With Valentine’s Day breaks behind us, it’s time to look forward to Mother’s Day. There are also some fantastic cultural attractions offered by London hotels this month, from film screenings to Shakespearean tours.
Foodie delights
Mother’s Day will be here before you know it, so get your treat organised early by booking brunch in the Chelsea Riverside Brasserie at Wyndham Grand London Chelsea Harbour; the £45 menu for 30 March can be upgraded with unlimited champagne for an extra £10.
The Athenaeum makes sure fathers are not forgotten. Its Gentleman’s Anytime Afternoon Tea features traditional savory selections such as wild boar sausage rolls and miniature steak and ale pies paired with whiskey or tea (available until 30 June).
Something sure to appeal to those with a sweet tooth, Hilton London Metropole has opened the Chocolate Corner; an intimate shop in its lobby stocked with indulgent truffles, ganaches and pralines.
Cultural curations
To mark the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth this year, Jumeirah Carlton Tower has launched a Midsummer Night’s Dream package. Upon arrival, guests will be greeted by Oberon and then whisked off on a tour around London’s Shakespearean landmarks, before returning to The Rib Room for cocktails named after the barb’s works.
As the official hotel partner for the BRIT Awards, ME London is hosting a photographic exhibition focusing on past winners in its Marconi Lounge Bar until 10 March. And don’t miss the man-sized replica of the award itself in the hotel’s atrium on the way.
Embracing the big screen, The May Fair Hotel is mid-way through its season of live screenings in partnership with the Royal Opera House, with Sleeping Beauty, The Winter’s Tale and Manon Lescaut still to be shown in the hotel’s 201-seater theatre. Meanwhile, The Berkeley has turned the rooftop terrace of its health club and spa into a private six-seat cinema, with two screenings every weekday night of Marilyn Monroe’s Some Like it Hot.
For the little ones, the story of Barbar The Elephant is combined with afternoon tea at The Kensington Hotel this month. Part of the programme with the National Youth Theatre, kids can sample sweet treats while listening to the charming story recited by actors.
New openings
Hampton by Hilton London Waterloo became the brand’s first Central London property when it opened earlier this month. The 297-room property follows the recent addition of Hampton by Hilton London Gatwick Airport North Terminal.
There’s another new hotel to look forward to next year, with the announcement that CitizenM – which already owns London Bankside – will open another boutique hotel in Shoreditch.
Get connected
GLH Hotels now offers fast and free ‘one-click’ BT WiFi in all of its Thistle hotels. Introduced earlier this month, the internet service enables guests to make Skype calls, download films securely and stay connected in all 31 of its hotels.