Travel: Stepping out London style

By Diane Davies

‘Because I’m worth it’.

A phrase made famous by a certain cosmetics company and a host of beautiful celebrities – and not a bad motto for life!

We all work long days, juggle countless hats and carefully the path of life littered with stress-mines. So don’t we all deserve a little indulgence every now and again?

I think so – so I did. And what a treat it was!

With some quality mother-daughter time in mind, my youngest and I jumped on a train and headed to London for a girls’ weekend. A nice hotel, shopping therapy, fine dining and a West End show were on the itinerary.

We certainly hit the jackpot with our hotel – the stylish One Aldwych.

The Grade II listed building is particularly striking both outside and in. It is a grand triangular building, dating back to 1907, which sits at the end of The Strand, opposite Waterloo Bridge.

Lord Glenesk, owner of the Morning Post, commissioned Anglo-French architects to build One Aldwych which led to the unusual blend of Edwardian grandeur and some Parisian elegance. It was home to the Morning Post, where Sir Winston Churchill once worked, for some 20 years. The presses were in the basement which now houses the swimming pool.

Various changes have been made to the building, including adding two floors and removing the original dome, and it has housed such organisations as the Ministry of Defence, the Prudential Assurance Company, Lloyds Bank and was also the Aldwych Brasserie.

It opened as the One Aldwych hotel in 1998. The history of the building is still reflected and retained but there is also a modern feel to the hotel with some 400 works of art from the imposing sculptures in the Lobby Bar to the contemporary paintings in the rooms and on landings. Meanwhile the disco-tastic lift is something to behold.

Both the impressive Lobby Bar and the Indigo restaurant were incredibly busy during our stay with a lot of the guests not actually staying at the hotel, testament to the quality of its fare and the ambience.

With its high arch windows, contemporary art and striking floral displays, the Lobby Bar is a sophisticated, airy setting to sit and relax and has developed a reputation for both its cocktails and the afternoon tea which includes some fun and more unusual ingredients such as a stick of candy floss.

The cocktails are especially creative. Inspired by the shows in the West End they are quite imaginative with my Jasmine Breeze, an Aladdin-themed cocktail, coming in a lamp and actually smoking.

Indigo restaurant is a slightly more formal dining experience in many ways but offers a gastronomical adventure. Using locally supplied products, chef Dominic Teague is quite innovative with his dishes which are artistically displayed.

His signature main dishes are filled with flavour, his organic lamb rump with samphire, smoked aubergine and capers or filet of Brixham brill with Chantenay carrots, confit king oyster mushroom and red wine jus being two examples.

There are 93 large rooms and 12 suites in the hotel to suit a variety of budgets from a standard room to the extravagant deluxe suites.

The hotel has a health club with pool, sauna, steam room and gym. Beauty treatments are available for some real pampering – after all you are worth it.

Families are catered for at the hotel too with six inter-connecting bedrooms or there is also four suites. Even the bathrobes and slippers come in child sizes.

And if it is all about location, location, location then this is the place to be. The hotel is in Covent Garden and ideally placed for both sight-seeing and Theatreland.

We whiled away the hours pottering around the independent stalls in the Covent Garden market as well as checking out some of the top-end shop chains and enjoying a leisurely lunch. There remains quite a boho and relaxed feel to Covent Garden despite it being one of the fashionable places to pass the time.

We also checked out the hustle and bustle of Leicester Square – happy to sit in the sun and watch the many colourful and varied street entertainers as well as visiting a few more stores.

For a bit of sight-seeing Trafalgar Square was a stone’s throw away and, though we didn’t have time this trip, the London Eye towered over nearby buildings – maybe next time.

And the hotel is perfectly situated for a host of shows in theatreland being close to many theatres - across the road is the Lyceum theatre which is showing the ever-popular Lion King. We took the very short walk to the Vaudeville Theatre to see Stepping Out.

The Richard Harris show, running at the Vaudeville until June 17, stars such well known faces from television as Amanda Holden, Tracy-Ann Oberman and Nicola Stephenson.

Set in the 1980s, it follows the stories of the mostly female members of a tap dancing class who are challenged with putting on their first show. As the story develops we discover the secrets each of the women – and man - are keeping and why they escape to their weekly class.

There is some emotion and a little sadness but mostly there are a lot of laughs. Of course there are also some lively tunes and quite a bit of tap dancing!

The Vaudeville is a wonderfully charismatic theatre which dates back to 1870 when the original theatre was built between two houses on The Strand. This is the third reincarnation of the theatre and dates back to 1926 when it opened with seating for 690. There is a feel of some intimacy at the Vaudeville which helps you feel closer to the action and the performers. A great night out.

My daughter and I headed to London and One Aldwych for a girls’ weekend but it could just as easily have suited couples or families looking for a city break and a chance to see the sights, enjoy some quality time and spoil themselves.

After all, aren’t we worth it?

Factbox: (please keep all three in)

Rooms rates start from £275 (including VAT) for one night in an Aldwych Room. To book, call: (0)20 7300 0500, email: reservations@onealdwych.com or visit: www.onealdwych.com

Stepping Out is on at the Vaudeville Theatre until 17 June. Tickets available at steppingoutplay.com

www.visitlondon.com for the official city guide to London