The Luxury Travel Directory

Kensington Roof Gardens is an urban oasis in the heart of London. One and a half acres of themed gardens over 100 feet in the air offering spectacular views of the West London’s skyline.

Owned by Sir Richard Branson the Roof Gardens has a restaurant and night club and is available to hire for private and business functions as well as weddings. The Grade II listed gardens surround a two storey clubhouse which hosts the private events and the private members club which caters for up to 600 guests on Friday and Saturday nights.

The gardens were designed and built by Ralph Hancock between 1936 and 1938 and are divided into three themed gardens:

• The Spanish garden, in the Moorish style and based upon the Alhambra in Spain, featuring fountains, vine-covered walkways and palms
• The Tudor garden, with archways, secret corners and hanging wisteria
• The English woodland garden, with over 100 species of trees, a stream, and a pond which is home to pintail ducks and two Chilean pink flamingos.

The Roof Gardens are listed as no.21 in the top 50 wedding venues by the Independent.

The Roof Gardens are accessible from Derry Street, through a doorway marked “99 Kensington High Street”.

The Roof Gardens
99 Kensington High Street (Entrance on Derry Street)
London
W8 5SA

Telephone: 020 7937 7994
Website

One of London’s and the world’s most celebrated hotels, The Dorchester is located in the heart of Mayfair on Park Lane, overlooking Hyde Park. Within walking distance are the luxury shopping areas of Knightsbridge, Bond Street and London’s famous theatre district.

The Dorchester Hotel opened on 18 April 1931. It was created by Sir Malcolm McAlpine and Sir Frances Towle. During the Second World War, because of it’s modern construction, it gained a reputation as a safe place to stay. Since then, The Dorchester has seen numerous famous guests including:
Winston Churchill, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Julie Andrews, Kim Basinger, Warren Beatty, Yul Brynner, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, Tom Cruise, Judy Garland, Johnny Depp, Dame Edna Everage, Charlton Heston, Nicole Kidman, James Mason and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Peter Sellers and Kenneth Horne both died while staying at this Mayfair hotel.

Events and Weddings at the Dorchester

The Dorchester is a celebrated events and wedding venue, with 12 private dining rooms that can accommodate between five to 1,000 people.

The Dorchester
Park Lane,
London
W1K 1QA

Telephone +44 (0)20 7629 8888
Facsimile +44 (0)20 7629 8080
Website

Situated within Holland Park, one of London’s beautiful parks and fashionable areas. The Belvedere dates back to the 17th Century where it was the Summer Ballroom to the Jacobean mansion that was Holland House.

Standing alongside the trees, friendly squirrels and other wildlife of Holland Park. The Belvedere Restaurant is surrounded by fountains, lawns and an air of tranquility which is very rare to find in London.

Available for lunch and dinner the restaurant is available to hire for private functions as well as a stylish Holland Park wedding venue with room for up to 120 guests.

Belvedere Restaurant
Off Abbotsbury Road
In Holland Park
London
W8 6LU

Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7602 1238
Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7610 4382

Website

Holland Park Resources

Holland Park Wedding Cars

Sitting enviably between Knightsbridge and Kensington opposite the ‘Queen’s Gates’ to Hyde Park, The Gore is a classic English boutique hotel. Since 1892 The Gore has been an elegant and romantic hotel with a lot of character. With ten deluxe rooms including the largest, the ‘Tudor Room’ which will take you back through the centuries. Other highlights include the uber-romantic ‘Venus’ room which was once graced by Judy Garland. It also features an engraved gilt wooden bed which was owned by the actress and singer.

The Gore has recently been extensively renovated with a £2.5 million facelift. Its wonderful location close to the Royal Albert Hall and twixt Kensington and Knightsbridge combined with a fabulous ambience, makes The Gore a great place to stay while in London.

The Gore
190 Queen’s Gate
London
SW7 5EX

Tel: +44 20 7584 6601
Website

HMS Belfast was the Royal Navy’s heaviest cruiser and is now berthed on the River Thames, close to Tower Bridge. Not only a museum ship and a popular London tour destination but is also now a popular events and wedding venue.

