2011 sees the opening of quite a number of luxury hotels and self-catering establishments ranging from contemporary to slightly quirky offerings.
Quite a few of the new accommodation options are in London and will no doubt be targeting the rather more affluent visitors to the Olympics, but others are scattered around the country from Cornwall to the Western Isles of Scotland.
London
St John Hotel in Leicester Square is being opened by chef Fergus Henderson, best known previously for his St. John Bar and Restaurant in Smithfield. He is now opening a 15 bedroom restaurant with rooms just off Leicester Square, presumably aimed at the Theatreland gathering.
The rooms are described as white and minimalist, so in-keeping with his previous restaurant. Opening date is expected to be the end of January 2001.
Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge will feature interior design by Italian furniture guru Antonio Citterio, and is expected to follow a similar vein as the existing Milan Bulgari hotel. There will be 78 rooms, although other details are currently sketchy. Opening date is expected to be December 2011.
The St Pancras Renaissance is part of the Marriott brand, and is situated on the former site of the Midland Hotel. With its imposing Grade 1 listed red brick curving design, both the inside and the outside of the hotel are being restored with the help of English Heritage.
Being from Marriott you can be sure that the little details will be there along with the architecture and this will be ideal for those travelling into London on the Eurostar which enters the capital at St. Pancras. There will be direct access from the concourse of St. Pancras International station when it opens in March 2011.
W Hotel in Leicester Square is very close to St. John Hotel, but certainly won’t be minimalist. Describing itself as chic and cool with innovative design, the hotel will have 192 rooms including 9 suites which all have custom made furniture.
There will also be a “signature spa, fitness facility, a world-class destination restaurant and the W Lounge” according to the web site. The location is ideal for film premiers being located right on Leicester Square, and if the preview videos are to be believed, the interior will certainly be very swanky and ideal for the hip-and-cool.
The hotel should open on the 14th February 2011.
West Country
The Curve at Ekopod on Bodmin Moor is far away from the London hotels above. The Curve is by the same people as the original Ekopod but is described as “a long white tube of a building, with bathroom and dining area, sleeping two”.
Think upmarket camping with all the mod-cons and you won’t be too far off. The Curve is bookable via the Alastair Sawday camping site from April 2011.
Shute Barton in Axminster is a National Trust cottage and described as “one of the UK’s most important non-fortified medieval manor houses”. The property will sleep ten people when it’s finished, giving guests the full run of the house. It is claimed by the trust that the fireplace would be big enough to roast two oxen side by side, although whether you want to try this is up to you.
The self-catering house is due to open during January 2011 and will cost around £1,570 for three nights.
Lovelane Hippie Bus by The Lizard will be a 1960s school bus turned hippie bus offering self-catering accommodation on the southern most tip of England. This has to be one of the most quirky accommodation options available, although the site will also include more classic caravans too. The Hippie Bus should open its doors around April 2011.
Scotland
Auberge Carnish B&B on Lewis is offering five star B&B accommodation in one of the most wild and beautiful parts of Scotland. The house is set just above two miles of white shell sands. With just four rooms, the B&B offers an intimate foodie experience as it is run by the same people as the popular Bonaventure Restaurant with rooms. Opening time should be around May.
Hopefully there is something which takes your fancy, but if the prices are perhaps a little steep or you can’t find something where you want to stay, there are lots of hotels in the UK and UK self-catering properties available.
List inspired by Guardian guide to accommodation 2011.
