“Lady Di”, as her admirers called her, first gained public notice when she and Prince Charles began dating in the summer of 1980. The shy kindergarten teacher seemed an odd choice for consideration as a prospective princess, but the courtship culminated in a storybook wedding at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981. The wedding was televised to a worldwide audience, who watched intently as the couple exchanged their vows and began their married life together.

The fairytale continued for Princess Diana as she gave birth to the first child and heir, Prince William, on June 21, 1982. Another son soon followed; Prince Harry was born on September 15, 1984. Princess Diana was known as a devoted and loving mother who spent a great deal of her time with her sons and took an active and assertive role in their upbringing. This, along with her numerous charitable works, made her a popular and well-loved public figure.

Princess Diana attracted public criticism for her choice of charities and social causes, especially her activities on behalf of AIDS patients and those suffering from leprosy; due to the controversial nature of these ailments, they were not considered proper subjects of concern for a member of the royal family. Princess Diana insisted on continuing her work in these areas despite the disapproval of some of the royal family. This further endeared her to the British public and attracted attention for her favored causes from admirers around the world.

Beneath the façade of a publicly happy marriage, however, the fairytale was unraveling for Princess Diana. Her relationship with Prince Charles became stilted and cold, and contemporary reports indicated that both engaged in extramarital affairs during this time, with Prince Charles resuming a previous relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles. Eventually the marriage was irretrievably broken, and the couple officially separated on December 9, 1992; divorce followed, and was finalized on August 28, 1996. Princess Diana continued her charitable works until her death in an auto accident on August 31, 1997, barely a year after her divorce became final.

Today, many memorials to Princess Diana are located throughout London and are popular destinations for her admirers and other sightseers to the historic city. Queen Elizabeth II presided over the opening of the Diana, Princess of Wales Fountain located in Hyde Park, London, which attracts many visitors each year. Additionally, the Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens is a well-loved reminder of Princess Diana. Visitors can stroll along the Memorial Walk that connects the two commemorative tributes and enjoy a delicious meal at Princess Diana’s favorite Italian restaurant, nearby San Lorenzo on Beauchamp Place.

A number of London hotels are located near these memorials to Princess Diana. The LondonMap llists a wide range of London hotels in the area. including the reasonably priced Royal Garden Hotel. Travelers can also find information regarding rates and availability for upscale London hotels with live availability, guaranteed lowest rates and even use the convenient overlays to see how close you’ll be to the tube, restaurants, parks, etc.

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Samantha Brown does a great job touring the world and her trip to London during her “Passport To Europe – Season 1, Episode 2, London Now” series is no exception. Here are some highlights of the video.
Samantha starts out her trip in Berkeley Square (pronouned Bark-lee) and points out two publications which she recommends wholeheartedly: The “A-Z” (prounounced A to Zed) and “TimeOut London”. The A-Z is a must have – even for people who live in town! I had one in my car, my briefcase, my desk drawer, my kitchen at home and my bedroom! It is a fantastic and accurate street look-up guide which will get you out of a jam in more than one occassion – I guarantee it! It’s a bit daunting to use at first but you’ll quickly get the hang of it.

(By the way, Londoners often refer to their Post Codes when describing the location of their homes, etc. That’s because the post codes actually tell you where something is. For example – the West End is the “heart” of London. So guess what the post code is? W1. I lived in Chelsea for a time which is south and west of the west end. So my post code started with SW. )

Next, Samantha travels via the London Underground – or tube. (We in the U.S. refer to the underground as the Subway. But in London, a subway is an underground WALKING passage so make sure you ask for the Undergound or the tube if that is what you want!) The Underground is very easy to use and their maps are world famous for their simplicity and design. Each line has its own color and changing trains couldn’t be easier. The Underground runs relatively smooth and on time although it’s not unheard of for a track to be out, etc. So if you bring a laptop with you and you need to be somewhere on time, you may want to check their web site to be sure everything is on schedule. Samantha points out that if you need assistance, ask someone in a blue shirt. You can buy tickets in the kiosk or in the vending machines. You can purchase a one-day Travel Card and use it all day within zones 1 and 2 and on the undergound and/or buses.

If you take the tube to Waterloo, you’ll be on the south-side of the Thames and at the entrance to the London Eye – the largest observation wheel (ferris wheel) ever built. You can purchase online in advance. This is a fantastic ride and a great way to see London. It takes 1/2 hour to get through a complete circle and runs until 10:00 p.m. and as Sam points out, you can even reserve it for a cocktail!

Samantha goes to some of the more touristy spots from the Eye – starting with Leicester Square (pronounced Lester). As she says, this is a main meeting place with movie complexes and mega shops. You can also find the “TKTS” booth for half-priced theater tickets. The theaters are just a few blocks from here; mostly on Shaftsbury Ave. Just a short distance from here is Picadilly Circus with its “carnival-like” atmosphere and Madame Tussaud’s where you’ll “que up” for quite a while to pay your GBP 22.00 to get in. You can pay GBP 25.00 to skip the line or, if you’ve got a group of 6 or more, get in fast through the group line. Also check the London Eye site for a double-attraction ticket for Tussaud’s (link below).

