This time last year, London was in the grip of Olympic fever, and the capital's many boutique hotels were heaving with sports fans from around the world, eager to enjoy the London 2012 experience in style.
This year may be a little quieter, but there's still plenty going on and many hotels are determined to make the most of the summer, as can be seen from July's boutique hotel news.
The Beaufort has been continuing its social media charm offensive, with another eye-catching competition. It's most recent challenge saw one lucky winner bag a free night's stay at the hotel by simply revealing why they love Chelsea in the comment's section of The Beaufort's blog. The hotel also launched its special family package in July, which is valid until the end of September. The deal includes Junior Suite accommodation for two adults and up to two children, in-room continental breakfast each morning, as well as complimentary sweets, cartoons and films.
Over at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel meanwhile, guests were treated to an unexpected duet between Paloma Faith and Ty Taylor of the band Vintage Trouble, during the latter's performance for Renaissance's Rlife Live music series. Catch a video of the performance on YouTube.
The May Fair Hotel launched its Sublime Summer package recently, which includes accommodation for two, full English breakfast and tickets to the Royal Academy of Arts. The offer ties in with the Academy's latest exhibition, ‘Mexico: A Revolution in Art, 1910-1940'.
Many other hotels have been making the most of the summer weather in style. The Montague on the Gardens for example has been tempting guests with its alfresco Garden Grill and alcoholic milkshakes, while St Martin's Lane London has been tweeting seductive summer images of ceviche and cocktails in its Asia de Cuba restaurant.
At the Baglioni Hotel London it's all about breakfast, with the Breakfast & More offer. The offer lasts until the end of the year and offers a discount of up to 20% on daily rates and features a full complimentary buffet breakfast.
London is set to gain yet another boutique hotel in October, as this is when The Rosewood is set to open its doors for the first time. Located in High Holborn, the hotel is situated within a Grade II listed Edwardian building and will have 262 rooms, 44 suites, a spa, restaurant, bar and more. The hotel will be Rosewood Hotels' first foray into the European market, despite having a globe-spanning portfolio.
From an upcoming hotel to one which is celebrating its 15th anniversary, One Aldwych marked the occasion in July by treating guests to birthday cake, champagne, fresh strawberries and light bites. The Hotel Indigo London Kensington also marked an anniversary recently, this one for six months. To celebrate a successful half a year since its opening, the hotel held a special launch party in The Mansion Bar & Parlour.
With six boutique hotels in London, hotel group Red Carnation know a thing or two about the capital. In July they shared via their blog a selection of ‘5 Inspirational London Views', featuring City Hall, Primrose Hill, Tower Bridge, One New Change and the National Gallery steps. You can read the blog post in full on the Red Carnation blog.
Red Carnation also had reason to celebrate in July, as its hotels occupied the top five spots for London hotels on TripAdvisor and continue to do so.
As of 29th July, the top five in descending order were Egerton House Hotel, Hotel 41, The Milestone Hotel, The Montague on the Gardens and The Chesterfield Mayfair. Jonathan Raggett, Red Carnation's Managing Director, said, "It's a fantastic achievement to dominate the top five TripAdvisor rankings for London Hotels."
Firmdale meanwhile have also had a good month, with the London and New York based boutique hotel group reporting record revenues of 78.4million for the year to January 31st – a 5.4% increase. Seven of the group's eight hotels are in London, including The Haymarket Hotel, The Knightsbridge Hotel, The Covent Garden Hotel and The Soho Hotel.
Hampstead could be the site of a new boutique hotel in the near future, in the form of a Grade II listed former police station on Rosslyn Hill. The building is currently for sale and a development potential assessment has indicated that it may be suitable for conversion into a boutique hotel.
Finally, Russell's in Hackney was the only London hotel to be featured in the Guardian's recent ‘100 Boutique Hotels under £100' feature. According to the Guardian, the hotel is, "the ultimate Symbol of the gentrification of Clapton," and "a favourite of music industry people and arty types."
Photo credits: damo1977, The Beaufort, The Baglioni, Red Carnation, Covent Garden Hotel.
Source: London Hotels Insight
