Athletics & Aesthetics at the Olympic Park London

The 2012 Summer Olympics saw a massive influx of tourists to London, wanting to see their countrymen make proud by winning gold. The event gave the British economy a massive boost of £9.9bn and of course a boom in London airport transfers with all the people flying in. While the event will be remembered for long, the actual Olympics Park itself is nothing short of architectural brilliance.

The entire project in East London made use of 80,000 workers and is situated adjacent to the Stratford City development. The Olympics Park itself is a consortium of different venues and buildings and includes: the Olympic Village where the athletes stay, and various sporting venues such as the actual Olympic Stadium and the London Aquatics Centre.

The Olympic Stadium

Initial work for the stadium began in mid-2007, and the actual construction began in May 2008. The Organizing Committee Olympics selected the team behind the famous Emirates Stadium, Robert McAlpine and globally renowned design firm Populous.

The stadium is strategically made up of different tiers in order to be able to accommodate large groups of people. During the Olympics, this number reached 80,000 fans and viewers. The tier nearest to the field is shaped like a sunken elliptical bowl, holding up to 25,000 people at a time. It’s material consists of low-carbon-dioxide concrete, containing 40% less carbon than traditional concrete.

The 2nd tier, which holds 55,000 seats, is 315 metres long and 60 metres high, with the capacity to hold up to 55,000 spectators. Interestingly, the total steel required to build the stadium is just a little under the amount of steel used in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Stadium. Imagine sitting atop the stadium roof and watching planes head in to Heathrow airport transfers!

London Aquatics Center

The Aquatics Center is another architectural wonder from the Olympics, and was designed by award-winning architect Zaha Hadid. She designed it 8 years prior to the Olympics in 2012. The centre was constructed on the opposite side of the Waterworks River, near the Water Polo Arena. The structure 148 feet high and 520 feet in length. long and 80 metres (260 feet) wide. Hadid took inspiration from the Dollan Aqua Centre in Scotland.

The complex has a variety of pools for competition, a 50m competition pool, a 25m diving pool and a 50m warm-up pool. Innovatively, the 50m pool has a floor that can be moved to alter the depth, and moveable booms that allow its size to be transformed as per requirement.

A Well-Planned Structure

Even after 4 years of the Olympics, the Park is serving a great purpose for various demographics. It is the result of a well-planned effort right from the start, with a proper future plan of action in place. The ArcelorMittal Orbit is one such example. While it was an accompanying aesthetical structure to the spirit of the Olympics, today it still stands as a popular tourist spot. And the East Village has been converted for use as 3600 apartments, and the International Quarter being turned into a mixed-use commercial district.

Inside London’s Most Expensive Hotel: The Lanesborough

Lanesborough Hotel is known as the most expensive hotel in Britain with a craftsmanship like none other. Situated in the ever-busy Hyde Park corner, it overlooks the hustle and bustle of the city and stands in its elegant grandeur, attracting the rich and wealthy of the country, in fact the world.  

Lanesborough, built as an elegant country house for Viscount Lanesborough in 1719, was reconstructed in 1827 as St George’s Hospital and later was given the shape of a hotel in 1990. After remaining closed for a year, it got under the new management of the outclass Oetker Collection which is a family run group with all their hotels having a grand splendor. Therefore, one can expect intelligent opulence yet meticulous service and price set accordingly.

Accommodation And Facilities

A walk away from Buckingham Palace, Knightsbridge and Hyde Park, the Lanesborough offers a magnificent accommodation of beautifully designed 93 bedrooms and suites in the heart of London. The hotel presents rooms and dining areas restored to their original Regency glory into which the modern technological communication devices and entertainment systems have been installed. The luxurious and magical rooms are stylishly decorated to give a warm feel. Loud yellow painted walls, patterned carpets, multicolour floral patched curtains, antiquated paintings and stencil work on wood panels give the rooms a passé yet classy look, depicting royalty and glamour. Even the bathrooms are fitted with hand-cut marble, appreciated and admired often by the guests. 

The super-modern technology includes hotel information, lighting and curtain controls, room service, all easily accessible on two Sony tablets. Wake up in the middle of the night in pitch dark, put your feet on the floor and the night lights automatically switch on to lead your way. The super-fast free Wi-fi never fails to please the guests. This is not just luxurious, but also a great step towards innovation that the modern-day and affluent demographic demands. 

Revealing the sophisticated new design, the guests at the majestic Lanesborough can experience epic fine dining as well. 

