It’s true; you may well be advised to give London a miss come the winter but don’t believe a word of it. The months of January, February and March may be the coldest of the British calendar year, yet nowadays they tend to be warmer and more clement than in decades past – and, don’t doubt it, in London’s winter season there’s simply so much to do (especially indoors!) and great savings to be made on accommodation…
Watch a West End show
Yes, sure, it is chilly come winter time in the UK capital, so what better than to head to the warm, inviting, bright lights of the West End and – especially, the indoors of – one of its marvellous playhouses for an evening of tip-top entertainment? ‘Theatreland’, as it’s known to all and sundry, is home to some of the greatest long-running musicals around – take your pick from The Lion King, Wicked, Aladdin, Les Misérables, Matilda and The Book of Mormon – and then, of course, there’s the plethora of high-quality dramatic and Classical plays, farcical or sardonic comedies and operas and ballets to choose between. Winter 2019’s season is set to include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, All About Eve (with Gillian Anderson and Lily James), The Lehman Trilogy, La Bohème, Carmen and Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades.
Make a day of it at a museum and gallery
Just as big a draw this time of year for visitors to London are, of course, all the indoors(!) pleasures to be discovered at its numerous galleries and museums, many of them renowned around the world. Indeed, for every National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square, there’s a Science Museum, Natural History Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) to find in South Ken’s ‘Albertopolis’. Meanwhile, for every mega-venue like Bloomsbury’s British Museum, there’s a wonderfully eclectic Horniman Museum to be discovered in the relatively out-of-the-way South London (but that’s still oh-so worth visiting).
Indulge in an afternoon tea
There are simply few as desirable old-school British customs to sample than an afternoon tea. Always elegant, often a little ornate and invariably delicious, an afternoon tea consists of, yes, cups and cups of tea (whatever kinds you fancy trying), as well as tasty finger sandwiches and lashings and lashings of cake slices. It’s the aspiration of many a visitor to the capital to savour this Victorian era-established tradition at a household-name establishment (such as The Ritz) but many venues will serve them pretty much every day of the year; for instance, you’ll find that many of the Shaftesbury hotels serve daily a simply sumptuous afternoon tea for both guests and visitors.
Shop till you drop
What better an activity in London (especially should you be staying somewhere central) than to give in to conventional wisdom and do as so many millions of visitors do and reward yourself with some serious retail therapy? West End shopping is, of course, an iconic string to London’s bow – with so many high-street names and designer-label boutiques to choose from in the Oxford Street, Regent Street, Bond Street and Carnaby Street district, as well as so many globally-famous department stores to explore (Selfridges, John Lewis, House of Fraser, the Hamleys toy store and, in Knightsbridge, Harrods and Harvey Nichols). Quite frankly, when it comes to shopping; what more could you ask for?
Awesome accommodation options
And, speaking of basing yourself slap-bang in the centre of things on your London short-break (and, really, why wouldn’t you want to?), you surely couldn’t ask for more agreeable and yet truly affordable accommodation than one of the properties owned by the Shaftesbury hotels group.
A selection of 4 star hotels in London, the Shaftesbury’s properties are ideally located for all the delights to be discovered in the West End and its neighbouring districts, with well-appointed, comfortable rooms, excellent amenities and service and some terrific offers and deals to take advantage of this winter:
- 60 Days Advance Purchase Saver
- 45 Days Advance Purchase Saver
- 21 Days Advance Purchase Saver
- 14 Days Advance Purchase Saver
- 7 Days Advance Purchase Saver
Indeed, for these deals – and more London hotels special offers – when you book direct with any of our properties, check the Shaftesbury hotels website. You won’t be disappointed!
