16 HOTEL SPOT
‘South Ken’ hotel with Wow factor!
HERE’S only one short, three-letter word to describe our room in The Gore, on the edge of Hyde Park, in South Kensington... WOW! And incredibly the Miss Ada Junior Suite is not regarded as the most sought after room in this unique boutique hotel located in prime London real estate within easy walking distance of the museums, Harrods and Harvey Nichols.
T
If we were stunned by the four poster bed, the antique furniture, and the original oils and Victorian- style decor, then we nearly fell over quite literally when we peeped inside the bathroom to find the toilet 'disguised' in the form of a throne, a large wooden seat mounted on a red carpet pedestal complete with arm rests.
It took a bit of getting used to, and it certainly would not be suitable for those less mobile in that you actually had to climb up onto the throne in order to use it... as a toilet that is! And the bath with monsoon shower too was also a bit of a hurdle to negotiate for those with any sort of mobility problem - so it's fair to say that the bathroom scored highly on novelty factor but not so highly on practicality.
However, The Gore literally exudes Victorian eccentricity and has been celebrated as one of London's
HOTEL REVIEW: THE GORE
most charming and enchanting hotels down the years. From antique carved beds to original paintings, each of the six floors is packed with period detail and handpicked decorative pieces.
Our room was named after Miss Ada Cooke - a descendent of famous explorer Captain James Cooke - and her sister Miss Fanny who opened The Gore way back in 1892, quickly establishing it as one of the most charming and high profile places to stay in London. According to the hotel, the Miss Ada Room "defines her legacy" with antique furniture, big bay windows overlooking Queensgate, complete with a huge four- poster bed canopied in crimson velvet.
The Miss Ada Room is one of a half dozen deluxe rooms named in honour of famous guests, but by far the best known is that named after film star Judy Garland, the Holywood musical icon. Apparently Miss Garland, forever remembered for her role as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, requested that her own gilt wooden bed be flown over from America to The Gore for her stay, and it is still here today. Indeed the Judy Garland Room is probably the creme de la creme of all The Gore's 50 individually unique bedrooms, ranging from Queen and 'Wonderful Doubles' through to Luxury Doubles and Deluxe Rooms to the signature Tudor Room, reckoned by many visitors to be the grandest of all. Each are adorned with beautiful artwork, oak beamed ceilings along with all the modern hi-tech amenities including flat screen TVs, Wifi and free to use during your stay smart phone.
In contrast, the hotel itself says that there is simply nothing like 'The Tudor Room' in the whole of London outside the Royal residences. With its oak four-poster bed, a 15th century Minstrels' Gallery, high oak-beamed ceilings, Portland stone fireplace, candelabras and rich furnishings, this could well be the most beautiful bedroom in the whole of the capital.
THE GORE.... in leafy, sought-after South Ken
The Gore London - full name The Gore Starhotels Collezione - not only has connections to Captain Cooke and Judy Garland, but also too to the most iconic rock group of all time, The Rolling Stones. The Gore's Bar 190, which is within a few minutes walking time of The Royal Albert Hall, is the perfect place for pre or post
WOW! The stunning Judy Garland Junior Suite in The Gore
performance drinks, but is most famous for being the location of the Rolling Stones launch of their album Beggars Banquet in 1968. Bar 190 lives up to the rest of the The Gore's extremely high level of expectations, with luxurious yet intimate surroundings where guests can unwind with their favourite cockail or with any one of a number of tasty dishes recommended by bar staff. The bar also offers a VIP area, Cinderella's Carriage, which is particularly beautifully adorned. We had a meal in the restaurant, 190 Queen's Gate. It is intimate and stylish, like everything in The Gore, serving top class fare. The restaurant has a Michelin starred chef Daniel Galmiche, whose forte is offering a "sublime gastronomic experience, interpreting great British classics with a contemporary touch and exquisite French flair."
In terms of locality, The Gore - a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts group - could not be in a better place for sightseeing visitors to the capital. The Natural History Museum, The Science Museum, and the Victoria and Albert are all within 15 minutes walk with top Knightsbridge stores like Harrods and Harvey Nichols just a wee bit further away. The hotel is also right beside the Victoria & Albert Memorial in Hyde Park and 10 minutes walk from Kensington Palace, also in Hyde Park. Staying at The Gore you have a choice of two Tube stations, Gloucester Road and South Kensington for connections to the city
centre and mainland stations like Victoria (for the Gatwick Express), Paddington and Waterloo. The Gore has attracted pop icons, film stars, aristocrats, leading politicians and some of the best known characters in the city of London over the years - the atmosphere of this wonderful establishment is such that you feel as if you are brushing shoulders with them in the lobby and evesdropping on their conversations in their daily lives... what a remarkable place!
