It was exciting to be back in London again, even if it was only for a matter of hours. After a wonderful First Class flight on the #British_Airways A380 from Miami, I headed straight for the #Hilton Hotel at #HeathrowAirport as my departure for Singapore was not scheduled until much later in the evening. BA's Miami flights operate from Terminal 3 and the hotel is connected to Terminal 4 which is located on the south side of the airport. It's easily reached from Terminal 3 via the free, transfer train which takes about 4 minutes and runs every quarter of an hour. Upon arrival in Terminal 4, I followed the signs which led me to the covered walkway and into the hotel proper. It couldn’t have been easier.
This Hilton property features 398 guest rooms and suites, a well-equipped fitness room, an indoor pool and a business center. I was able to use some Hilton Honors Points to reserve a King-bedded Executive Room which offered exclusive access to their Executive Lounge where free breakfast was served and refreshments were available throughout the day. Other amenities included a complimentary bathrobe, slippers and bottled spring water. The windows here are soundproofed to keep the airport noises at bay. My room also came equipped with a large desk, comfortable easy chair and wireless internet access. The Dancers Bar is the focal point of the spacious atrium and, if you’re hungry, there are 3 different places to dine: Zen Oriental, serving modern Chinese and authentic Far Eastern specialities, Oscar’s offering an international menu highlighted by several British classics, and the Aroma Restaurant which showcases authentic Italian cuisine with a contemporary flair.
Once I freshened up with a shower, I decided to travel to Central London and figured out how to make the journey by #LondonUNDERGRND since I had plenty of time. I found my way back to Terminal 3 and then took the Piccadilly Line to Green Park Station where I changed over to the Jubilee Line for the Tube ride directly to Westminster. It took me about an hour but when I emerged onto the street, I saw the Houses of Parliament, the familiar Elizabeth Tower topped by Big Ben, and the London Eye across the Thames on the east side of Westminster Bridge. It was a beautiful sight! I’ve been fortunate to have visited this great city many times. The view from atop the London Eye is impressive and memorable and I’m lucky to have toured the Houses of Parliament on 2 separate occasions. But on this particular day, I was anxious to take a detailed look at nearby #westminsterabby.
It’s a Royal Church that features daily services for all as well a World Heritage site with over 1,000 years of storied history. Founded in the year 960, it’s formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster and is a large, mainly Gothic abbey church just to the west of the Houses of Parliament. It’s one of the United Kingdom’s most prized and beloved structures. At approximately 32,000 square feet, the abbey is massive and has 10 bells and 2 towers climbing to a height of 225 feet. Since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066, all coronations of English and British monarchs have occurred in Westminster Abbey. There have been 16 royal weddings at the abbey since the year 1100. It remains the burial site of more than 3,300 persons, including 16 monarchs, 8 Prime Minsters, poets laureate, actors, scientists, military leaders and the Unknown Warrior. One can’t help but get a real sense of British history strolling about the abbey. While I did not have time to sign up for a lengthy guided tour, there was something to see and learn about at every turn, most notably the Coronation Chair. This ancient seat of timber was constructed in 1296 and is where the British monarchs sit when they are invested with regalia and officially crowned at their coronations.
After a quick sandwich at one of the nearby restaurants, I took the tube back to the hotel. Soon it was early evening and time to check in for my onward journey. The Hilton offers a free, 15-minute “Hoppa" Bus service to Heathrow Terminal 5 which I was happy to use, having traveled on any number of trains that day. I admired the terminal architecture while en route to the First Class check-in area. I later learned that it opened in 2008 and the main building in this terminal complex is the largest free-standing structure in the UK. Once my boarding pass was in hand for the flight to Singapore I entered a separate security area and, after clearance, found a nearby door which led me straight to an elevator up to the British Airways First Class Concorde Room. This is a welcoming and inviting space and a great way to feel pampered prior to departure. Pre-flight dining is available in private booths with menus appropriate to the time of day and full waiter service. If you so desire, you can pair your meal with the finest champagnes and wines from around the world. The attractive Concorde Bar also features top shelf offerings and crafted cocktails.
Private cabanas with comfortable day beds and en suite bathrooms may be pre-booked if you think you’ll need to catch up on some rest during a layover. Of course, shower rooms are also available to visitors. A complimentary 15-minute treatment menu is offered to First customers from ELEMIS that is "designed to bring benefits for your skin, body and your overall wellness." Should you need to work, this lounge offers internet access, printers, copiers and fax machines.The Concorde Room was recently refreshed, capitalizing on British design and craftsmanship with luxurious furniture, beautiful chandeliers and captivating artwork. The view from the terrace is especially good as it overlooks the busy terminal and you can normally spot aircraft in the distance. Not surprisingly, I spent the majority of my visit in this location.
BA was flying the B777-300 from London to Singapore and the First cabin was in the same 14-seat configuration featured on my previous A380 flight. There are 4 seats on each side of the aircraft and 3 sets of double seats in the middle.This aircraft is very quiet with wide cabins and high ceilings. Once again I selected Seat 2A on the port side. All the seats up front have extra storage space in a locker which comes in handy for coats, small carry on bags and other personal items. I like the expansive, 2 windows per seat arrangement and the great BA window blind system itself that offers complete or partial blackout with the simple push of a button. This particular seat seems somewhat secluded and it almost feels like you're traveling in a private jet. Many travel bloggers don’t hold British Airways First Class seats in very high regard. While they don’t compare favorably in terms of space with those featured on Singapore or Emirates in First, the seat is quite comfortable and the bedding is soft and inviting. In addition, I’ve always found the BA flight attendants working the First cabins to be courteous, attentive and solicitous.
The service was outstanding. Before takeoff, we were offered a glass of their signature Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Champagne. Then we enjoyed canapés of Shropshire Blue cheese with spiced apple jelly and candied pecans, Kinglas smoked salmon with cream cheese and caviar, and a Cumbrian salami with sliced black olive, sun-blushed tomatoes and a small, pickled cucumber. From their onboard wine cellar I requested the Bordeaux. It was a Chateau Haut-Bergey 2004 Grand Cru Classe Pessac-Leognan, matured for up to 18 months in French oak barrels. It was very good.The menu featured 3 appetizer choices and I selected the Italian Burrata served with English garden peas, lemon and summer truffle. This was followed by asparagus soup and a seasonal mixed leaf salad with creamy honey mustard dressing. There were 4 main courses offered and I asked for the seared filet of aged Herefordshire beef with caramelized caper butter, red wine jus, roasted vine-tomatoes, wild mushrooms and pine nuts. I requested the buttered spring greens snd honey-glazed carrots to accompany the steak. A cheese plate of brie, cheddar and stilton arrived prior to a generous helping of warm apricot sponge pudding for dessert. Whew!
After all that I asked our flight attendant to make up my bed and then drifted off to sleep for a solid 6 hours. Waking up about 3 hours before landing, I watched a few movies to pass the time. About an hour and a half out, the next service began. I ordered another one of those tasty BA fruit smoothies and the full English breakfast (I'm not really sure where I put all that goodl food). We had a smooth early evening touchdown at #ChangiAirport, arriving about 30 minutes early.
I’ll give you all the details about my visit to Singapore in a future post.
Until next time…safe travels.
Nice description of the attractions of London - but too detailed about the meals - my salivary glands are working overtime!!!