By all reports, the U.K. is booming right now -- and London, its eminent capital city, is at the heart of it all. Multiple hotels and venues have opened or will be opening soon, and the city is launching the first-ever London Technology Week in June, featuring live events showcasing the city's high-tech capabilities.
"There is so much happening in London this year," says Chris Lynn, vice president for North America and emerging markets within the business tourism unit of London & Partners, the official tourism bureau. "We've just seen the reopening of our iconic Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park [in April]. This year sees the inaugural London Technology Week, drawing tens of thousands of people from across the globe and showcasing London's tech expertise. London really is the best big city in the world."
Some of the most exciting venue news is the reopening of several parts of the 560-acre Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park -- specifically, the 27-acre South Park, the ArcelorMittal Orbit, the Lee Valley VeloPark, and the Aquatics Centre -- opened to the public for the first time since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The massive complex, which is the same size as Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens combined, includes waterways, woods, hedges, bird boxes, and more. As of April 5, the 375-foot-tall ArcelorMittal Orbit has opened in the park as the tallest sculpture in the U.K., 72 feet higher than the Statue of Liberty. Views from the structure on a clear day can span 20 miles, and events in the space can accommodate up to 250. In all, Olympic Park has a wide array of indoor and outdoor event spaces for groups.
One of the newest event spaces to open is
Tanner & Co, an exclusive, converted warehouse for anywhere from 50 to 250 attendees. From previews to launches, performances to parties, the amazing space is fully kitted with its own bar and kitchen and the latest A/V equipment.
In January, the
Tobacco Dock in East London opened as a 172,223-square-foot event space. Originally built in the early 1800s as a place to securely store precious goods, the Tobacco Dock has been redeveloped into 70 individual event spaces, including dramatic basement vaults and atria, to accommodate more than 10,000 attendees.
Also, 122 Leadenhall Street -- known to Londoners as "The Cheesegrater" -- is expected to open this summer, featuring a 98-foot-high atrium that will be open to the public and available for events. Further, the Tate Modern's extension is due to open in 2016.
When it comes to hotels, in March, the new
Sunborne Yacht Hotel opened on the waterfront at the western end of the Royal Victoria Dock, next to
ExCeL London. The 138-room property also includes two Royal Suites, along with an elegant reception area, bar and lounge, fine-dining restaurant, banquet facilities, auditorium, conference rooms, and a three-level event venue with terraces facing Canary Wharf.
This month will see the opening of the
Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard, London. Located on the historic South Bank of the River Thames in the 72-story, glass-clad skyscraper known as The Shard, the hotel will be the Hong Kong-based luxury hotel group's third in Europe, following debuts in Paris in 2010 and Istanbul in 2013. As the tallest hotel in Western Europe, and the first high-rise hotel in London, the Shangri-La will occupy levels 34 to 52 of the Shard. Its contemporary interior design complements Renzo Piano's architecture and the impressive views expand in all directions, revealing landmarks such as St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and the Houses of Parliament.
Also this spring, the
Mondrian London will open in the Sea Containers building on the South Bank of the Thames. Conceived by Tom Dixon, the property is designed with the intensity and energy of the original Sunset-Strip-located Hollywood property. The first Mondrian hotel in Europe, Mondrian London will feature 359 guest rooms and suites, many with outdoor space and river views; a riverside bar and brasserie with outside seating; a rooftop lounge and terrace; Mondrian London's signature Agua Spa with six treatment suites; and a screening room with state-of-the-art A/V equipment. The property is within walking distance of such cultural sights as the Tate Modern, Borough Market, and Globe Theatre.
The stately, elegant yet intimate
Beaumont Hotel is scheduled to open this fall in the pre-war style of Mayfair hotels. With a Listed Grade II Art Deco exterior, the public spaces and 73 rooms and suites are reminiscent of 1920s Manhattan. One striking element will be the Antony Gormley inhabitable sculpture ROOM.
Other hotels scheduled to open in the coming couple of years include the 452-room InterContinental London The O2, which will boast Europe's largest ballroom (2014); Armani Hotel -- Admiralty Arch (December 2015); Hudson by Morgans (2015); and Sofitel at the O2 (2016).
Meanwhile, for those planners looking for a more intimate space, the quaint, luxurious
Draycott Hotel is a romantic, red-brick Edwardian townhouse just around the corner from Chelsea's Sloane Square and the borough of Kensington. The 35-room boutique property is currently being revamped by renowned British designer Nina Campbell, who also recently refurbished the meeting room. The property features 24-hour room service and afternoon tea at 4 p.m., champagne at 6 p.m., and hot chocolate at 9:30 p.m. in the drawing room.
There are some exciting new attractions coming online this spring and summer, as well. The new
First World War Galleries at the Imperial War Museum are opening in July, as part of a transformed museum and IWM's program for the 100th anniversary of the First World War. The immersive and interactive galleries will draw upon the latest historical analysis of the war and will enable IWM to display more of its exceptional collections. This summer, the IWM will also be presenting "Truth and Memory" (through March 2015), which will be the largest exhibition and first major retrospective of British First World War art for almost 100 years.
Meanwhile, in June, the Guildhall Art Gallery is opening its new Heritage Gallery, which will display treasures from the archives, such as the Magna Carta and Shakespeare's Deed, and help to tell the city's story. Also this June, the largest art exhibition ever to be staged at the Museum of London Docklands opens, and it will be free of charge for all visitors.