SUPERCITY APARTHOTELS, TEMPLETON PLACE
By Paul Revel
SUPERCITY HAS THREE LONDON PROPERTIES, one in Clerkenwell and two in Earls Court. Two more properties are due to open within the next two years. Templeton place has 30 units, which are a mixture of studios and one-bedroom suites.
17 Templeton Place, London SW5 9NB • +44 (0) 20 7373 6670
supercityuk.com
ROOMS: My Premier one- bedroom suite featured a decent-sized lounge with sofa, dining table, desk and open-plan kitchen. It was airy and bright, with high ceilings and French windows overlooking a large courtyard garden with seating areas. The bedroom had a comfortable king-sized bed, good wardrobe space and a flatscreen TV in addition to the one in the lounge. The bathroom featured Gilchrist and Soames products. FACILITIES: The kitchen is well equipped, with a combination fan oven, grill and microwave, two hobs, pots, pans and dishes, crockery and glassware, fridge, Nespresso coffee machine and toaster. Other facilities include combined washing machine-dryer, ironing board and iron, and free wifi. Reception is manned 8am-5pm, but I arrived after-hours, so used
codes emailed to me, first to open the front door and then to open a safe to retrieve my key cards. Maid service is weekly. Supercity offers discounts at a local fitness centre and restaurants. LOCATION: It’s a 20-minute walk to Kensington Olympia and a three-minute walk to Earls Court Underground for Piccadilly (38 minutes to Heathrow T1-3) and District lines. There’s a good choice of shops, cafes and restaurants within a five-minute walk. VERDICT: A pleasant living environment, especially in apartments overlooking the courtyard garden – although the front of the building is on a quiet residential street. Good transport connections, local amenities and with a comprehensive standard of facilities included, it would make a good long-term option for people working in the area.
BARCELÓ SANTS By Tom Newcombe
THE FOUR-STAR BARCELÓ SANTS HOTEL is a 15-minute train journey from Barcelona’s El Prat International airport and five minutes by rail to the central Plaça de Catalunya. It sits above the Sants train station, with direct access from station
Plaça dels Països Catalans, 08014 Barcelona • +34 93 503 53 00
barcelo.com
ROOMS: The 378 rooms and suites all have sleek modern décor, and the large space shuttle-style window hatches offer good views of the city. All rooms have an iPod charging dock that also acts as an alarm and radio. Standard rooms and suites are both are equipped with a 45in flatscreen TV. The suite includes a separate lounge area, dining table and large corner sofa. The suite’s bathroom came with ADA toiletries, and separate bath and rain shower. Other amenities in all room types include safe, bathrobes and slippers, tea- and coffee-making facilities and minibar. BARS & RESTAURANTS: The hotel has two restaurants, both with Mediterranean
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
to hotel reception. Barceló Sants recently emerged from a Ð20 million refurbishment, which has transformed it into a design hotel with a space-age galactic theme. Fast free wifi is available throughout.
style menus, with dishes such as lobster with Spanish lavender honey, flowers and sprouts. The Oxygen restaurant offers a Mediterranean buffet, open 1-4pm, while Hydrogen offers an à la carte menu 1-4pm and 8.30-11.30pm, where chef Ramon Ribas has designed a ‘brain food’ menu aimed at corporate delegates. The menu is created around your mood, with the food designed to relax you at the end of the day, or to re-energise you in between meetings. The Orbital bar serves a selection of cocktails and light snacks. BUSINESS FACILITIES: There are 15 meetings and events spaces totalling 3,000 sqm, for up to 1,500 delegates.
Spaces can be configured to suit events from small meetings to exhibitions, and even car launches. The brain food menu is available on request for events. LEISURE FACILITIES: The hotel has a fitness centre with sauna and solarium and massage menu. The Barceló also offers laundry services, car and bike hire, and babysitting (on request). VERDICT: The modern style of the hotel gives it a spacious and sophisticated feel and, as you’d expect from a newly refurbished hotel, the rooms are all to a very high standard. Its location, on top of the train station, makes it good for business meetings and events.
BBT MAY/JUNE 2015 119
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