Guests at the Lanesborough hotel are the only ones to enjoy a 24 hour butler service in London. Besides, seven carefully planned rooms provide a perfect place for private events and activities. 

The Royal Suite: £26,000 A Night

The Royal Suite was restored as the largest suite of Lanesborough when the hotel opened again in July last year. The suite consists of seven beautiful bedrooms and bathrooms, two classy living rooms with an incredible view of the plush gardens of Buckingham Palace and Wellington Arch, and a huge dining room with a capacity of twelve people. An adjoining kitchen and a separate entrance for the private butlers of the Royal Suite add to the existing royalty of the suite. With great attention to detail, the Royal Suite serves to be a proof of amazing British craftsmanship where billionaires from around the world stay and enjoy the luxury. Besides, the hotel owned chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce Phantom is also offered as a complimentary service.  

Awards And Accolades

It has been more than a decade since Lanesborough has been getting awards for various categories. From Award of Excellence and Best Afternoon Tea in London in the initial years to being voted as the number one hotel in London in 2014 by Readers, this hotel presents the ultimate definition of luxury and glamour. Besides, it also has the honour of being voted as the best hotel in the world by Condé Nast Traveler’s 2014 Gold List. 

Located in the heart of the capital, moments away from the famous London shopping districts and must-visit landmarks, the hotel is easily accessible via executive taxi service in London. Any  London taxi service will take bookings in advance as well. Search for “local taxi near me in London” and get a list of local taxi services available.

Brightness in the Skies: London’s New Year’s Fireworks

Festivity and celebrations have begun. Where December is a month of family and friends, it also brings one of London’s most awaited events of the year, London’s New Year Fireworks. The spectacular NYE firework display takes place at the Coca Cola London Eye where thousands of people gather and wait for the arrival of New Year. In 2014, the event was ticketed for the first time to avoid overcrowding and ensure safety. This year again, the same will follow.

London’s NYE 2015 In Partnership With Unicef 

The firework display is launched from the foot of the London Eye and the rafts on the Thames. As soon as the Big Ben’s strike is heard at midnight, the sky bursts with colours and lights up with sparks of fire of different shades. Though the 10-minute display is visible from most of Central London, however, there is a rule of thumb: if the Coca Cola eye can be seen, you are likely to see the show. The best locations to view the magnificent fireworks display are Victoria Embankment, Westminster Bridge and Waterloo Bridge and the South Bank. So even if the tickets have been sold out, it is still possible to be a part of the world famous London’s NYE. Not behind the screen, but live in person. 

 

To welcome 2016 with a message, the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks is in partnership with Unicef, a leading global non-profit organization working for the cause of helping children. Following the tradition, the event will take place at River Thames opposite the Houses of Parliament. It is going to be a huge event, one of its kinds in the world with lights and colours spread across the capital’s distinctive skyline, offering a sight to behold.

The Mayor expressed delight in partnering with Unicef to mark the start of 2016 by bringing people together for a moment of excitement and raise awareness about benefiting children around the world. 

Where To Stay

To watch the world famous NYE, people flock from around the world, therefore there are some decent places near the New Year Eve Fireworks where one can stay. Besides, holiday season brings all sorts of discount deals which these hotels offer. Moreover, London taxi companies, through their executive taxi services in London, can provide a convenient journey to and from the hotel.

Matching the style and elegance of a French chateau, the Grade I-listed Royal Horseguards Hotel is worth staying at for its fascinating and incomparable history alone. It is an impressive Victorian residence, built in 1884 and occupies a central location within Westminster. All of its 281 have been upgraded to 5 tsar luxury rooms, with some having an epic river view. It is located at only a four minute walking distance from the NYE Fireworks.

On the other hand there is Corinthia Hotel London, only a five minute walk away from the NYE Fireworks. It is a building restored with £300 million & consisting of 294 bedrooms. It offers multi-level penthouse suites and verandahs offering remarkable views of River Thames, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall. The restoration of the hotel has given it a grand and luxurious look. There are a number of facilities including a choice of restaurants, meeting rooms, luxury spa and renovated ballroom (used for grand estate balls in 1880s). 

At the same distance as the Corinthia Hotel London from the NYE Fireworks is the Park Plaza County Hall Hotel London. It is a 4 star hotel close to Waterloo and right behind County Hall. It is an ideal hotel for family getaways with fully furnished rooms consisting of proper kitchenette, lounge area, television and other facilities.

So plan ahead of time, book your tickets and rooms and view the spectacular and world-famous fireworks with your loved ones!

