December has hit, and it’s hotting up. (Well, for London standards.) From hot stays to hot eats, it’s all hot.
“Come out and play” is a theme running across all our hot picks this week. And all are most definitely worthy of our hotlist!
STAY HERE Treehouse London
Sustainability has been at the forefront of our minds and so many traveller’s minds this year (check out our new sustainable column). The US-based 1 Hotels brand (currently with properties in New York, Miami and LA) has been leading this conscious effort with energy, water, and environmental design strategies to keep its footprint small. Now it has launched its younger, cooler sibling– and the first outpost is in London.
Treehouse London launched this month and offers some of London’s best views. On Regent Street, near Oxford Circus station, the hotel has 95 bedrooms – including 12 suites – and a ground floor coffee bar. Adventure, independence, cosy spaces and repurposing crafty things, with the idea centred around a child’s treehouse.
The top two floors are dedicated to its food and drink, with Mexican restaurant Madera, which also has outposts in Hollywood and Arizona, on the fifteenth floor and rooftop bar Nest on the top floor. Wake up watching the sunrise over London’s skyline, and make sure to catch breakfast back at Madera. Pick from Lookout rooms, perfect for people watching on Regent Street, or the Cityscape rooms with views across Fitzrovia, the BT Tower and Wembley Stadium. Or step it up to Skyline rooms with across to The Shard, Canary Wharf and the London Eye. Ahhhh. London.
GO HERE Rebecca Hossack Gallery, Miami
This December, the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery will open a new gallery space in Miami, in addition to its two London sites, and just in time for Miami’s Art Basel. Situated in the central Little Havana neighbourhood, the first exhibition is by Kansas-based artist, John Holcomb.
In this body of work Holcomb explores the beauty and mystery of the female form. It is a vision imbued with a rich sense of both romanticism and history. ‘I can now stand in front of a woman carved 2,000 years ago out of marble, scratched into broken pottery dug up from our ancestors or painted on canvas a mere 500 years ago and instantly be transported back in time. I intrinsically know that whoever made it said the same thing I would have: That is a beautiful woman – I must do something about it!’ – John Holcomb
PACK THESE We Drifters
The last month, we focussed on the Caribbean and we hope that it has inspired you to book. But sometimes the most beautiful destinations have other visitors, aka mosquitoes, and when you’re fed up of insect repellent, avoid insect bites with our own pyjamas. Yup. Sleep tight with unisex ‘We Drifters’ and its anti-insect technology.
We Drifters started as and has grown into a lively community full of passionate travellers, with the philosophy of empowering people to travel and live life on their own terms. From the founder’s own experiences of travelling, We Drifters PJs were born.
They’re soft, incredibly comfortable, and made from soft bamboo which is known for its moisture-wicking, anti-microbial properties. The full set includes a long-sleeved top, long johns and socks to protect as much of your skin as possible. Zzzzzzzzz.
VISIT THIS The Ever After Garden
British fashion designer Anya Hindmarch, together with fashion writer Camilla Morton, are the creatives behind an illuminated rose installation lighting up Grosvenor Square in London in memory of those who have died from cancer.
The ‘Ever After Garden’ installation is a garden of glowing roses, where visitors can ‘plant’ an illuminated rose in honour of their loved ones for a suggested donation of £10, which will go to support the work of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Hindmarch’s illuminated display pays homage to her close friend Michael Howells, an English production designer who passed away last year at the age of 61. He was known for his work across film, fashion, theatre and television, including sets for Alexandra McQueen, John Galliano and Christian Lacroix.
The ultimate goal is to have 27,000 brightly lit flowers by 22nd December.
EAT HERE Mercato Mayfair Food Hall
Food market Mercato Mayfair has joined the Mercato Metropolitano family (the second in London which is in Elephant & Castle). Housed in the Grade-I listed St Mark’s Church (aka the ‘American Church’, as it was just around the corner from the US Embassy, and President Eisenhower and Eleanor Roosevelt both attended services there), Mercato Mayfair is a food hall of divine proportions. They’ve got four floors to play with so Mercato Mayfair has filled them with restaurants, delis, cocktail bars, patisseries, and food counters galore. Community is also key so they have workshops, events and cookery classes in the vaulted basement. There’s also a rooftop terrace and outdoor space.
Floor by floor? In the vaulted basement you’ll find the wine bar, cheese and charcuterie section. On the ground floor as you enter is the grocery with seasonal daily produce (the Mayfair kind!). In the centre of church there are four food traders and two bars at the alter. On the gallery level, there are a further six eateries.
Mid shopping break, or a night out. It works brilliantly either way.
Any Questions or Tips to add?