Churchill’s hotel inspires fashion line

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The Royal Horseguards is due to officially re-open in February 2009 following a £16m investment and refurbishment program. This landmark, famous for once housing Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s favorite bar-in its basement where secret passages link the building to Westminster and Whitehall-will be the central inspiration behind a haute couture fashion collection designed to bring some of London’s most iconic hotels to life.

Located on the river in Whitehall, The Royal Horseguards hotel is built in the style of a French Chateau and as a Grade 1 listed building has welcomed many Prime Ministers through its doors. It’s believed even the Secret Service used its eighth floor as a secret base during the Second World War and the building also boasts the largest free standing marble staircase in Europe.

As part of this grand unveiling, London-based fashion designer Aimee McWilliams, one of the UK’s leading young designers, will create the “capsule” bespoke clothing collection. McWilliams’ work is intended to convey the style, character and history of London’s most unique hotels: Charing Cross, The Cumberland (Marble Arch), The Tower (at Tower Bridge) and, of course, The Royal Horseguards. The effort will be unveiled in January and displayed at its namesake hotels before being auctioned for charity later in the year.
McWilliams set up her own label after winning the award for the best collection upon graduation and more recently won the Designer of the Year Award at the Scottish Style Awards 2007. She says that she has “been inspired by great interiors for most of my creative life,” and looks forward to “the opportunity to create high end luxury garments that reflected the diverse and stylish interiors of each of the hotels.”

Together, the four hotels will make Guoman Hotels, a new collection of deluxe London-based hotels each with an individual and unique history and character, brought together with a promise of exceptional service and customer experience.

Photo of the Day (12.20.08)

by Brenda Yun on


I have a confession to make. I’ve been surfing my brains out lately, but as long as I’m working hard, I can play hard, right? The other day, I was surfing at Lighthouse, a shortboarding break by Diamond Head, on the south shore of Oahu, and it was one of those epic days when the wind was none and the waves were perfect peaks rolling in from the open ocean. About an hour into the session, it started to rain. I turned to my friend and told him, “I love it when it rains like this. The water looks like snakes.”

And here is the perfect “snake” of a groundswell. This awesome capture comes to us from localsurfer, who make North Devon, UK, his home. I love hardcore surfers like him who, rain or shine, snow or sleet, cold or freezing, can be found in the water living it up or on shore shooting these fabulous photos.

If you have some great travel shots you’d like to share, be sure to upload them to the Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just pick one as our Photo of the Day!

Light up in Glasgow’s Bothy

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You’ll never find the “Bothy” on your own. Tucked away in the Hotel du Vin’s courtyard, this hidden gem is Glasgow‘s only sheltered smoke spot. So, while the rest of Scotland endures wind and rain with each precious puff, you can stay dry and enjoy every draw. Oppressive may render smoking a chore, but the Bothy brings the pleasure back.

Scotland‘s smoking laws make those in the United States seem downright accommodating. On our side of the Atlantic, most tobacconists find space for at least a few chairs, or accept that customers will stand around the shop for a bit while partaking of their recent purchases. Even this luxury, though, is not afforded by the regulations that bear down on Glasgow. Cigar shops remain points of sale only, deprived of the chance to incubate friendships and cultivate a tightly-knit smoking culture.

The Hotel du Vin, fortunately, has found a way to bypass the indoor smoking ban: strip away the walls.

One of several upscale boutiques in Glasgow, the Hotel du Vin, distinguishes itself by having eschewed a cookie-cutter design in favor of truly unique guestrooms. For lovers of the leaf, however, the essential attraction is through the lobby and beyond a white-trimmed glass door. The rest of the journey to the Bothy requires no more than 25 paces (if you stand 5’10”), ending in a covered, heated outdoor smoking lounge that is open 24 hours a day.

The Bothy is an indoor/outdoor hybrid, with natural and copious ventilation that does not come at the expense of protection from scorching sunlight or driving rain. Most of the structure lacks walls, though the sloping roof compensates for about half of what is missing, and heating along the shelter’s perimeter combats Glasgow’s often merciless elements. The gas-powered fireplace is typically ablaze throughout the day and evening, and if it is not, the staff has made clear that they are more than happy to ignite it-quickly.
To the Hotel du Vin’s credit, the Bothy is not treated as a leper colony. The staff directs you to this nearby retreat without judgment or sneers … and with coffee (or tea). Several beverages are available for outdoor consumption while you smoke, and an amply-stocked humidor can fill any gaps in what you have brought with you for the trip. If you are equipped with your own cigars, the Hotel du Vin does not charge a cutting fee in the Bothy. As I write, a Toro-sized De La Concha Grand Reserve, brought with me from New York, rests between my fingers, though I may switch to a stick of the Cuban variety when the ember comes closer to my knuckles.

Whether you’re staying on the premises or need to grab a taxi from deep inside the city, the Bothy is worth the time it takes to smoke a double corona. Clip it, light it and relax in a soft leather chair. Sip one of the few good cups of coffee in Scotland. And, enjoy la dolce vita.

British Airport Authority told to sell Gatwick, Stansted and Edinburgh airports

by Josh Lew on

England’s British Airports Authority (BAA) was told by the country’s Competition Committee that it has to sell Gatwick, Stansted, and Edinburgh airports. The watchdog group has pointed to a lack of competition as the reason for advising the sales. “Under separate ownership, the airport operators including BAA, will have a much greater incentive to be far more responsive to their customers, both airlines and passengers.”

BAA was bought by Spanish company Ferrovial two years ago. The Competition Committee’s criticism of BAA might look like a bid to bring ownership back to the U.K. However, that is not likely to happen. BAA put Gatwick on the market in August. The top bidders thus far are German and Australian companies. Virgin Atlantic is also trying to organize a consortium of investors to make a bid.

The Scottish airports and Stansted remain in BAA’s hands for now. The organization responded to the watchdog’s report by saying that there was no compelling evidence proving that the airports, especially Stansted, should be sold.

Chicago? Or Stink Onion?

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Unfamiliar words from foreign tongues have a way of finding their way into English, a language which itself is a melting pot when it comes to origins. Frequently the foreign expression has a way of better summing up what the user is trying to say than what is available in the native tongue. What sounds better? A “smorgasbord?” Or “an extensive array or variety?” How about “faux pas” versus “a slip or blunder in etiquette?”

You would probably agree that these foreign phrases, however odd they might sound, help quickly convey meaning from a speaker or writer to his listener. It’s a pity then, that as the first settlers spread out across “new worlds” like America and parts of Europe, they didn’t stop to consider the native words and phrases they chose for their new homes. Surprisingly enough a new book of maps called The Atlas of True Names hopes to set the record straight on this linguistic confusion, offering detailed maps laid out with ridiculously literal translations of place names in their native tongue.

Thought that island across the pond was called Great Britain? According to the map, it’s actually “The Great Land of the Tattooed,” a reference to the colorfully tattooed people who originally occupied the place. Weird. And how about the beautiful city of Chicago, my hometown? It loosely translates as “Stink Onion,” from the Algonquin phrase checagou, referring to the soggy marshland upon which the city was founded. Ouch.

Certainly not the type of thing the local tourist board will want to brag about, but interesting nonetheless for anyone interested in geography and language. There’s plenty more oddly named cities, rivers and mountains in the galleries over at the Telegraph website.