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Chloé Debuts at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London

January 29, 2015 by cheriecity

It’s rare that I write about hotel packages, but Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London’s partnership with French fashion maison Chloé is just too fabulous not to share.

I can’t resist a luxury fashion and hotel collaboration when it’s done well and the Chloé Debuts package is a cut above the rest. In celebration of London Fashion Week, hotel guests can own the Drew handbag ahead of the shows and enjoy a limited edition Chloé afternoon tea at The Rosebery with Chloé champagne cocktails.

The package also includes one night’s accommodation for two in an elegant Knightsbridge Turret Suite, à la carte breakfast for two, personalised service at Chloé on Sloane Street to receive the Chloé Drew bag, plus a bottle of Chloé Love Story perfume.

As someone who owns almost every Chloé fragrance, I’m interested to see if the special champagne cocktails will be inspired by notes in the fragances (a current cocktail trend in London) or the colours and shapes of the new collections. Either way, they’re sure to be refined and feminine, befitting their exquisite surroundings in The Rosebery.

In addition to the hotel package, there will be a mannequin showcasing the fashion collection in the Lobby, plus two vetrines displaying the Drew bag in a number of colours and patterns.

Drew is a delicate, modern saddlebag with round, sculpted lines, sumptuous leather, a knotted fob chain and horseshoe pivots – available in three sizes. Who could resist?

Do you love hotel and fashion brand partnerships? Which is your favourite fashion-inspired afternoon tea at a luxury hotel?

The Chloé Debuts accommodation package starts from £1,568 and is valid from 12th February to 9th March. For more information and booking, visit: www.mandarinoriental.com/london

Hotels, Hotels - Design, London, Restaurants

The Backstage Tour at The Hoxton Holborn

November 27, 2014 by cheriecity

The Hoxton Holborn is one of central London’s most exciting new hotel openings, bringing a welcome dose of cool to the area now coined as ‘Midtown’.

The Hoxton Shoreditch was a game-changer on the hotel scene when it opened in 2006 and The Hoxton Holborn takes it to the next level. It feels very ‘now’ and more like a social hub than simply a hotel, yet there are still some familiar trademarks from the Hoxton brand.

The ‘affordable luxury’ 174-room hotel recently launched with the most spectacular opening event – The Backstage Tour. The immersive theatre experience, devised by A&B Productions (artist Amy Gadney and producer Bella Macpherson), was the hottest ticket in town that night and gave a rare glimpse of the inner workings of the hotel. I mean, who hasn’t ever wanted to snoop around a hotel?

On the day of the grand opening, we spent some time exploring our room and then headed down to the lobby in anticipation of what was in store. After munching on patty melts and sliders, washed down with Champagne, our small group was led to the Cheeky Salon for the beginning of the tour.

As the story goes, we were the lucky viewers of a new play that was set to debut in the hotel in just one hour, however the script-writer and the cast were nowhere to be found. The formidable Ronni Ancona flounced around as Anamaria Von Viti Obilaska as chaos loomed and runner Sam shepherded us around the hotel – not even the staff corridors were out of bounds.

On the way, we encountered a Champagne-addled famous actor still in his bathrobe, stressed out production managers, a luvvie director and jaded hacks in the ramshackle press conference. To heighten the drama, some of the ‘guests’ among us were in fact actors propelling the storyline and improvisation.

At the end of the tour, we discovered that we were in fact the entertainment and took our bows on stage in front of an audience applauding with mouths full of rotisserie chicken.

And where better to end up than in in the middle of Chicken Shop – the rustic style Soho House Group restaurant in the basement. Having performed for our supper (well, kind of), we were then treated to a slap up meal of rotisserie chicken and a side of crinkle cut fries while awaiting the next unsuspecting tour group to hit the stage.

The chicken was so juicy and tender with a sticky glaze and plenty of seasoning. I loved the buzz of the restaurant, the tasty food and the cosy country-style interiors – perfect for a quick chicken fix.

As if that wasn’t enough, we were invited back upstairs for expertly-mixed cocktails, spicy mini shrimp burgers and desserts of key lime and lemon meringue tartlets. To round off a perfectly decadent evening, we were happily within stumbling distance of our room – what could be better!

Our Cosy Room (they range from Shoebox to Roomy) was just the right size and had a comfortable, homely feel. The design is retro and quirky with a posh college dorm feel. Room features include a vintage-style writing bureau, a sleek Samsung flat screen TV, black Roberts radio, giant circular mirror on the wall, Penguin paperback and ornaments such as a vintage camera and chemistry bottles.

The furnishings are also well-considered and surprisingly plush with a gorgeous leather armchair, leather headboard, graphic cushions and the most amazing wallpaper illustrated with French bulldogs and pineapples by London artist Toby Triumph.

