Experiences

London is exceptionally fortunate in having so many wonderful outdoor spaces to choose from. When in London, you are never too far from a park ranging from small squares located in residential areas, to the best known Royal Parks spread across the Capital.

Hyde Park

When staying at The Wellesey, you are located on Hyde Park Corner. Directly across from the hotel is The Royal Hyde Park, which is known as one of the greatest city parks in the world. It covers 350 acres and includes a large lake (called The Serpentine) and over 4,000 trees. Visitors can enjoy a stroll, a cycle or a jog. They can also play tennis, swim and even ride a horse from Hyde Park Stables.

Kensington Gardens

Located next to Hyde Park, you will find Kensington Gardens. The park is home to major London attractions such as Kensington Palace, the Albert Memorial and the magnificent Serpentine Gallery. One of the best ways to discover the gardens is to stroll through the formal avenues of magnificent trees and ornamental flower beds. After your walk, Notting Hill and Portobello Road can be reached by walking approximately 15 minutes, allowing you to discover some of London’s traditional markets.

Battersea Park

If you’re feeling slightly more adventurous, we recommend you hop on a Santander Cycle located across from The Wellesley. From here, cycle to Sloane Square and continue to Battersea Park. A great day out for the family, you will find a Children’s Zoo and a Go Ape tree top adventure. The park is surrounded by two iconic bridges, Chelsea Bridge and Albert Bridge. If you have time, wait until dusk to witness Albert Bridge light up, a true London icon.

Greenwich Park

Slightly further afield from The Wellesley you will find London’s oldest enclosed Royal Park, Greenwich Park. Watch out for some deer around the park, who use it as their home. Wonderful sites of Central London and the River Thames can be viewed from the top of the hill. Greenwich Park is also home to The Meridian Line, which represents the Prime Meridian of the world. The Prime Meridian has served as the reference point for Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The park is also home to Queen Elizabeth’s Oak, a huge oak tree which dates back to the 12th century and has strong links to the Tudor Royal Family.

Regent's Park

Finally, if you are in London during the Summer, The Regent’s Park (located close to Baker Street) is a beautiful location to explore the stunning rose garden. You will often find outdoor sports such as football, cricket and rugby taking place here as the park offers the largest outdoor sports area in London. For a different perspective of London, you can make your way to the top of Primrose Hill to take in stunning views of the city’s skyline.

We are privileged in London to be home to some of the finest theatre and musical productions in the world. Moments’ walk or drive from The Wellesley, you will discover the famous West End, where you will find theatre upon theatre, showcasing something for all tastes.

A wonderful occasion for Londoners and visitors alike, West End productions typically run six days a week, with Monday being a rest day. It is not unusual for a show to have two productions daily, especially on weekend and bank holidays, when there would be a matinee and regular viewing. Also, you will regularly find famous screen actors appearing on a London stage.

Theatre is the most popular guest request after restaurants at the Concierge desk. So it is important that we keep up to date with the wide variety of shows available. We look forward to assisting you in reserving seats for them!

Each season brings its own sense of joy to the Capital. From the wonderful festive decorations and spirit in Winter, to the gorgeous aura the parks bring during Autumn, to the birth of new landscape and gardens in Spring.

However, Summer is arguably the most popular season, when tourists visit the city in their thousands and the events calendar becomes fully booked. Not only is the city looking its best with parks and squares brought back to life with the warmer weather, Londoners tend to ‘come out of hibernation’ and can be found in one of the many pop up rooftop bars, or even taking in the sunshine on a pop up beach! It’s no wonder the main events are often sold out months in advance, as Londoners compete with each other to attend events such as Wimbledon Tennis Championships, The Proms, The Regents Park Open Air Theatre and more.

We are regularly asked, "What is the best Summer event in London?" Of course, it’s difficult to pin-point one particular event, as they are all tremendous in their own way. To give you an overview, we have summarised our top picks below.

Wimbledon

Wimbledon is the home of oldest tennis tournament in the world and considered by most as the most prestigious tournament. Tickets are very hard to come by and normally involve a year’s planning to receive a place on the ballot list. We can, however, secure tickets for this event, including hospitality if required. These would be debentures and are available for Centre Court and Court No. 1. If you were in the mood of feeling like an authentic Londoner, you could queue up from 8pm the night before the match you wish to attend. If you are one of the lucky 700, you will receive tickets for the next day’s match.