With space for up to 350 guests on her Quarterdeck, and stunning views of Tower Bridge and the Thames, HMS Belfast is a wonderful location to exchange vows and is a popular civil partnership venue.

HMS BELFAST
Morgan’s Lane, Tooley Street
London
SE1 2JH
Telephone enquiries: +44 (0)207 940 6300
Fax: +44 (0)207 403 0719
Website

Location, Location, Location – the St Martins Lane Hotel has it in abundance. A lavish urban spa situated in Covent Garden, near the West End theatres and close to Leicester Square. St Martins Lane is a wonderful invention of hotelier and designer Philippe Starck and architect Anda Andrei.

Opened in 1999 to much acclamation the St Martins Lane is a stunning blend of modern and baroque. St Martins Lane is also home to the highly acclaimed Asia de Cuba restaurant.

St Martins Lane Hotel
45 St. Martin’s Lane
London
England
WC2N 4HX
Tel. +44 (0) 20 7300 5500
Fax +44 (0) 20 7300 5501
Reservations US 800 697 1791 UK 0800 634 1444
Reservations International 00800 4969 1780
Website

Westminster Register Office on the Marylebone Road has seen many famous and celebrated wedding ceremonies. Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman, Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach. Liam Gallagher firstly wed Patsy Kensit and later on Valentine’s day 2008 he married Nicole Appleton at this registry office.

It is an extremely popular wedding venue thanks to it’s choice of four beautiful rooms. It is not just rock stars that have got married at Westminster Register Office, even Enid Blyton got hitched at this London wedding venue.

In 2006 it came top of the Independendent’s top 50 wedding locations.

Westminster Register Office
Westminster Council House
Marylebone Road
London
NW1 5PT
T: (020) 7641 1161
F: (020) 7641 1246
M: (020) 7641 5912
Website

In 1828, William Crockford established Crockfords of St James on the principles of fine dining, opulent surroundings and select membership. This exclusive Mayfair private members gaming club once enjoyed the patronage of the Duke of Wellington. For over 175 years the founding principles of Crockfords have been maintained in the elegant 18th century building in Curzon Street, Mayfair.

30 Curzon Street
London
W1J 7TN

Tel: 0207 493 7771
Fax: 0207 629 3257

Website: Crockfords Website

Rules has the distinction of being London’s oldest restaurant. Established by Thomas Rule in 1798, Rules is known for it’s traditional British cuisine.

Classic game cookery, oysters, pies and puddings are all on the menu of this fine restaurant in Covent Garden. Much of the menu is sourced from their Lartington Estate, in the High Pennines, including high quality game birds, roe deer and Belted Galloway beef. Rules is renowned for its game dishes and the Game Season plays an important part in shaping the menu.

Rules has four private dining rooms, suitable for groups between 7 and 18 people. Along with a dedicated team of staff trained to make dining in these unique, historical rooms a memorable and unique experience.

Rules Restaurant
35 Maiden Lane
Covent Garden
London
WC2E 7LB

Tel: +44 (0)207 836 5314
Tel: +44 (0)207 379 0258 (Private Room Reservations)

Website: Rules Restaurant

The Ivy is possibly the most celebrity-strewn eating place in London, where actors from the city’s West End theatres mix with politicians and celebrities of every hue. One is advised to book well in advance as it is always very hard to get a table here, but The Ivy is certainly worth the effort.

There is the air of an old gentleman’s club about the place with it’s oak panels, soft lighting and 1920s stained glass windows.

The food is mainly British/European, with a few influences from further afield. But classic British dishes such as Fish and Chips and Welsh Rarebit appear regularly on the menu, giving the place a delightful lack of pretentiousness. It was this atmosphere that encouraged the restaurant to be frequented by Noel Coward, Laurence Olivier and many other of Britain’s finest actors and actresses. Indeed, even the restaurant’s name has a theatrical lineage.

When the Actress, Alice Delysia, overheard Abel Glandellini apologising to customers for the inconvenience of building work in the restaurant when he was enlarging the dining room, she said, “Don’t worry, we will always come to see you, we will cling together like the ivy.”

The name stuck. And a legend was born.

The Ivy,
1 West Street,
LONDON,
WC2H 9NE
Tel: (020) 7836 4751