I was delighted to see a kettle with a selection of teas and ground coffee sachets and absolutely adored the Hoxton Holborn mugs and ‘dirty old bag’ china teabag tray. Both Hoxton hotels have a thoughtful ‘no rip-off’ policy, so other cool extras include free wifi, a fridge with bottles of complimentary mineral water and fresh milk, one hour of free phone calls, free bicycle hire, a free breakfast bag and a lobby shop with items at regular shop prices.

The queen-size bed was nice and comfortable with a thick duvet and pillows that I found a little too thin. We had a good night’s sleep, however some noise from the corridor and other rooms could be heard at times, not that we were bothered by it.

The small but perfectly formed bathroom has a cool New York feel with ceramic black and white tiles, a walk-in shower with fantastic pressure and a single sink.

The all-important bathroom products have been exclusively created for The Hoxton Holborn by Pen & Ink. Not only do they look pretty, but they’re free from all chemical nasties and are a dream to use.

In the morning, we were treated to a healthy breakfast bag, which was ready outside our door at the requested time. Inside was a bottle of freshly-squeezed orange juice, a blackberry and apple granola yoghurt pot and a banana – perfect for a light and tasty breakfast in bed.

For something more indulgent, head downstairs to the hotel’s Brooklyn-style grill Hubbard & Bell for Eggs Benny, Steak and Eggs or Avocado on Sourdough with an artisan coffee or cold-pressed juice.

The Hoxton Holborn is a fantastic, forward-thinking hotel that is sure to attract city break travellers just as much as Londoners popping by for a mani-pedi at Cheeky Salon or a flat white at Holborn Grind. With fantastic restaurants, cool vibes, no big hotel mark-ups and a central location, it’s set to become a firm favourite.

Rooms at The Hoxton Holborn start from £89 per night. For more information and booking, visit: www.thehoxton.com

Watch the antics of The Backstage Tour at The Hoxton Holborn here:

THE BACKSTAGE TOUR from The Hoxton on Vimeo.

Chérie City was a guest of The Hoxton Holborn

All photos by Chérie City

Hotels, London

Valentine’s Day At Double Tree By Hilton London Westminster

February 8, 2012 by cheriecity

Day of the Dead De-Light at The Met Bar

October 26, 2010 by cheriecity

Last night, I finished off a hard day of work at the Metropolitan Hotel on Park Lane for a special bloggers preview of the Met Bar’s new Day of the Dead De-Light afternoon tea.

The first to introduce a reduced calorie afternoon tea to London, the Met Bar recreates its De-Light tea with a seasonal twist – this summer’s tea was all boho and festival-inspired.

Rather than the usual Halloween, gore-fest afternoon tea, the Met Bar channels the colourful, party spirit of the ‘Dia de los Muertos’, Mexico’s uplifting day of remembrance and honouring family and friends that have passed.

The Day of the Dead De-Light afternoon tea comes beautifully presented on a tiered stand and is a flurry of vibrant sugar skulls, marigolds, coffins and oozing ‘blood’.

I loved the vanilla cupcake with a white chocolate and jam skull on a bed of cocoa nibs. But of course, my favourite was the most morbid of cakes – a dense coffin-shaped, chili chocolate mud pie with dark chocolate ganache and an ornate sugar icing skull.

It’s hard to be believe that such an indulgent, rich cake would be reduced fat, but the clever pastry chefs at the Met Bar substitute flour with ground almonds.

The Met also forsakes dull, traditional, triangle-cut sandwiches for its famous no-bread sandwich pots containing Mexican fillings such as a jalapeno foam, crayfish and tequila jelly, and chicken fajita with sour cream and refried bean mousse.

Unlike many miniature afternoon teas in London, the cakes at the Met are generously sized and the tea really is a feast worthy of the Dia de los Muertos.

The ‘healthier’ concept for the afternoon tea works by using a number of calorie-reducing tricks, such as substituting regular flour for rice flour, avoiding heavy carbs like bread, using fruit purées, creme fraiche instead of clotted cream, olive oil instead of butter and a lighter, whipped frosting for the cupcakes.

The chefs also pay attention to sourcing local produce and using organic ingredients where possible.

The result is an afternoon tea that doesn’t cut corners on flavour or even size, but leaves you to get on with the rest of your day feeling content and not swearing off sugar for a week!

If you’re looking for a Halloween night out that doesn’t involve the usual devils and black cats, the Met Bar is hosting a fabulous Day of the Dead party on Saturday 30th October.

The Met Bar will be transformed with giant sugar skulls and festive decorations. Guests can also expect complimentary Tequila cocktails on arrival and amazing in-house make-up artists for a Los Muertos make-over!

Fancy dress is not essential but certainly encouraged. Email alex.carle@metropolitan.como.bz to put you and your friends on the guestlist.

Day of the Dead De-Light will be running for a limited time from 26th October – 2nd November 2010 at the Met Bar. For reservations, call (020) 7447 4757.

* Chérie City was a guest of the Met Bar.