Summer 2018
We decided to take our Summer 2018 trip abroad and took a quick four night trip to London. I needed to be very strategic about my planning as I had a challenging audience – my 13-year-old son and a 20-year-old daughter. To hit the key sites and leave free time, I decided to hire a Blue Badge tour guide to help make the trip a success.
This was their first time in London and I wanted it to be a positive experience. My goal was for them to embrace traveling abroad and learn about new cultures. Well, we did not waste much time jumping right into the action – I had tickets for Hamilton for two hours after we landed! I just happened to get tickets at regular price center orchestra fifth row. We dropped our bags off and off we went. The play was a great way to keep the kids up all day and help with the whole jet lag. After the play, the kids crashed while Doug and I met up with one of his colleagues.
I had my first experience with Indian cuisine at the Cinnamon Club and I am officially a fan. Doug’s friend brought us there knowing it would be my ideal introduction to the cuisine as the menu was quite sophisticated compared to the traditional curry houses you will find (and yes, I still want to try one). Indian food is to London what Chinese food is to New York City.
The food was expertly prepared and tasted amazing. You will not feel overwhelmed with the menu and unsure of what you may be ordering – portions were very large and they have a great wine selection. And for my Vegan or non-meat eater friends, you will be happy to know there are plenty of options for you. www.cinnamonclub.com
We decided to stay at the Waldorf Astoria being it’s a Hilton property and Doug is a loyal Hilton points guru. We loved the location, Covent Garden was literally in its backyard and to top it off you could hear the songs of Mama Mia as you walk the streets since the theatre was next door.
While the location was great, I was disappointed in the hotel for several reasons. There was no executive lounge which we all like and about half the hotel was closed down for a wedding during the entire stay. The advertising of the hotel on the Hilton site was very misleading as the guest does not get access to the whole property. The area on the website that looked stunning is really a wedding hall or special function room attached to the hotel. We tried to peer through doors to get a view of the room.
Customer service is everything for us. I just wrote a raving review for a modest hotel, Premier Inn over their personable staff. We had an awkward encounter with a manager who ran after us when we were getting in our car for a day tour. She demanded our room number and we asked her why this information was needed-. since one of the kids took a pillow for the trip, out to Stonehenge, she thought we were taking it and would not return it. What a poor impression which Doug did address with Hilton after our stay and as much as we like the area, we don’t think that we will stay there again. The Waldorf staff could take some lessons from the Premier Inn on how to treat their guest. We stayed one night in a very modest hotel however their staff made such an impression on me I felt impelled to write a post.
The Waldorf itself was definitely worn and needed major TLC. The carpeting, and walls, had stain marks and we had constant issues with our keys not working – on one day alone we made four trips to the front desk! One time we called down to the front desk from the phone by the elevator to tell them to send someone up as it was ridiculous! Again, the location is magnificent and is worth staying there but you may want to investigate if they have done any renovations or look at a different hotel as there are many in the area.
I have been to London before but this was my first time visiting Covent Garden – what a discovery! It’s like Soho and Fulton Street had a baby. It is this quaint location to aimlessly walk around, people watch, shop, grab a bite or get a gourmet dessert. Everything you can imagine is there. Their website says the area offers a range of world-class fashion, beauty and lifestyle stores – I can tell you it is that and more.
Covent Garden is one of London’s hottest luxury shopping destinations. From The Shop at Bluebird to Tom Ford, Mulberry to Tiffany & Co. and Petersham Nurseries to Benjamin Pollock’s Toy Shop, the area boasts a unique blend of global and independent brands curated to satisfy every shopping need in London. It has an array of bars, cafe, and pubs. It just has such a fun, lively, hip vibe!
The next day on our trip was packed with a morning tour of Buckingham Palace and the Gardens, and an afternoon tour of the highlights of London. Buckingham Palace is only open to tours for a short period of time each year so I was super excited about this tour. The highlight of London tour was more for the Kids to get a feel for the city. Our tour was so much better having our blue badge tour guide by our side telling us really cool facts as we walked the halls of the palace. On a side note, our tour guide also took Brad and Angelina’s kids on a private tour through Buckingham palace along with their nanny. She noted they were super well behaved and very attentive. Not sure if I can say the same about my kids however Doug and I
The Following day we woke up super early and headed out to Stonehenge. It’s about a two-hour drive from London however I do think it is worth seeing. I have had my fill however, I felt my kids needed to see the infamous site before they cross the pond back to America. We used our driver from the day before and the kids slept the whole way out. It’s definitely worth getting a nice roomy van for the drive.
Between catching some zzz’s they downloaded a paranormal app that supposedly texts the dead – they apparently made contact with a James via the app. Doug and I walked around and took some selfies and realized that he was actually wearing the same flipping sweatshirt on our last visit. I obsessed over the sheep in the fields and we were swarmed by these random batches of flies. I do not know what was up with the flies. We toured the adorable huts, ate some ice cream and hopped in the van for our journey back to London. Totally worth the trip but I am not sure if I could endure it on a tour bus (again). The roomy private van was worth it and do suggest you consider this option if you are going to plan to see Stonehenge.
My daughter’s biggest takeaways from London was not its significant history but shopping. The apple does not fall far from the tree because she fell hard for Selfridges which I prefer over Harrods any day of the week. Harrods is a madhouse as it is so touristy. Last time I was there I was nearly run down by the cutest little Chinese lady who looked completely harmless. Selfridges allows you to actually enjoy your environment and take in what’s around you. I love ending my shopping adventures with having a bite to eat in their rooftop restaurant. The Vat Lounge makes your life so much easier if you plan on making a significant purchase. FYI Gucci is a tad less expensive in London than the States. Hence, my daughter was able to get her birthday gift early. Another great day in the books.
If you have a teenage girl than you know about TopShop. TopShop originated in London and is the home of its flagship store. However, there are many TopShop stores so do not make the mistake we made and go to the wrong one. Clearly identify the mothership before you order your uber because there are a ton of them in London and you do not want to be dropped off at the wrong store
You need to be very strategic with your trips abroad – nothing will go as planned but if you prepare in advance, you can accomplish quite a bit. It is important to mix in down time (i.e. shopping, chilling out) with your tours. And don’t be surprised if they would prefer room service one night instead of eating out – as long as they are old enough, you can spend a nice evening with your loved one alone.
London is a great location for your first international trip with the kids and they enjoyed it tremendously. I think that when we go back again, they will have an even deeper appreciation of this wonderful city and country.
