The opening of the brand’s first hotel in London is a special moment for Kristin Scott Thomas, the collection’s ambassador, who is particularly fond of the city and knows it well. She officiated at the hotel’s inaugural ceremony on October 6.

Victorian grandeur in the heart of London
St Ermin’s is located in St James in central London, between Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey. It is just a short walk from major West End theatres and London’s historical sites. It offers a real haven of calm right in the city center.

St Ermin’s is also part of London’s history: during the Second World War, British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill sometimes met with his teams in this hotel to organize secret operations. It is also rumored that in the 1950s, a spy used an underground passage linking the hotel to the houses of Parliament to smuggle secret documents out of the Foreign Office. It is said the tunnel still exists, under the majestic staircase that dominates the lobby.
The hotel boasts 331 rooms and owes its singular design to architect Dayna Lee who has successfully combined contemporary decorating features with a classic style creating a friendly and sophisticated atmosphere.

The hotel has three restaurants:

- The Caxton Grill serves stylish European food. The restaurant can cater for 70 guests and has a private dining room.
- The Caxton Terrace, where clients can relax and enjoy views overlooking the courtyard.
- The Caxton Bar, which provides a more casual environment and serves a wide range of drinks as well as a more classical menu.

The establishment boasts state of the art amenities that will please both leisure and business guests, including a fitness area with sports equipment and an exercise room and 14 meeting rooms that can cater for up to 200 people. The hotel can also host weddings and ceremonies. A professional organizer is available on request to personalize private events.

City.Mobi

Also in Europe today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to London.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

London.mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.