and some drinks and aperitivo with a full panoramic view of London. If you want to eat dinner, there is also a Sky Garden Restaurant, , reservations are required.
The rest of the evening was spent trying cocktails in different places as we made our way back to the hotel for a nightcap in front of the live music.
DAY 1
We headed to the Covent Garden to explore and grab "a pint" at a local pub, said in the worst British accent you can imagine. Unfortunately, finding a pub that was open before noon was nearly impossible. After walking around what seemed like a couple of hours, we finally found a place that served us a beer at 11:30, as we waited for the bar to open for food.
We struggled hard to keep our eyes open after lunch, that's when we called it quits and went back to the hotel for a nap. Normally, I am a believer of staying awake as long as possible to avoid jet lag, but this nap saved our trip. We completely reset and the rest of the trip felt fresh.
I should have probably mentioned this earlier, but we went into this trip with a "go with the flow" mindset. We both work in the travel industry, the last thing we wanted was a fully planned itinerary on our weekend. However, we had discussed a few things that could not be missed. My suggestion was the Churchill War Rooms. The day was the most classic London, wet, windy day, even worse than our arrival the day prior. Going underground to see where Churchill led the second world war didn't seem like the worst idea. We booked our tickets and made our way over. The ticket time was not as important as the date, the man at the entrance told us. Included in our ticket was an audio guide in several different languages, it was really easy to use and very informative. Seeing all of the living quarters and control rooms was fascinating. The weather helped with imagining how things were with the blitz going on above ground. If you are a World War II fan, or not, this cannot be missed. Aside from the actual rooms, there is an extensive Churchill museum with recordings, timelines, speeches, letters, etc. from his lifetime.
DAY 2
There are some cuisines that cannot be missed in London. Once we had already had our fill of fish and chips, we were on the hunt for some Indian food. I had been recommended to go to Dishoom, which looked really good, but you must make reservations. We ended up going to Punjab, and it was perfect. A little hole in the wall, that was much bigger than it seemed from the outside, in the between Soho and the Covent Garden. We enjoyed our authentic and delicious Punjabi food. One little recommendation, I am a die hard Tikka Masala fan, like everyone else on the planet, at this restaurant ditch that meal and go for Acharri Murgha, we ended up getting it in both chicken and then lamb.
That evening we went to dinner and a show. We chose Wicked because neither of us had seen it, but there are options of all sorts of plays, musicals, comedy shows, really anything you want. The most famous shows sell out like they do on Broadway, so some planning might be required, we booked our show that morning.
Our final day in London, we woke up to something locals love, good weather! The rain had finally stopped, just in time for the London Marathon. It was a bit strange for us, in Miami the marathon is seen more as an inconvenience, no one really goes, basically the opposite of the event in London. Since the moment we arrived we had been told to plan accordingly for Sunday's race. From the moment we exited the hotel at Trinity Square we saw and heard the commotion. People on the side of the gates with signs cheering on the runners, making a day out of it. The whole city was alive and feeling good. We had booked brunch at the Coppa Club, lucky for us there was a last minute cancellation and we got to have brunch in the igloos. Normally, they're sold out for months at a time; however, you can put yourself on a waitlist.
After brunch, we switched from one Four Seasons to our second property, Four Seasons Park Lane. This hotel is quite different from its sister hotel down the road. This hotel was edgier and more modern, as you enter you have the iconic Four Seasons flowers waiting to greet you. While they are both different, the service at this hotel is undeniable superb. One of the benefits of the hotel is you have the house car to take you to nearby neighborhoods. Normally it's used for shopping or going to restaurants, we however, got to take it to our Covid-19 test, oh how things have changed. From here we walked to the classic Connaught Hotel for a drink at their world renown bar, note to self, you absolutely need reservations to have a drink here, especially when going during peak hours. We ended our last evening in a pub filled with marathon runners, we enjoyed our last few pints in London while overhearing their tales of the race. Finally, a night cap was in order at the hotel lounge where Juan David enjoyed another one of the "best old fashions" he's ever had.
DAY 3
Our express trip to London was perfect, short and definitely sweet. My advice would be not to bite off more than you can chew. A balance of site seeing, food, and relaxation is very important. There's nothing worse than ending a vacation, no matter how long or short, and feeling like you need a vacation after your vacation.
And I of course will end with a massive thank you to my wonderful man for the best birthday present, memories forever from our first trip to Europe, one of many to come! xoxo
Any recommendations in London or suggestions of what you want to see next, let me know :)