Photo of the day (9.2.10)

Each year around American Labor Day, the elaborate costumes and street partying associated with pre-Lenten Mardi Gras or Carnival celebrations are taken outside in several cities too cold to parade in February. Brooklyn’s West Indian Day Parade is one of the largest in the world, drawing several million spectators, with a population of local West Indian residents to rival that of the Caribbean. This photo by Flickr user Luke Robinson taken at West London’s Notting Hill Carnival in England (the largest street festival in Europe) captures a father and son who look like they’ve enjoyed the revelry but might be ready to call it a day. With 20 miles of parading, music, and food to cover, it’s no wonder the little boy looks a bit tuckered out. I just hope that’s not a vuvuzela he’s carrying. Other Caribbean Carnival events take place throughout the US, Canada, and UK this fall.

Take any great festival photos? Upload them to our Flickr pool and we just might choose one for another Photo of the Day.

New Waldorf Astoria hotel to open in West London

The divine decadence of the Waldorf Astoria is continuing its journey across the pond. Hilton Worldwide announced it will open a new Waldorf Astoria hotel in West London‘s Syon Park.

The new hotel will look out across the River Thames onto Kew Gardens and is seven miles from Knightsbridge and Heathrow Airport. The 137-room hotel is set to open in November 2010 and will feature a butterfly house in the lobby, an ice-cream parlor and is rumored to offer “spa” treatments from celebrity surgeon Alex Karidis. The hotel will, of course, have several restaurants and bars, and offer a concierge service to help London travelers with top tourist attractions.

London’s Syon Park offers a wide range of event facilities, all which will be made available to Waldorf Astoria guests including The Grand Syon Ballroom, which can host 450 guests in a theater style setting or 320 guests for a cabaret.