We visited D.C. earlier this month and Chris insisted that we stay at the Park Hyatt. He's been a huge fan of the brand for a while now and really couldn't resist the idea of staying here during our quick weekend trip (aren't they all?). It was in a great location in the heart of D.C. - we were walking distance to Georgetown and a quick bike ride away from all of the monuments. What more could you want?

When we arrived at the hotel, it was way too early for any rooms to be available, which unfortunately always happens due to our penchant for red-eye flights, so we stored our bags and went for a walk around the area. I love D.C. and always enjoy walking around whatever neighborhood I find myself in and this time was no different. There were quite a few other high-end hotels on the same street (Fairmont, Westin, etc) and lots of cute, colorful homes just a few streets away. We got a call from reception not long after we left saying that they had a room available, so we headed back.

The hotel is gorgeous from the outside and is home to The Blue Duck Tavern, which is their amazing in-house restaurant (more on that later).

The lobby is quite unique with large glass walls on either side of the entrance decorated with cherry blossoms. Unfortunately, the chairs the Park Hyatt seems to fancy are absolutely awful. You'll find these same slip-covered chairs throughout their properties and I'm really at a loss as to why.

The front desk was rarely unattended, but I managed to catch it that way since it was pretty early in the morning. The agent who checked us in was extremely friendly and helpful and we really appreciated being able to shower prior to meeting friends for breakfast. Unfortunately, we ended up with the curse of the early check-in - our room was one of the smallest in the hotel according to the floorplan, which was a bit disappointing.

Weekend Write-Up: London, Part I
Weekend Write-Up: London, Part II
Review: InterContinental London Westminster
Review: LHR BA Galleries First Lounge

Our flight home from London was via British Airways, but unfortunately, we were flying coach. Luckily, Chris' American Airlines Executive Platinum status translates to Oneworld Emerald, which allows him and a guest (that's me!) to use British Airways First Class, Business Class or frequent flyer lounges. We had a late afternoon flight, so once we arrived at Heathrow and made it through Fast Track security, we headed to the British Airways Galleries First Lounge in the South concourse of Terminal 5. 

Upon arrival at the lounge, you will see the First lounge on your left and the Club lounge on your right. The Galleries First lounge is absolutely massive. There were no less than two dedicated champagne bars (serve yourself, of course), one other bar area, a full service dining area, a buffet dining area, a large business center, multiple seating areas, and even a terrace. It was around 3PM on a Monday when we arrived and the place was surprisingly quite packed, but there was plenty of seating throughout the lounge.

Weekend Write-Up: London, Part I
Weekend Write-Up: London, Part II
Review: InterContinental London Westminster
Review: LHR BA Galleries First Lounge

During our whirlwind weekend in London earlier this month, we stayed at the InterContinental London Westminster. Making our stay somewhat comical was the fact that on the day we checked out, the hotel was re-branded from InterContinental to Conrad Hilton. It is now actually the Conrad London St. James.

One of the best parts about my surprise trip to London earlier this month was the absolutely wonderful hotel that we stayed at while we were there. Chris booked two nights at the InterContiental London Westminster (now the Conrad London St. James) and the hotel was absolutely amazing. Not only was the hotel gorgeous, but the location was absolutely perfect. It was a 5 minute walk to Westminster Abbey, the Thames, Big Ben, and the London Eye, a 10 minute walk to Buckingham Palace, and it was directly across the street from the St. James tube station, which runs both the Central and District lines. It really could not have been any better in terms of location and since we were in London for such a short time (less than two full days), it made a huge difference for us being able to get where we needed to go!

We arrived at the hotel at around 5PM and noticed that the signage outside had been taken down in preparation for the change-over. We arrived on August 30 and the switch was set to happen on September 1 - the day we were checking out.

We made it into the lobby and were able to check in. Unfortunately, we got a room on the second floor, which meant there was no view to speak of, but that was no matter, because we really were not planning on spending much time in the room anyways. 

The entire hotel was decked out in gorgeous wood walls and accents and I really loved it. Our room also had a heavy dosage of wood and was a bit small (although that's what you expect in London), but was definitely beautifully appointed. Our room had a small hallway when you walked in that led to the bathroom and the bedroom. We had a king room with a desk and a very nice bar area with a Nespresso machine and a glass to suit your every need. The television was cleverly mounted behind a very unique glass panel and the sound was also piped into the bathroom in case you wanted to listen to Top Gear while you're in the shower. 

