A series of personal reports on selected hotels by ITCM staff

Kempinski’s Stafford Hotel is a hidden London gem

image

Kempinski’s Stafford Hotel is a hidden London gem

The 5-star deluxe Stafford Hotel – a Kempinski property – is internationally popular, but everyone who uses it likes to think it is their own special London hideaway. It is in a secluded location off St James’s Street, between St James’s Palace and Piccadilly. It has the classic frontage of a town house, but it is much more than that. Behind the 67-room main building is a cobbled Blue Bell Yard with the two-storey 26-suite Stafford Mews along one side and the 12-suite black-and-white timber Carriage House on the other side. These annexes to the hotel formed part of the Royal Mews during the time when St James’s Palace was the monarch’s residence.

Read more: Kempinski’s Stafford Hotel is a hidden London gem

Renaissance Lucerne is small but with a lot to offer

image

Michelle Chenery reports on a stay at the world’s smallest Renaissance hotel, the Renaissance Lucerne. ‘But’, she says, ‘it proves that size isn't everything after all.’

Housed within a century-old City Palais and located in the very heart of Lucerne, the Renaissance Lucerne was renovated and restored earlier this year to become a Renaissance, one of the Marriott brands. Situated a stone's throw from the shores of Lake Lucerne and the main station, the rest of Lucerne’s tourist attractions are only minutes away, including the world-famous Chapel Bridge, the Lion Monument, the old historic city centre and the Culture & Convention Centre (KKL).

Read more: Renaissance Lucerne is small but with a lot to offer

Less Heathrow hassle at Radisson Edwardian

image

Less Heathrow hassle at Radisson Edwardian

by Roger St. Pierre
Seemingly oblivious to warnings of a possible double-dip recession, Central London hoteliers have been responding to their current high occupancy levels not by sensible pricing but by continuing to hike their rates to ever more stratospheric levels.


Read more: Less Heathrow hassle at Radisson Edwardian

Musical meal at the Corus Hotel Hyde Park

image

Michelle Chenery reports

For either foreign or UK delegates, the 390-room 4-star Corus Hotel Hyde Park is very well located. It is in the heart of London, with some rooms overlooking Hyde Park and very close to main-line Paddington Station and Lancaster Gate tube station, with easy access from the Heathrow Express.
The hotel occupies a 200-year-old listed Georgian building and is the Corus Hotels’ flagship.


Read more: Musical meal at the Corus Hotel Hyde Park

Michelle Chenery reports on a stay at St Giles, The Court New York

image

Michelle Chenery reports on a stay at St Giles, The Court New York

A short two-block walk from Grand Central Station gets you to one of the St Giles hotels in New York, The Court, a 199-room, 47-suite boutique property with its sister hotel, the 120-room, 9-suite Tuscany, just a few doors down. Located in the Murray Hill neighbourhood midtown Manhattan on Lexington and 39th, there is no shortage of visitor attractions within walking distance. Just 15 minutes away is the buzz of Times Square, the theatre district is almost on the doorstep, as are the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. The Rockefeller Center, Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, Guggenheim Museum are also within easy reach.

Read more: Michelle Chenery reports on a stay at St Giles, The Court New York