The boldest new art-inspired hotel in London set to open next week

Already touted as the boldest new art-inspired hotel in London with spectacular bedrooms and suites offering 360-degree skyline views across the capital, art’otel London Hoxton opens its doors 24th April—and you’re invited.

Dive into the stylish-yet-playful hotel with legendary Signature Artist D*Face as your guide. Experience our restaurants and bars, immersive gallery and auditorium or explore the creative scene of London’s Shoreditch neighbourhood with cutting-edge galleries, street art, live music, hip bars and more just outside our doors with Liverpool Street Station and the underground network just a short walk away.

Choose from 357 stylish rooms and suites, all featuring the signature works of local London artist, D*Face.

The Brush is an all-day Grand Cafe, Lounge & Cocktail Bar in the heart of Hoxton. Coming in April 2024!

For more details and to make a reservation, visit the Radisson Hotel website.

. Special discount for a limited-time offer! Save up to 30% now. 
 

art'otel London Hoxton boasts 357 stylish rooms and suites, all featuring the distinctive pop-art style of D*Face. Book a memorable getaway and experience bold designs features and floor-to-ceiling windows that fill all rooms with natural daylight. Appreciate modern amenities during your stay including bedding and pillow selections, bathrobes and slippers, and unlimited free Wi-Fi.

The Hoxton restaurant and bar scene is about to get a whole lot sexier!

Etihad Airways celebrates two decades of flights between London and Abu Dhabi.

      Etihad Airways – the national carrier of the UAE – is today celebrating two decades of flights between London and Abu Dhabi. 

The airline’s first service to Heathrow Airport using an Airbus A340 landed on 28 March 2004, heralding the start of thrice-weekly flights between London and Abu Dhabi and establishing a highly sought-after route renowned for its excellence. 

Etihad now operates four daily flights between London and Abu Dhabi using a combination of Airbus A380s, which feature the legendary The Residence suite in the sky, and state-of-the-art Boeing 787s.  

Eligible guests can also use the luxurious Etihad lounge at Heathrow’s Terminal 4, which offers a sumptuous start for their flights and interiors inspired by the carrier’s Abu Dhabi home. Guests can enjoy specially curated menus along with quick and convenient boarding for departing flights. 

Jeremy Pollock, Etihad Airways Country Manager UK and Ireland, said: “Introducing flights from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi was a key part of the airline’s strategy following the carrier’s launch in 2003. 

“To celebrate 20 years since our inaugural flight is a fantastic achievement for everyone connected with Etihad Airways – especially our dedicated workforce across the UK and Ireland.  

“Etihad now operates four daily flights from London, highlighting the strong demand among UK-based customers to explore Abu Dhabi and the Middle East following a flight travelling in style and comfort, looked after by our excellent, award-winning cabin crew.” 

Henry Naya, Etihad Airways Airport Manager London Heathrow, joined Etihad just before flights to London began. He recalls the excitement surrounding the airline's first flight into Heathrow. It touched down at Etihad’s former home in Heathrow’s Terminal 3, with the founder Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan and a range of dignitaries on board to celebrate the start of the new route. 

London has been named the best European city for foodies......

London has been named the best European city for foodies, as new data reveals it has the highest number of 5-star reviews for restaurants, cafés and bars. 

Paris is next in second place, while Barcelona follows in third. 

Dutch lifestyle magazine, Dailybase, checked Tripadvisor data to uncover the number of 5-star reviews for eateries in European cities. This resulted in a ranking of 193 cities in Europe where Tripadvisor data was available. 

Taking the crown as the best city in Europe for foodies is the UK’s capital London, with an impressive total of 2,906 5-star reviews for its eating and drinking establishments. London is renowned for its traditional pub culture where you’ll find homemade pies and roast dinners, as well as a plethora of Michelin Star restaurants to tantalise your tastebuds, making it the perfect destination for your next city break. 

The French capital, Paris, closely follows in second place, with a total of 2,898 5-star reviews on Tripadvisor for its eateries. Foodies are clearly enjoying Paris’s culinary specialities such as escargot and entrecôte, which is a premium cut of steak to relish with chips in top-rated French bistros and cafés. 

 

Rank	City	No. of 5-star Tripadvisor reviews
1.	London	2,906
2.	Paris	2,898
3.	Barcelona	1,475
4.	Rome	1,407
5.	Athens	1,403
6.	Madrid	1,395
7.	Lisbon	1,177
8.	Berlin	1,074
9.	Prague	1,015
10.	Milan	814

The lively city of Barcelona takes the third spot, with a total of 1,475 5-star Tripadvisor reviews for its restaurants, cafés and bars. Popular for its exciting nightlife, this Spanish city will wow foodies with its tapas, which includes patatas bravas, which are cubes of potato in a spicy tomato sauce, and as well as the classic rice dish, paella.   

