DEPARTURES
Reality check HOT E L : T HE L O NDO NE R THE HOTEL
This 350-room 'super
THE BUSINESS
The Londoner is
boutique' hotel, by Edwardian Hotels,
quickly making its mark on the capital's
opened with much fanfare in September
meetings and conference scene thanks
2021. It's 16 storeys high but only half
to its 6,000sq ft, pillar-less ballroom (for
are above ground level (due to height
up to 850 guests), Green Room (up to
restrictions developers instead dug
150), and seven other meeting rooms
down). Developed to the tune of £500m,
set over three floors and connected by
it's fast achieving its goal of reviving
a magnificent staircase. There are also
London's Leicester Square.
two private screening rooms.
THE CHECK-IN
The lobby-cum-bar,
THE FACILITIES
Hotel guests can
where live musicians play nightly, was
hunker down at The Residence, split
buzzing with well-groomed millennials.
into three spaces: The Y Bar for
The bold art, glamorous lighting and
cocktails, The Drawing Room for all-day
lofty ceilings are are an instagrammer's
complimentary antipasti, soft drinks, tea
dream. It smells gorgeous too, thanks to
and coffee, and the intimate Whisky
Diptyque diffusers. The reception staff
Room. The 'Retreat' spa has a classy
lobby, for live music, champagne,
treated me like a celebrity. A great start.
pool and hydropool surrounded by
oysters and afternoon tea. There's
THE ROOM
Highlights include the
super-sized cabanas, sauna and steam
orb-like doorknobs, Japanese Toto
room, hair and nail salon and treatment
washlet toilets with heated seats, Dyson
rooms, the Refuel Bar for smoothies
hairdryers, Steamery steamers,
and juices and a sizeable gym. On the
dressing-room lightbulbs around the
F&B side there's the fine dining
bathroom mirror, a genius bedside
Meditterean-inspired Whitcomb's (also
digital concierge panel to control the
for breakfast), the rooftop izakaya bar
lights, theatre binoculars, hand-picked
with a stunning terrace, the cosy
art and the fabulous rooftop views.
Joshua’s Tavern, and The Stage, in the
THE HOTEL SMELLS GORGEOUS TOO, THANKS TO DIPTYQUE DIFFUSERS
quirky, contemporary art everywhere, even in tiny peepholes in the lifts. THE VERDICT
A veritable tardis, The
Londoner lives up to its billing as an 'urban resort' and you will leave wanting to go back for more. Excellent service too. THE DETAILS
38 Leicester Square,
London, thelondoner.com, rooms from £400 a night. Bev
Fearis
CHAU F FE U R DR IV E : BL ACK L ANE THE BACKGROUND
Blacklane offers
pick-up sign, and any other notes for
intercity rides – one way, return or by
the driver. I was then directed to create
the hour – and airport transfers. At the
an account (requiring all the usual
start of 2021 it introduced chauffeur
details) and to enter card details for
hailing in 21 key cities, including
payment. Confirmation came by email.
London, New York, Paris and Berlin.
PRE-JOURNEY
On the evening of
Thanks to an investment in Havn, if you
my flight, I received a text message
hail a Blacklane chauffeur-drive in
confirming the time of pick-up and the
London it will always be in an all-electric
name of my driver (Ali Zulfiqar). On
Jaguar I-PACE or Tesla. In other cities,
touching down at Gatwick Airport, I
Blacklane offsets all journeys.
received another message telling me Ali
THE BOOKING
The online booking
was fairly simple. I entered my pick-up details (Gatwick Airport) and my drop-
had arrived, alleviating any worries I might have had about being stranded. THE PICK-UP
Ali, smartly dressed,
off (my home). My exact home address
was waiting for me as I came through
wasn't recognised so I selected a nearby
arrivals with a digital sign with the name
temperature. We both wore face masks,
petrol station. I entered my preferred
I had requested (being a female
as that was still required at the time,
time and, reassuringly, the system told
travelling alone I had deliberatly not
me that for an airport pick-up my
used my full name.) He greeted me
chauffeur would wait 60 minutes free of
politely and kindly wheeled my trolley
charge (15 minutes for other journeys).
bag through the airport, asking me if I'd
Various options were offered, the
had an enjoyable flight.
cheapest being an S-Class Mercedes,
THE JOURNEY
It was late and
BMW or similar or an electric car (Jaguar
there was little traffic but Ali drove
I-PACE or Tesla). I was then asked for
carefully and well within the speed limit.
my flight number, what I wanted on my
The S-Class Mercedes was the perfect
52
A SMOOTH EXPERIENCE FROM THE BOOKING TO THE PRE-ARRIVAL ALERTS TO THE DRIVE ITSELF
and had a really fascinating chat about his children (one is a maths genuis). THE VERDICT
A smooth experience
from the booking and the reassuring prearrival alerts to the drive itself. THE DETAILS
Prices depend on the
journey and are all-inclusive of taxes, tips and any tolls. blacklane.com
Bev Fearis
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
Reality Check V9.indd 52
5/10/22 07:11 PM
