A High-Rollers Guide To A London Staycation

We’re all aware now that travel plans can change at short notice. Big trips to exotic long-haul locations are obviously great, but there’s also something to be said for splashing the cash closer to home. Most Londoners tend to escape urban life when they want to relax, but here’s how to have a luxury break in your own city, where the only person left stressing will be your bank manager.

Lavish doesn’t necessarily mean expensive, so the places to stay and things to do that we’ve picked out here are more about feeling like a million bucks than spending them. Here’s Culture Trip’s high-rolling guide to London.

1. The Luxury London Stay

Hotel

Courtyard area at 8 at The Londoner rooftop bar, with living walls and monochrome gridded sofa seating around the edge of the space, scatter cushions on the floor and an incredible sculptural fire pit in the centre.

We’re not short of historic hotels in London, and the modern ones in the centre of town aren’t too shabby either, but this new addition in the heart of the city is a fantastic combination of old and new. The Londoner in Leicester Square is a premium offering both in terms of location and amenities. There are several restaurants and bars that will keep you entertained throughout your stay – some of them also open to locals who aren’t spending the night here, so you can meet up with friends. The views of the city, particularly from the rooftop bar – 8 at the Londoner – are incredible, and there’s also a large swimming pool and a soothing wellness area to fully unwind in. Book a stay here and you’ll feel like you’re living the high life like never before.

2. Fresh Fine Dining

Supper club, Contemporary

White dimpled dish at Six by Nico, holding a croquette, a pea shoot, and three sauces that are white, yellow and green.

Quirky dining ventures run the risk of feeling too gimmicky or too short-term. We love a good pop-up, but what can you do when that first run is over? With two London locations, Six by Nico is a fascinating concept that does what the best pop-ups can do, with the option of trying something different every time you visit. With a rotating menu, the six-course experience is the perfect way to do a posh foodie treat without feeling like you’re being short changed. Themes have included New York dining and Tuscan cooking. Keep an eye out for the next instalment, which will also be available at various sites around the country.

4. Experiential Comic-Book Cuisine

Restaurant with Rooms, Contemporary

A cloche filled with dry ice is suspended above a fly agaric mushroom sitting in a bed of moss, whilst a stuffed crow with raised wings looks on.

We’ve visited Park Row, a DC superhero-inspired restaurant and bar, before, but have never managed to get behind the secret door that leads to the Monarch Theatre section. Now that we have been to this sacred spot we can’t reveal too much anyway! What we can tell you, is that if you’re a fan of the Batman comic books – particularly the famed Rogues Gallery of villains – then you’re in for an incredible night of delicious fun. The full wining and dining experience isn’t cheap, but then the food and drink on offer is out of this world. With more than a touch of theatre, the minute you step into this production you’ll feel like putting on a cape – and loosening your utility belt.

5. Buy a House in Mayfair With Life-Size Monopoly

Building

Four young adult players at Monopoly Lifesized, crouching on a giant version of the games board and rolling a large pink dice.

If you really want to show off, there’s now an easy way to buy a house in Mayfair. London’s most sought-after address is beyond most people’s means, but keen game players will know it as one of the premium spots on a Monopoly board. Taking that experience to the next logical level, a life-size version of the popular pastime has just opened up in London, and you can take on other teams to claim the honour of becoming a certified Monopoly champion. The modified game is essentially a series of challenges and escape rooms with a familiar twist. Most importantly there is a time limit, so games won’t go on for days and there’s no chance of an annoyed cousin tipping over the board when they land on your hotel-laden property. Monopoly Lifesized features four different game types and a couple of themed restaurants.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.