Alternatively, consider The Eastbourne (ladies) tournament or The Queens (men’s) tournament, as these are the warm up events and most of the world’s top players attend. Tickets for these events are not as difficult to source.

BST Hyde Park

Located directly across from The Wellesley in Hyde Park, British Summer Time Hyde Park takes place. Since 2013, acts such as Stevie Wonder, Florence and the Machine and Taylor Swift have graced the Royal Park with their presence over two weekends in July. If you are lucky enough, you might be able to catch some of the action from our One Bedroom Suite Park View.

The Proms

The Proms are the annual event at the iconic Royal Albert Hall in London. Hosting some of the world’s best conductors and orchestras, The Proms are a series of classical music concerts taking place nightly, culminating in the classical music event of the year, The Last Night of the Proms. This amazing event is also broadcast to 1000’s of fans in Hyde Park in the event known as Proms in the Park.

Open Air Theatre

An ever popular outdoor event in London is the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. It is one of the largest theatres in London and most certainly the most unique, with the beautiful Regent’s Park as your backdrop.

Holland Park Opera

West of The Wellesley, close to Kensington High Street, Holland Park Opera takes place in July. Famed for their outstanding productions, Holland Park Opera is a wonderful opportunity to discover and enjoy some amazing performances in a unique outdoor setting.

When Summer arrives, there is no better way to appreciate the sunshine and warm weather than with an outdoor picnic. There are some wonderful gems of green spaces throughout the city, and we are delighted this month to have compiled a list of the best locations across the city. Each of these locations are within close distance of The Wellesley either by foot or our drop-off service.

Hyde Park

We had to begin by including our neighbour and one of London’s most iconic and spacious parks. One of eight Royal Parks in London, Hyde Park has a vast range of attractions. Beyond the gorgeous open grass, it also connects to Kensington Palace and Gardens by a bridge across the Long Water and the Serpentine. Perfect for setting out a picnic blanket followed by enjoying an afternoon of walking the many paths.

Bloomsbury Square

This pretty little oasis is steeped in history as the oldest square in London, created by Lord Southampton as a plaza for his mansion. Now open to the public, it is still a beautiful place to retreat from the bustle of the streets and enjoy a picnic under the canopies of trees after visiting the nearby British Museum.

Regent's Park

This Royal Park is a little different than the others thanks to its boating lake, which offers boat and pedalo hire thoughout the Summer. Rent a deck chair and soak up the rays or wander around the beautiful Queen Mary’s Gardens and admire the many different flowers. There is plenty of space to park a rug and take in the view of London from Primrose Hill, which is second to none. After a lovely picnic, visit London Zoo, only a moments’ walk from The Regents Park.

Temple Gardens

The Temple Gardens are situated just off London Embankment and provide the perfect secluded spot for a leisurely lunch, surrounded by beautiful flowerbeds as well as historic buildings and features. Inspired by a combination of Dutch and English architecture, this little-known garden is a demonstration of British historical trends and is richly imbued with both culture and beauty for all to admire.

Holland Park and Kyoto Garden

If you’re looking for some slightly different scenery for your picnic excursion, there is no better place than Kyoto Garden in Holland Park. The small Japanese garden is one of the many places to explore in Holland Park, created to reflect the Japanese values of tranquility and serenity. Beautifully photogenic for that ideal Instagram shot, this oasis is the perfect place to relax and spend some time whilst enjoying al fresco bites.

St James's Park

Situated in the heart of ceremonial London, St James’s Park is perfect for viewing the many spectacular pageants that take place on The Mall and Horse Guard’s Parade during the year. Take a walk across the Blue Bridge and see the spectacular views across St James’s Park Lake to the west towards Buckingham Palace and to the east with the London Eye. It is the oldest of the Royal Parks and borders the historic Buckingham Palace Gardens and Green Park, so there are plenty of paths to explore.

Jubilee Gardens

Situated in the shadow of the London Eye, this simple park is a perfect green space in the bustling area of the South Bank. It was redeveloped in 2012 to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Summer Olympics. With plenty of places to sit down and enjoy the views across the Thames and a fantastic play area to keep the children occupied, this is a wonderful resting point for a picnic whilst you are out and exploring London’s South Bank for the day.