Brian Ogle
FACTBOX: The Gore London - Starhotels Collezione, 190 Queen's Gate, London SW7 5EX. Tel:
0207 584 6601.
reservations.thegore@
starhotels.com Email:
June 2018 Travel News
Miss Ada’s Room - a favourite at The Gore
London doesn’t have to cost the earth L
ET'S face it! You either love London or loathe it... When working in the capital or flying over for a business meeting I can't wait to catch the flight back to Belfast - but as a tourist I could easily spend a month there!
It is one of the great sightseeing cities of the world and you have to be prepared to battle the tourist hordes from all parts of the planet and accept that you must pay extortionate prices for things as basic as an ice-cream cone!
The serious effect on your wallet or purse has to be accepted as part of the necessary collateral damage of visiting the capital.
Every time I visit London I am amazed not only at the number of the new attractions but at the prices they routinely ask - and get - from tourists to pay for the pleasure of coming through their doors. It's not uncommon for a major attraction to be asking £35 a pop for a full adult ticket, though to be fair most of them offer a lot more than just a quick walk-
through visit. Usually there is enough to keep you occupied for half a day! But there are very few of the major worthwhile commercial tourist attractions asking less than £20.
One of my favourites is the London Aquarium, which gets better every time I see it. It puts all similar such attractions in the UK and Europe in the shade, and is situated right in the middle of the city beside the London Eye and the London Dungeon. It is one attraction I definitely don't mind putting my hand deep into my pocket for, but maybe that's because I'm a fish-keeper myself and an angler! Most recognisable outline on the London horizon now of course is the London Eye which enables visitors to get an unforgettable bird's eye view of the skyline, while The Shard skyscraper, just a short distance away in Southwark, is the tallest building in western Europe. The viewing gallery opened a few years ago while the complete Shard Experience is due to open fully later this year.
An alternative to The Shard is the Sky Garden, just a short distance away across the Thames with a restaurant at the top of another skyscraper (Monument tube station). Recently we were able to get complimentary entry by booking online and opting for the first tour of the day. However, don't forget that London's major museums are all still free, and incredible places you could spend a whole day in. Indeed they could take up all your time in your tourist visit to London. They usually politely ask for a £5 donation towards their upkeep, but in my experience this is generally ignored by visitors who expect museums to be free as of right!
A tempting and attractive display of macaroons in trendy Elizabeth Street
So let's start with my favourite, the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, right beside the tube station of the same name. The big problem with the NHM is getting in.... queueing for an hour or more is not uncommon, so seek advice from someone who knows like your hotel concierge, so that you can time your visit to take advantage of when it is quietest. Late afternoon or first thing in the morning is best, avoid between 11.00 and 1.00 especially, and the entrance on Exhibition Road, not the front on Cromwell Road, is best and quickest. The Blue Whale is always a big draw for families, but the minerals gallery which includes meteorites and features our own Giants Causeway, is spellbinding. Nearby the Victoria and Albert can also get very busy, especially the fashion section, although the queues to get in are nothing like its neighbour across the road,
the NHM. Best times to visit are first thing in the mornings on weekdays - again avoid the weekends.
The third big museum in South Ken is The Science Museum which can be a heaving mass of people with lots of kids vying with each other to try out the hands- on exhibits. Again South Kensington is the nearest tube station.
The British Museum can be acccessed from Russell Square tube, and you could easily spend a whole day there if you can manage to stay on your feet. Is there anything more tiring than walking round museums and exhibitions?
Not far away is St Paul's Cathedral, a 20-minute walk or so, and in the same area is the Museum of London, which features the founding of the city, momentous events like the Black Death and the the Great Fire, and the Suffragette movement. St Paul's however is NOT a free attraction, but worth the fee, especially if you've got a head for heights and want to get up close and personal with Sir Christopher Wren's famous architectural wonder, the Dome.
I wasn't able to take in the Imperial War Museum this time round and regretted my omission. It's quite central, just a few minutes walk from the London Eye and Westminster bridge - with Lambeth North/Elephant and Castle the nearest underground stations.
For those who have never grown up, The Museum of Childhood could be for you. Not surprisingly it's popular with families so try visiting during term time and the kids are at school. (tube station
Above and Below: Flower displays at Covent Garden
Bethnal Green)
There's a a lot more museums and suchlike, most of them free, which prove that you don't have to break the bank on a tourist visit to London.....
Brian Ogle
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
