Questex recently released its annual London Focus travel planner. The pointed guide hones in on the year’s best accommodations, attractions and dining. The accommodations feature previews new hotels and recent renovations, including The Curtain, a boutique hotel from Gansevoort Hotel Group that features Jon Squirrell designed guestrooms, a rooftop swimming pool and bar and a restaurant helmed by Chef Marcus Samuelsson. Also among the featured hotels are The Ned, housed in the landmark Midland Bank headquarters; Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square, which boasts the first Annie-Sophie Pic (a three Michelin star chef) restaurant in the UK; Nobu Hotel Shoreditch, opening in June; The Lanesborough Club & Spa, which offers guests the services of a spa butler; and another boutique property, Moxy London Excel, which aims to be “a gateway to the city’s East End and a 24/7 spot for all things fun an impromptu.”
The London Focus also looks at several newly renovated hotels, including Athenaeum Hotel, Flemings Mayfair, The Berkeley, The Langham, London and Sheraton Grand London Park Lane. The renovations range from revamped public spaces to new guest room furnishings to upgraded dining experiences.
In addition to the perennial heritage sites, movie-based attractions are proving popular among tourists. Science fiction or fantasy themed exhibits, like the interactive “Star Wars Identities” at The O2 , and a production based on the wildly popular Harry Potter series is on stage at the Palace Theatre in Soho through April 2018. Some iconic annual events include the Royal Asocot Horse Races in June, Wimbledon 2017 in July and the London Literature Festival in mid-October.
Find the 2017 London Focus, along with the Switzerland and Thailand travel planners, at travelagentcentral.com/focus-series.