A hotel with rooms as small as 50 sq ft. (15 sq m) is to be built as part of the redevelopment of a famous London tourist spot.
Plans have been approved for the 495–room hotel at the Trocadero in Piccadilly Circus. It will take its inspiration from Japanese ‘pod’ hotels, which have capsules for rooms to make use of space in crowded cities.
The Trocadero, originally built as a restaurant, is an entertainment space with shops and a cinema. The hotel will be located over seven floors behind its Grade II listed facade. Corridors will run round the building and rooms grouped around internal courtyards. Rates are expected to be £20–40 ($32–65) a night.
Wan Yau, director of architects Dexter Moren Associates, said:
“The lighting, temperature and even TV channels can be pre-programmed, enabling every guest to have a personalised ‘pod’ experience. We wanted to create an oasis away from the bustling activity [of London].”
When work starts on the site later this year, two neighbouring theatres – the Apollo and the Lyric – have asked for extra soundproofing so their productions aren’t ruined. It’s hoped to have the Trocadero Hotel ready in time for the London 2012 Olympics.
by Andy Moreton
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Sometimes it takes an Olympic Games to rejuvenate a city – think Barcelona in 1992.
And with under three years to go before London’s turn, some forgotten city treasures are being dusted off for the benefit of the visiting throng.
One such is the British Telecom (BT) Tower (formerly the Post Office Tower), until recently considered an unfashionable 1960s monolith that served merely as a handy way of getting your bearings in London’s West End.
The 581-foot tower, opened in 1965, has suddenly been given new life. Not only was it the venue for a spectacular firework display to mark 1,000 days to the Games, it’s been given the honour of holding a 500-foot high Olympics countdown screen.
And now there’s even talk of reviving the once-famed revolving restaurant on the 34th floor. BT is said to have recently begun searching for celebrity chefs to oversee the restaurant, which was closed 30 years ago amid security fears.
The rotating floor where the restaurant would be situated takes 20 minutes to complete a circuit - roughly 10 minutes less than the London Eye. It’s likely to have seating for 60–70 diners. It’s thought BT would like to have it open by Christmas 2011, although a spokeswoman said rather tersely:
“We don’t comment on rumour and speculation.”
by Andy Moreton
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The UK’s most visited paid-for tourist attraction, the London Eye, made its biggest profit last year: £25 million ($40 million).
About 3.85 million people enjoyed the panoramic views from the 32 pods of the Millennium Wheel, which stands on the South Bank of the Thames.
Figures for 2009 are also looking good, boosted by a strong euro and the decision of many British tourists to take their holidays at home – the so-called staycationers.
David Sharpe, Divisional Director for the owners, Merlin Entertainments London, said: “Since opening in 2000, the London Eye has welcomed more than 35 million people – that’s more visitors a year than the Taj Mahal and Pyramids of Giza and a true testament to its success.”
The London Eye is currently undergoing a £12.5 million ($20 million) upgrade to be ready for the summer Olympics in London in 2012. Flight prices have edged up over the years and are now approximately 70 per cent higher than when the Eye was launched. A half-hour trip currently costs £17.50 ($28) for adults and £8.75 ($14) for children.
by Andy Moreton
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If you find yourself in Paris this summer, you’ll find that you won’t have to watch your step so much.
Paris has been known in the past as ‘the capital of dog mess’, but stringent fines have led to a marked improvement on the streets. The number of fines issued for mess offences have dropped from almost 5,000 in 2004 to fewer than 2,000 last year.
The Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, had been determined to fix a problem that had had its fair share of adverse publicity. In a Paris-based episode of Sex And The City in 2004, the heroine Carrie fouls her expensive stilettos on the Champs Elysees. And apparently the Japanese used dog-messing as an argument against Paris’s bid for the 2008 Olympics.
François Dagnaud, who works for the town hall’s hygiene unit, conceded that problems persisted with the dense poodle population of the chic 7th and 14th arrondissements. To change owners’ habits, some 90 inspectors are due to carry out ‘commando operations’ in these areas in the autumn.
There is another simpler reason for Paris’s cleaner streets: the number of dogs trotting around the capital has plummeted in the past three years, dropping by a third from 2006-7.
by Andy Moreton
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The most popular paid-for tourist attraction in the UK – the London Eye – is to have a £12.5 million ($19.3 million) refit that will make it more environmentally friendly.
The 32 capsules that make up the giant observation wheel on the south bank of the Thames are to have their heating and ventilation improved to make them more energy efficient. The aim is to cut electricity consumption by 20 per cent.
One pod will also be updated with four ceiling-mounted screens and enhanced multimedia and wi-fi capabilities, which will enable it to provide music and on-screen visuals.
The owners, Merlin Entertainments Group, said the attraction would remain open as normal during the refurbishment, with the capsules being taken out and upgraded one at a time. The work will begin this summer and finish in time for the London 2012 Olympics.
The London Eye – also known as the Millennium Wheel - has had more than 33 million visitors since it opened in 2000.
by Andy Moreton
The Eye is just one of the experiences awaiting you in London. Luxique’s Top Destination London guide will help you get the best from your visit and we have a hand- picked selection of the finest luxury hotels in London.