Rome ranks fourth, with 1,407 reviews awarding the Italian capital city 5-stars for its food and drink joints. As well as sampling the street food bites in Rome, venture into the city’s restaurants to try traditional pasta carbonara and cacio e pepe, two simple yet flavourful spaghetti dishes, to find yourself in foodie heaven.  

Large swathes of air space over London to close during U.S. President Biden's visit.

 

The UK's Civil Aviation Authority is issuing notices to pilots warning them not to fly under 3,500 feet over large swathes of the skies over London during a state visit by the U.S. President.

As part of an overarching security operation, the Secretary of State for Transport has ordered the change in flying regulations to keep the skies safe and free of traffic at lower altitudes.  

The majority of restrictions apply to the air space over London Stansted, central London and a corridor between London and Windsor. 

Between 1900 and 2300 on 09 July and 1200 and 1600 on 10 July no aircraft is to fly under 3,500 feet in a wide area over Stansted (area A on the map).

During the same time, an air corridor between Stansted and Central London will be restricted air space under 2,500 feet. (area B on the map) 

A wider area of sky over Central London will be restricted under 2,500 feet between 1900 on 9 July and 1600 July. (area C on the map)

A corridor between London and Windsor between 0900 and 1600 on 10 July will also be out of bounds to all aircraft under 2,500 feet. (area D on the map)

These restrictions do not apply to certain official aircraft, including police, coastguard, air ambulance and The Kings flight helicopters.  There are also exceptions for planes that are approaching or taking off from the key London airports, as long as they are being controlled by air traffic controllers or the RAF. 

However,  the restrictions do apply to all other types of aircraft, including unmanned aircraft (drones) balloons, kites, parachutes or parascending parachutes or paramotors. 

The full briefing sheets have been issued in the normal way by the CAA and NATS and is available on their website. 

Skywise 

 

Travel service provider Trip . com sees 145% flight booking surge from US to UK

Leading travel service provider Trip.com has seen remarkable flight and hotel bookings growth from outbound US travellers to the UK and the rest of Europe.

Despite high global inflation, long-haul travel sentiment from US travellers to Europe is improving. Trip.com flight booking data reveals a remarkable year-over-year increase of 145% from the US to the UK in the first half of this year.

This surge in air travel highlights the growing demand for transatlantic travel and the increasing interest of American travellers in exploring various European destinations.

Trip.com hotel bookings for the UK reveal that London, Edinburgh and Manchester are the top three most popular destinations for US travellers.

At the forefront of facilitating seamless travel experiences with its all-in-one app strategy, Trip.com's impressive booking growth further solidifies its position as a leading travel service provider.

Data on travellers from the US to the whole of Europe is further encouraging, with flight bookings growing 101% over the same period. London (UK), Barcelona (Spain), Paris (France), Rome and Milan (Italy), Athens (Greece), Lisbon (Portugal), Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Dublin (Ireland) are the most popular flight arrival cities for US travellers to Europe.

A guide to celebrating the Coronation in London......

London is gearing up for another royal year of celebration, as the city prepares for the crowning of a new monarch for the first time in 70 years. With less than 50 days to go, the Coronation of King Charles III is set to bring together visitors from all around the world to London, where the official ceremony and celebrations will take place.

From the official line-up of events, to themed experiences, city-wide decorations and royal sites you can visit all year round, Visit London has rounded up the best ways visitors can be a part of the Coronation in the capital.

Take part in the official Coronation Weekend programme

Saturday 6 May: The Coronation of King Charles III will begin with a procession (known as the ‘King’s Procession’) from Buckingham Palace to the location of the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The ceremony will not be open to the public, but those looking to watch the ceremony on the big screen can head to one of many pop-up screenings in central London, such as in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair. The Secret Garden Party will run all weekend long, with food and drink aplenty, and is free to enter.

Sunday 7 May: London and the rest of the UK are invited to take part in The Coronation Big Lunch, during which communities will come together to share food and fun in a nationwide act of celebration and friendship. Sunday evening will star the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle, and while the public ballot is now closed, there’s plenty of events running across London to make the most of the celebratory atmosphere. An interactive guide to all Coronation events taking place in London and across the UK can be found here.

Monday 8 May: A nationwide bank holiday will be held to mark the occasion, with the new King and Queen pioneering ‘The Big Help Out’, a charitable initiative encouraging everyone across the nation to get involved with local and national projects. Details on how to get involved in London-based endeavours can be found on the official website.  

