Whether you’re heading to London for Diamond Jubilee events or just daydreaming about heading to London, the following aristocratic, luxury-accommodation suggestions will charm you.
For those with a gilded pocketbook and wishing to stay a stone’s throw from the Queen, try the Rubens at the Palace Hotel, opposite the Royal Mews. For ₤1,392 (a “mere” $2,200 USD!), you can partake of the hotel’s three-night “Be a Queen for the Jubilee Weekend” package. Here’s what I love most: guests receive a designer tiara! (I adore whimsy!) You’ll stay in the Royal Wing, where rooms are named after monarchs; enjoy a Royal Champagne tea for two (with unlimited bubbly, canapés, and caviar); and receive a gift from the perfume house Penhaligon—a royal-warrant holder for Queenly fragrances. [RUBENS AT THE PALACE HOTEL INFO HERE]
Another great spot for those with even more money to burn is the Goring Hotel—an unofficial “annex” to Buckingham Palace. The hotel is offering special Jubilee packages that start at ₤1,900 ($3,000 USD). They include a two-night stay in a “Delightful King Bedded” room with a six-foot bed, Coronation flowers, a bottle of Champagne, a special off-site area to view the magnificent Diamond Jubilee River Pageant that takes place June 3, and a “gift.” (I’m not sure what the gift is, but I suspect it’s a small bauble that will give you pleasure.) [GORING HOTEL INFO HERE]
If your trust fund money doesn’t stretch as far as it used to, then you may be interested in the more affordable Z Hotel in Soho, where a double goes for a drop in the bucket at ₤107 ($169 USD). The Z's shtick is this: If your name is Elizabeth and you book a queen room for one night, you’ll receive a free bottle of champagne; book two nights, and you’ll receive the champagne and a Royal Afternoon Tea for two (“subject to availability”). [Z HOTEL INFO HERE]
As for me….my heart wants that tiara at Rubens, but my pocketbook demands the Z! (Sigh)
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