London is one of the major capital cities in the world due to its history and culture; it is also the place to go to enjoy an eclectic nightlife and to do a bit of shopping. If you’re visiting London, make sure you include these areas to really get the full experience.
The Area of Paddington
Paddington is a great place to start your exploration with Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens as they are situated just few minutes from the Hotel Hyde Park. From Sussex Gardens you can head south and enter Kensington Gardens, one of the most beautiful parks in London, which is home to the famous Kensington Palace. For a small fee you can enter the palace and explore the lavish rooms, exhibitions and gardens. The gardens are exquisite with the Italian gardens situated in the North, the Albert memorial in the South and the Serpentine Gallery, named after the Serpentine Lake that runs through Hyde Park, in the East.
After Kensington Gardens you can venture past the Shaftesbury Hotel Paddington into Hyde Park to see the famous Speaker’s Corner, or you can walk a few minutes south out of the gardens to see the Natural History, the Science and the V&A Museums. The Natural History Museum is packed full of amazing specimens such as dinosaur bones and reconstructions, gems and minerals, bugs and interactive exhibitions. The Science museum allows you to be hands on and play, create and experiment while exploring the history behind trains, cars, planes and medicine. The V&A museum holds treasures from all over the British Empire as well as delights from the famous Crystal Palace Exhibition that was held in the 19th century.
The Area of Oxford Street
Shopping is one of the most popular things to do in London and Oxford Street is the best place to start with over a mile of stores. It hasn’t always been as popular as it is today; it was once a spot that attracted many forms of entertainers, such as bear-baiters, and it was full of theatres and taverns. It was a firm favourite with the working classes but not so much with the middle and upper due to it being situated so close to St Giles, one of the most notorious slums in the city. However, today shopping on Oxford Street near the Shaftesbury Hotels London offers a large amount of shops such as a multistory Topshop store, Primark store and the world-famous Selfridges, the world’s first department store.
All Areas of History
This area is where you can find some of the most famous sights in London. Situated amongst the hotels with family rooms in London lies Trafalgar Square where Nelson’s Column and the National Gallery can be found. Head south to find yourself outside 10 Downing Street and, from there, you will see the famous Cenotaph, the impressive structure of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Next to the Houses of Parliament is one of the oldest structures in the city, Westminster Abbey and you can go into the Abbey, which is the burial site of many royals and influential British icons.
Olivia's Travel Tips 