Weekend Write-Up: London, Part I
Weekend Write-Up: London, Part II
Review: InterContinental London Westminster
Review: LHR BA Galleries First Lounge

For Labor Day weekend, Chris planned a "mystery trip" months in advance. He gave no hints and I tried hard not to accidentally find out where we were going (I love surprises). I honestly had no idea where our final destination would be until we reached our gate at LAX on Friday night - we were off to London!

Sunday 9:00 AM GMT | InterContinental London Westminster | London, England

There's just something about waking up in a country that, less than 24 hours ago, you had no idea you were visiting. I sprang out of bed ready to conquer the day and see as much as possible (after tea, that is). Chris, unfortunately had the worst time sleeping last night while he faced dreaded jet lag (sucks to be him - I slept like a baby) so after his night of little sleep, he's not happy to see me. 

Sunday 10:15 AM GMT | The Blue Boar | London, England

Conveniently, there's a fantastic option for breakfast attached to our hotel and Chris, who spent half the night Yelping the perfect full English breakfast, agrees that it's a good spot to check out. I order an omelette because I honestly can't handle the idea of Chris' disgusting blood pudding. When the waiter asks us if we would like some tea, we assume it's included and prepare our English Breakfast with a little milk and a brown sugar cube. We feel so British. Turns out, the prices are also quite British. The tea alone was £14. Yikes. 

Sunday 11:30 AM GMT | London Eye, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden Market | London, England

After breakfast, we took a walk back down past Westminster Abbey to cross the Thames and take another look at Big Ben and the Eye. Chris points out a door right off the bridge that was used in "Die Another Day" to access an abandoned Underground station (repurposed as Q's gadget lab). I love London. We take a walk across one of the footbridges and make our way over to Trafalgar Square. From here, we head over to Covent Garden Market. On the way, we pass a Nando's and I ask Chris what all the hype is about. All he knows is that "they have a sauce or something that people go nuts for" (we'll have to test it ourselves later). In the market, I'm immediately attracted to the Laduree's, but Chris says no. Instead, we notice there's a Shake Shack in the market and really can't resist getting one to share. We're enablers, I tell you.

Sunday 1:00 PM GMT | The British Museum and Hyde Park | London, England

Following our relapse with American fast food, we head to the British Museum. Neither of us are big museum goers (at least not at length), so the plan is to see the major things and then be on our way. We start with the Egyptian art and the Rosetta Stone (of course), then check out the Greek, then a random smattering of other types of art, including the library and some interesting Asian artwork. I think we got a good feel for the museum, so it's time for a walk outside. 

We head over to Hyde Park and enter by the Italian Fountains. So gorgeous. From there, we walk over to Kensington Palace. We're looking for gardens that I saw on my last trip, but despite Google's best efforts, we can't seem to find them. Instead, we stop at a bench to watch both children and dogs attempt to jump in the pond in front of the palace. After giving our feet a break, it's time to meet Chris' friend from university in Camden. 

Sunday 4:30 PM GMT | Camden Market and BrewDog | London, England

I've definitely never been to Camden (which Chris sells to me as "alternative") and it's really quite unique. The area is buzzing and we pass a very weird scene with a man wearing a bad wrinkly mask and calling himself "DJ Grandpa" and another, much older man, dancing next to the booth with his shirt off. It's all very awkward. Camden Market is absolutely packed with people and we quickly escape, although not before visiting the weirdest, most specific shop ever - Cyberdog, which is apparently an EDM clothing shop.  Then it's time to meet Chris' friend for a few pints at BrewDog.

Sunday 8:00 PM GMT | Nando's  and InterContinental London Westminster | London, England

By the time we're finished in Camden, we're not up for anything too fancy, so we make good on the promise to try Nando's. This place is bizarre. It's a Portugese fast casual restaurant, but apparently it's from Africa. I can't even.  Basically, there's lots of chicken on the menu and you can put different kinds of Nando's sauce on it. Overall, it's pretty good, but Chris (who claims he can't handle spice because he's Canadian) has so much medium sauce that he turns bright red. 