Emirates to resume second daily flight to London Stansted

Emirates is ramping up its London Stansted operation by resuming its second daily service to Dubai from May 1, 2023, in response to strong demand.

The additional flight will operate using the airline's wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with its acclaimed 'Game Changer' First Class product.

The world's largest international airline began serving the airport in June 2018, initially with a daily flight, then a twice-daily service in March 2019. 

The route was suspended during the COVID pandemic but was reinstated in August 2022.

Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said: “The return of Emirates' second daily flight to Dubai is exciting news for passengers and a huge boost for London Stansted Airport, London and the East of England. The decision to have 14 weekly flights from Stansted is a demonstration of the airline's confidence in the demand for long-haul travel from the airport. Since the airline returned to the airport in the summer following the COVID pandemic, the route has been extremely popular, providing onward connections to locations all around the world."

A second daily flight to Stansted is also expected to boost trade and economic growth in the region. 

Popular inbound markets include Australia, UAE, India, South Africa, China, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Emirates passengers travelling from London Stansted will also have access to more destinations across the airline’s global network with convenient connection times. 

Several popular destinations for UK travellers are Brisbane, Melbourne, Male, Seychelles, Bali, Singapore, Colombo, Bangalore and Bangkok.

Richard Jewsbury, Divisional Vice President, Emirates UK, said: “Since we recommenced services to and from Stansted in August 2022, bookings have continued to surge from the London hub. It is fantastic to be scaling up operations even further this year offering passengers increased connectivity ahead of the popular summer holiday period. Stansted is a key hub for Emirates in the East and Southeast of the UK, and we look forward to welcoming even more passengers onboard.”

The airport recently announced the opening of a new double airbridge enhancing its capability to handle wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A380. 

Emirates became the first airline to use the new bridge, which enables passengers to board and disembark wide-bodied aircraft more quickly and comfortably.

New Hyatt Regency hotel opens in London.....

Hyatt Regency London Albert Embankment has opened, the 142-room hotel marks the eighth Hyatt-branded property in London and is part of Hyatt Hotels UK growth plan.

Hyatt Regency London Albert Embankment is conveniently located, just a five-minute walk to the capital’s political epicentre, Westminster, home to landmarks including the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and Big Ben. A short stroll along the River Thames from the hotel leads to the South Bank, an area celebrated for its world-class arts and cultural venues, whilst nearby Vauxhall Station provides direct access to many of the city’s major travel hubs.

“London remains a priority market for our planned brand growth in the U.K., and we are delighted to add Hyatt Regency London Albert Embankment to our expanding list of properties in the capital,” said Felicity Black-Roberts, vice president of development of Hyatt Europe. “This is the third Hyatt Regency branded hotel in the city, further demonstrating how Hyatt is intentionally growing our brand portfolio in the U.K., bringing our most renowned brands to the in-demand markets where our guests and World of Hyatt members want to be.”

Guestrooms

A total of 142 well-appointed, contemporary guestrooms make the most of the enviable riverside spot, with many featuring floor-to-ceiling windows that provide immersive views of the city’s iconic skyline. On the 14th floor, a range of executive suites offer king-size bedrooms, spacious, modern bathrooms, and relaxing lounge areas, accompanied by a private balcony for guests to enjoy exclusive panoramas across London.

Dining

For those looking for a multifunctional setting to share, socialize and collaborate, POTUS bar and restaurant delivers a diverse and distinctive menu of North American classics alongside traditional British favourites. Meanwhile, the rooftop restaurant, cocktail bar, and shisha terrace Mezemiso serves authentic Lebanese and Japanese cuisine to create an incomparable dining experience overlooking the memorable sky-high views of the city.

Amenities

The hotel’s additional amenities reflect the Hyatt Regency brand commitment to encouraging productivity and peace of mind. This includes an on-site fitness centre fitted with the latest Technogym equipment, and five technology-enabled meeting rooms, which have been designed to inspire connection, offering 15,273 square feet (1,419 square meters) of combined meeting space for a range of events, from business conferences to group gatherings.

“We are pleased about the collaboration with Hyatt to open Hyatt Regency London Albert Embankment,” said Ivan Drinkwater – Cannon Corporate spokesperson. “The hotel is set to be the destination of choice for the millions of business and leisure travellers who visit this corner of London each year. Our team is ready to provide them with intuitive service and elevated experiences amongst the bustle of one of the city’s most popular areas.”

Hyatt Hotels have refused to curtail operations or investments within Russia following the invasion of Ukraine and continues to support Russian authorities.