CityJet: Announcement of Route expansion from Cork to the heart of London- City Airport

Irish airline CityJet is set to light up the skies from Cork to City Airport London with the expansion of that air route. The airline is relatively young (1993), and is ambitiously increasing its aerial footprint. The airline already has a network of 50 short haul routes including destinations in Britain and Continental Europe, which is the biggest of any airport route outside Dublin. The flight is scheduled to operate thrice a day from Monday to Friday. Apart from that, according to the plan, there is going to be one return flight on Saturdays and two on Sundays. In totality, there are going to be 18 flights a week between Cork and London. Everything is set to be operational from October this year.

Currently, CityJet is a company of approximately 500 employees with services provided to the airports in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Avignon, Brive, Dublin, London, Nantes, Paris, Florence, Rotterdam and Toulon.  It operates an all-jet fleet of 95-seater BA146’s, however, it will re-fleet soon with a longer range 93-110 seat aircraft.

Growth prospects

The Executive Chairman CityJet, Pat Byrne was of the view that there is a lot of potential in the routes outside Cork. He also stated that it had become quite obvious that both, business and leisure passengers wanted a “hasslefree” access to London; hence this route would prove to be fruitful. Besides, he suggested that City Airport is the central location with easy access to tourist attractions, financial districts and West End. According to Cork Airport Managing Director Niall MacCarthy, over 800,000 passengers already fly to London in one year through the existing flight service, making London the most popular destination for passengers.  With the announcement of the new route, this number is likely to increase further. What makes the management so confident about the success of this route is the historical data of Dublin-London City, which grew by 50% year on year.  Also, €35 one way tickets of the new route have already been sold yesterday.  Good news for the passengers is that the airline does not only provide free eatables and drinks to its customers onboard but also gives a 23kg free check-in baggage permit.

Trickledown Effects

This is definitely going to affect other industries, like hotel management, car hiring etc.  The Chair of Cork branch of the Irish Hotel Federation was of the view that this flight service will definitely boost the numbers of visitors from the largest tourism market of Ireland. Similarly, transportation facilities provided by car hiring companies will benefit, as more people will be willing to take services like minicab, airport transfers, executive car hire etc.

It would not only increase the competition on london routes but will also help in opening up destinations including Paris (orly, Antwerp, Nantes, Avigno, Florence and Toulon to outbound passenger. However, the challenge is to make sure that not a single chance is missed to increase the number of passengers and promote cork globally as a business travel as well as a holiday destination.

How To Hire An Executive Car Service In London?

Executive cars provide you with a royal way of traveling around in London. This style of travel is effectively used both for personal and business purposes. However, there is one thing that needs to be clarified. A lot of people confuse cab services with executive car hire. The major difference between the two is that a chauffeur driven executive service provides added comfort, greatly adding to your journey pleasures.

The executive car services are a lot cheaper when compared to the black cabs offered for corporate servicing. A corporate black cab can be up to 50% more expensive than an executive car service. Therefore, the next time you think of hiring a black cab or an executive car, you need to hire an executive car service in London.

Here are some of the most important things that you need to take care of when hiring an executive car service in London.

Executive Car Fares

The first and most important thing to compare is the executive car services fares. The fares of one service can be pretty high but you need to delve deep into the reasons. Sometimes they offer the same service as the other executive car services in London yet charge extra without any reason; in that case you need to find competitive fare.

Registered Service

All well-established executive car service providers in London are registered with the PCO (Public Carriage Office). PCO controls entire transport of London and they ensure the services provided by companies registered with them follow certain standards as norms.

Value Added Services

Some companies offer extra services for which they may charge you extra. As business owner who is carefully carrying their brand image when hiring such expensive executive car service must evaluate these add-ons. Therefore, carefully evaluate the add-ons to say Yes or No to them. When you choose to opt out of unneeded value added services, you would be able to materialize significant savings.

Extra Space for Passengers and Luggage

The availability of extra space may or may not be a consideration for a business person. However, if you want the executive car service to provide extra space for more passengers or several luggage items, you need to ask the service provider upfront to avoid confusion or embarrassment later on.

Waiting Time

Airport transfers not always come smooth as the flight delays cannot always be predicted accurately in advance. Ask your executive car service provider in London whether they would wait at the airport or not. And if the cabbie needs to wait what will be the extra charges to be paid for that extra time. This wait time clarification will save you from surprises later on and you would be able to ensure that your corporate guest is received on time.