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What’s New in London

by Valerie Summers

There is never enough time to see and do everything in London.   Each time I visit, the list seems to grow instead of diminish.  On my most recent British jaunt, I stayed in a newly opened hotel, was transported in  new sleeping arrangements, enjoyed a fabulous bird’s eye view of the city and checked out a just opened world class museum. 

My first impression, upon entering the luxurious One Aldwych, was that it might have been called Hotel George Jensen.  Cool, sophisticated, ultra modern chic describes this new entry into the London hotel scene. A brilliant collection of contemporary artwork and floral masterpieces complemented the interior design. During cocktail hour, the Lobby Bar, voted one of the top five hotels bars in the world,  was filled with a buzz of animated conversation.  As I looked around, I wondered if a requirement for meeting at this popular spot was reserved just for people who passed the “beautiful” test. 

My room was one of those which made me feel cozy and pampered right away.  Not too large and not too small, but filled with thoughtful amenities.  I sank into the creamy down duvet and  pillows.  I flicked on the fiber optic reading light which would come in handy if one wanted to read at night but one’s bedmate wanted to sleep. A bowl of fresh fruit and a colorful floral bouquet welcomed me. The bathroom was sublime and I looked forward to a bubble bath in the oversized tub.  There were no little signs to hang on the outside door knob for housekeeping service.  A flick of a switch notified the staff to make up the room or not to disturb me. No leaving my shoes in the hallway to be polished.  Instead, there was a discreet box in which to place them. Thoughtfully, a jogging map which I could hang round my neck was included among the amenities. I would investigate more later, but I had booked a flight reviver massage at the hotel and it was time to take a trip in the mirrored elevator.

Upon entering the spa on the lower level, which included a lap pool with an underwater sound system and a state of the art gymnasium,  I was shown to a private room where I spent an hour of bliss with my massage therapist.  I climbed onto a heated table while deciding what combination of aromatherapy I was in the mood for.  My choice was to relax or revive.  I chose the latter.  There were things to do and places to go and it worked.  No jet lag.    

I was off to get an eyeful of British Airway’s London Eye. Crossing the Westminister Bridge, it appeared as a giant Ferris wheel on the banks of the Thames.  Closer inspection revealed an observation wheel with giant transparent eye-shaped enclosures comfortably accommodating 20 people in each . The wheel towered over other landmarks including St. Paul’s Cathedral and Big Ben. Its inspiration and design came from the great tradition of celebratory structures such as the Ferris Wheel built for the Chicago World’s Colombian Exposition in 1893 and the Eiffel Tower built for the Paris Exposition in 1889.   Appropriately designed to mark the millennium, the wheel represents the turning of the century.  The Eye completely revolved once every  1/2 hour and never stopped.  It moved slowly enough for passengers to embark and disembark.  Although I have visited the city many times, I have never gotten the lay of the land as well as I did on my brief trip on London’s Eye. It gets my vote as the first stop visitors should make in London for a fabulous overview of the city.

On to the much heralded Tate Modern Gallery.  The newest addition to world class museums, and following the successful transition of Paris’s Musee d’Orsay from train station to Impressionist gallery, the new Tate houses international modern and contemporary art.  The converted power station on the River Thames is linked to St. Paul’s Cathedral by another new London addition, the Millenium Footbridge. As London’s first contemporary art museum, it fulfills the 20th century desire to create an art of the masses by seamlessly fusing the public realm and art.  A brilliant combination of the old and the new, the conversion highlights the buildings new function while respecting the integrity of the original design.  The most noticeable change to the exterior was the two story lightbeam which spanned the length of the roof providing not only natural light for the top floor galleries, but also housing a stunning café .  The collection was exhibited with a new twist, grouping the art of the 20th century into four categories:  still life, the nude, landscape and history/society.  These groupings provided a fascinating look at the way in which the genres have survived and been transformed through the last 100 years. The collection includes works by Picasso, Matisse, Miro, Mondrian, Rodin, Warhol and Bruce Nauman as well as British artists who emerged into prominence from the 1960s to the early 1980s.   This was a not to be missed attraction.

One morning, before departing for home, I breakfasted at Indigo on the mezzanine floor overlooking the Lobby of One Aldwych.  The comfortable, informal room was filled with tempting fragrances from the kitchen. Businessmen and women relaxed before important meetings and visitors excitedly discussed their itineraries.  The waitstaff brought light and healthy breakfast selections to some tables and wonderful traditional English breakfasts to others, complete with smoked kippers and fresh eggs.  A glance at the lunch and dinner menus included crab cakes with sweetcorn and coriander relish and for dessert, hot chocolate pudding with white chocolate ice cream.  Mmmm, something to think about.  Pre theater dining made Indigo a convenient choice for theater goers with tickets to London’s hit show, The Lion King, playing directly across the street from the hotel.

Ready to head home, I chose the always enhancing and improving, British Airways which provided a very new and most welcome seating/sleeping  experience for my return trip.  BA, noted for its First Class accommodations, now also allows Business Class travelers a good night’s sleep.   My very comfortable seat magically transformed itself into a fully flat six foot sleeper.  What joy!  The also new in seat Phone, laptop power ports and larger video screen allowed me to enjoy a wide selection of in-flight entertainment and get some work out of the way. Having slept well, dined well, been entertained and had the opportunity to finish my work, my transition back to the office proved a breeze.