Watch Samantha’s “London Now”!

From here, Samantha heads back to her hotel at the Atheneum. Technically in Mayfair, the hotel is located on Picadilly and right down the street from Park Lane, Hyde Park, and Hyde Park corner. Right across the street is Green Park and the fabulous shops, restaurants and theaters of the West End are a stone’s throw away. This is a fabulous 5-star hotel with every amenity and comfort you can imagine.

The Atheneum Hotel – 5-Star Splendour in Central London For More Information or to Book Online, Click Here

Samantha chose to stay in one of the Atheneum’s “flats” or apartments. With a private entrance, a sitting room, bedroom, kitchen and bath – all donned with style and comfort in mind – you will be truly pampered in luxury. There’s even a spa at the hotel with a full-service hair salon, scrubs, massages, nail treatments and more. If you really want to exercise, there’s a gym with everything you need to keep in shape or just go out the door and head to one of the parks for a run. The Athaneum has it all.

The rates for this 5-star gem will run from $259 to $500 for a “superior” to a “parkview” room and around $750 to $950 for an apartment per night. Make sure when you make your reservation that the rate INCLUDES taxes and fees. The U.K. has a super duper sales tax called the Value Added Tax – or V.A.T. for short. It’s 17.5%!!! (If you buy anything there and take it with you, you will get a refund form but this doesn’t apply to hotels.)

More Great Stops From Samantha Brown in London:

• Notting Hill
  Trendy area with the famous Portobello Road market and antiques shopping. Not to be missed!
• On-Street Toilets
  Super clean and easy, these facilities are 2nd to none. Don’t be afraid to use them. Each time someone exits the cubicle, the toilet is automatically washed and sanitized.
• Fast Food London Style
  Tiffinbites (Taken from the Indian lunch box name “Tiffinbox”) where you pick what you want, take it up to the counter where it is heated up and served with fresly-made Indian bread. Very good. Indian food is very popular with the Brits. Don’t be afraid to try it and if you don’t know what to order, just ask!
• Southbank and Bankside
  The Millennium Bridge – this relatively new footbridge takes you across the Thames not far from St. Paul’s and over to the Tate Modern – a must see art museum for 20th and 21st Century artists.
• Wine Tasting
  Vinopolis gives you the history of wine and wine tasting. Grab a glass and hop on a Vespa motor scooter where you’ll go on a virtual tour of wine country on the windscreen! Fun.

For more information on the Atheneum Hotel and Atheneum Hotel Apartments, Please see:

• 5-Star Mayfair London Hotels

Links for This Article:

Click To Watch This Episode Online	The A-Z Guide
	London Underground Map and Tickets
The London Eye and Madame Tussaud’s	TKTS London
Best Rates Online – Atheneum Hotel and More	Portobello Road Info
Tiffinbites	Millennium Bridge
Tate Modern	Vinopolis

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That being said – you still need to do your homework. Of course, you can always ask the concierge at your hotel – they are usually very good sources of info on restaurants, etc. plus they can get you the reservation (or booking as they prefer to call it there).

Here are a couple of suggestions to start out with:

Try the restaurant in your hotel – chances are it’s pretty good. Most hoteliers make their best profits from food and drinks so they will be trying to win you over. Ask the concierge his honest opinion of the on-site restaurants – he will be honest with you and will appreciate your asking his opinion.

Take along a Zagat’s London. Zagat’s is the best source of up-to-date information on an unbiased level for restaurants around the world. They started in New York and were so successful there, they branched out. When I lived in London and had to entertain in top top restaurants, Zagat’s was the bible!

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Thankfully, our London Hotel Review will not review all of those.  We will, however, review the ones we love, the ones in the areas we frequent most often, we’ll tell you about great deals (which are everywhere just now in this economy) and we’ll even throw in some unusual information including history and insider jokes.

We would like you to know that we are totally unbiased in our London Hotel Reviews.  We have total control over what gets posted.  For example, we noticed in another review site that:

“You can check Tripadvisor but beware of bogus reviews – they do exist and I know of one 4 star privately owned hotel in South Kensington that manipulated the reviews and guest candid pictures to gain a top 10 London hotel review placing. Every time someone posted a bad review, it would be superceded with a great review sometimes including professional quality pictures.”. . . www.london-hotels.co.uk

We’ve also got great information coming in from people in the travel industry whom would like to contribute to our London Hotel Review site.  We’ll let you know where they stay and why.

When we post pictures, please keep in mind that these are the photos we receive either directly from the hotels or a representative of them.  So bear that in mind when you book.  Make sure you dot the i’s and cross the t’s.  If you want a king-sized bed in an airconditioned room facing south in Chelsea — make sure you know the size of it!  I once got stuck in a room no bigger than a broom closet at the Savoy!

We hope you find our information of use and that its information is insightful.  London is our favorite city in the world.  We wish we were going with you!  Personally, I lived there for 7 years and often was at many of the hotels.  I visited people there whom had come over from the states or I met clients at the hotels for meals and/or drinks.  I was practically a fixutre at the Lanesborough!

Have a wonderful trip! 

Cathy Mitschele
Best London Hotel Review

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