Hotel Openings

This month, Blackfriars has gained two new hotels: Ibis London Blackfriars and Novotel London Blackfriars, which both opened on 1 October.

Ibis London Blackfriars is a new build and the new flagship for the economy hotel brand. Ibis London Blackfriars features 297 comfortable bedrooms with free WiFi, Freeview TV and USB docking stations. There’s also a communal “living space” where guests can relax and socialise.

Novotel London Blackfriars is another new build, with 182 guest rooms. This four-star hotel is all about the technology, from self check-in desks, to a virtual concierge, and electronic shower privacy screens. Hotel restaurant Elements serves up British-European cuisine and offers TV tables and iPads to entertain lone diners.

Coming Soon

Hot on the heels of ibis London Blackfriars, ibis London Shepherd’s Bush opens on 15 October. The hotel offers similar facilities to its sister hotel but in West London.

Coming to London this November, the first new InterContinental hotel in the capital for 36 years. InterContinental London Westminster will be located in Queen Anne’s Chambers, a former government building opposite St James’s Park Tube station. It will feature 256 guestrooms, including 44 suites; a smoke house restaurant and bar; and a lounge named after Emmeline Pankhurst.

Drinking, Dining and Partying

The Montague on the Gardens is bringing some Christmas cheer to its outdoor Wood Deck by turning it into a ski lodge complete with pine cones, falling snow and reindeer. The Montague Ski Lodge will be open to guests, parties and visitors from 20 November to 31 December. Book a personal pass for £20 and enjoy three vodkas from a choice of 12 and a tasting platter, but hurry as many days are already fully booked.

Guests at One Aldwych can enjoy some R&R in the hotel’s new private lounge. The area is fully serviced with a changing menu throughout the day; coffee table books chosen by designer Paul Smith; and iPads, newspapers and magazines. Watch the video to find out more:

Hotel Vegas is offering the ultimate New Year’s Eve party. Hosted by Pacha London and The Grosvenor Hotel, revellers can party all night at the club and then stay at the nearby hotel for just £110 per person (£220 per room based on two people sharing). Not bad as club tickets alone cost £45 each, and breakfast and late checkout is included. Book tickets

Extra, Extra

• A new restaurant, The Oceanic, has opened at Radisson Blu Edwardian Heathrow, serving up steak and seafood in Art Deco surroundings
• St Martin’s Lane hotel is showing an exhibition of work by artist Beatrice Boyle until 29 October
• The Melia White House hotel is hosting an Italian food festival from 15 to 29 October. Visitors can sample dishes from North East Italy at the hotel’s bars and restaurants, including antipasti from £1.50 per dish

Hotel Openings

Novotel London St Pancras has re-opened as the Pullman London St Pancras following a comprehensive refurbishment. The four-star hotel offers 312 bedrooms, free Wi-Fi and a new restaurant serving modern European cuisine. Pullman London St Pancras is just three minutes’ walk from King’s Cross St Pancras Station, making it ideal if you’ve got an early or late train to catch. It’s also well-located for sightseeing, with the British Library and Wellcome Collection within walking distance, and excellent Tube, train and bus links.

Coming Soon

Hotel operator Accor has announced it will open four new hotels in London this October. Novotel London Blackfriars; the flagship ibis London Blackfriars; ibis Shepherd’s Bush, within five minutes’ walk of Westfield London; and Mercure Greenwich in Maurice Drummond House, a 1930s building once used as accommodation for Metropolitan Police Officers. More information about all properties next month.

Eat and Drink

You can now drink and dine at Hilton London Wembley. The hotel has opened Association restaurant, serving modern British fare, and Icons bar, where you can enjoy a cocktail and views of Wembley Stadium.

The Trafalgar Hotel is hosting a pop-up art installation of work by Mark Fairhurst, who became an artist this August after being inspired by the Olympic Games. The hotel has created three new cocktails in celebration of the exhibition, which can be enjoyed in the Rockwell Bar & Restaurant.

The Dorchester Collection have also indulged in some mixology, and created five cocktails inspired by each of the designers shortlisted for this year’s Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize. The cocktails are available until 3 October.

Other News

Fancy staying in a hotel run by Gordon Ramsay and Mary Portas? Then book your stay at Hotel GB, setting up in London for one week only in October as part of a TV series for Channel 4. The hotel will be staffed by TV celebrities and unemployed people looking to gain experience in the hospitality industry. To book, phone + 44(0)20 3227 5851 or email hotelguest@optomen.com explaining why you’d make a good guest on the show. There is a charge to stay at the hotel, which will be donated to unemployment charities.