 |
London Trip ReportWhen it comes to International Corporate Travel, London, England always falls in ETC's top five destinations. London enjoys permanent high occupancy rates owing to its combined attraction as both a leisure and a business destination. London is regarded by many as the world's leading financial center. This year, London ranked fifth in the Corporate Travel Index with a per diem of $480.00 per day. Using only hotel rates and miscellaneous charges, it is ranked fourth at $310.00 per night. A problem facing U.S. based buyers is the continuing strength of sterling, with the dollar hovering around the £0.50 mark during the past few months. This explains why visitor numbers from North America to London are expected to fall from 3.53 million in 2008 to 2.23 million in 2012. This does not mean buyers can expect more favorable hotel rates in response to lower demand. London tourism expects the decline in American visitors to be compensated by larger numbers of guests from elsewhere. London constantly has high occupancy rates but more hotels are planned for construction around London's Stratford district, where the Summer Olympic Games will take place in 2012. Eighteen new air routes from the United States to Heathrow Airport have commenced, following the advent of the Open Skies air liberalization between the United States and the European Union, which will contribute to lower airfares. But the hotel rates remain high once you arrive. In order to familiarize ourselves with the London hotel market, Tonya and Angie recently traveled to London to find what our clients want. Our clients want location, location, location. We set out to find properties that have the location that our travelers need, high-speed Internet service, and offer a reasonable corporate rates. Most of us have heard of the Radisson Hotel chain but not all of us know that the Radisson has an entirely separate chain in London called the Radisson Edwardian Hotels. There are twelve Radisson Edwardian Hotels in London and all of them hold the Radisson Edwardian Hotel as part of the hotel name, except for their flagship property, The Mayfair. The Mayfair Hotel was opened by King George V in 1927 and when the Radisson Edwardian Hotel took the property over from the Intercontinental Hotel chain, they decided not to add the Radisson Edwardian Hotel to the already historic "The Mayfair" hotel name. The Radisson Edwardian has revitalized this historic luxury property at a cost of £70 million. The new contemporary interior is a metropolitan haven with a warm and welcoming feel. This 5 Star property includes:
Everyone always warns us that British food is very bland. This was not the case at the Amba Bar & Grill. The waiter talked us into the grain fed chicken even though I thought 'chicken is chicken.' I was wrong! I will forever crave the chicken dinner at the Amba Bar & Grill. In the evenings, the hip and happening place is the May Fair Bar, the cocktails are prepared by one of the world's best mixoligists and yes, they are divine. I never knew a Mojito could taste soooo good. While you are there, you will see some of London's most hip fashions and may even spot a celeb going in/out of The Mayfair and/or The Funky Buddha, located across from the hotel. The May Fair Bar is a great place to people watch. This property is tucked away in the capital's luxury quarter, it's central yet utterly discreet. What does this mean? It's walking distance to shopping on Bond Street, Piccadilly, and Buckingham Palace. You can walk to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards every other day at 11:30 am but check with the hotel concierge before you set out. If you are ever in London in August or September, ask Darren or Mirel at The Mayfair concierge to assist you with the seasonal interior palace tour. |
 |
| ||
 |