After dinner, we figure we should go to bed, but by the time we make it back, neither of us can fall asleep. Unfortunately, jet lag is now getting the best of both of us. We end up watching quite a bit of bad TV and eventually find a very weird (but arty and therefore, not weird) movie about a 50+ year old woman who travels to Kenya as a sex tourist and details her exploits with young African men. It. Was. Weird.  

Monday 8:30 AM GMT | Google UK, other Google UK | London, England

For our last day in London, we don't have too much time. Our flight is in early afternoon, so we just have the morning free. Speaking of "free", we decide to head over to Google UK to grab some breakfast and check out the office. Conveniently, there was an office just a few Underground stops away, but when we get there, we realize that this is the smaller of two Google UK offices. Regardless, this place has a pretty legit juicer and a table full of fruits and vegetables that you can make your own juices with. Pretty awesome. 

At this point, unfortunately, because Chris only brought one pair of shoes and didn't get the chance to break them in, he's having a really hard time walking. I want to see the other office, so Chris heads back to the hotel while I go across town. The second office is a far larger space with amazing views, but is pretty confusing to navigate. I always like to see what other offices are like, but don't like to look like an awkward tourist, so it's a fine line to walk.

Monday 10:50 AM GMT | Buckingham Palace | London, England

Once I meet Chris back at the hotel, we decide to take the 10 minute walk from our hotel over to Buckingham Palace so I can "just take one picture". On our way there, it starts raining, which quickly turns to pouring. I take a quick few shots of the palace and end up very wet and cranky. The last thing we wanted to do was take a London cab to Paddington Station to catch our train, but with the rain coming down quite steadily, it takes a while. Finally, we secure our cab and hunker down for the journey back home. 

Monday 11:45 PM PST | SFO | San Francisco, CA

20 hours later, we land back at home where we both have work tomorrow. Such is life!

Weekend Write-Up: London, Part I
Weekend Write-Up: London, Part II
Review: InterContinental London Westminster
Review: LHR BA Galleries First Lounge

For Labor Day weekend, Chris planned a "mystery trip" months in advance. He gave no hints and I tried hard not to accidentally find out where we were going (I love surprises). I honestly had no idea where our final destination would be until we reached our gate at LAX on Friday night - we were off to London!

Friday 5:30 PM PST | SFO | San Francisco, CA

Quick drink at the SFO Admiral's Club prior to departure. A summer evening calls for white wine. Then we jump to board our flight down to LAX. 

Friday 7:15 PM PST | LAX | Los Angeles, CA

We make our way through security at the LAX international terminal and head to the OneWorld Alliance VIP lounge. This place is pretty swanky, but it's absolutely packed. During several points throughout the evening, announcements are made to remove personal items from chairs so that others could sit down. Nearly everyone around us has an Aussie accent and I am secretly hoping that we were boarding a flight Down Under. I drink one too many glasses of wine and I'm a bit tipsy as we make our way to the gate. Chris' idea of a joke is to stop at the gate departing for Guangzhou - look where we're going! I don't buy it, so we continue. Finally, after months of wondering, the secret is revealed - we are heading across the pond (...and the entire United States) to London and we're boarding an A380! I'm stoked. I've never flown in an A380 before and this one is brand new to the British Airways fleet. We may be riding in coach, but we're definitely flying in style. Time to settle in for a long flight.

Saturday 4:30 PM GMT | LHR | London, England

We made it to London! Customs is nearly painless. Lucky me - I'm one of the few non-EU passengers on the plane, which means the "other passport" line is nearly empty. The border agent takes my immigration form and asks where I am flying after "3 days" in the UK. "Back to California!" He looks at me like I'm completely mad and asks why I would fly so far for such a short trip. "My boyfriend and I really like to travel" I say, but now he's wondering where said boyfriend is. I point to the (much longer) EU line and explain he's over there. Unconvinced, the customs agent decides to ask me about my profession and gets excited when I tell him where I work. I've said the magic words - passport is stamped and I'm off!

Chris is excited because he's booked the Heathrow Express, which will get us to Paddington Station in 15 minutes (as opposed to over an hour on the Underground). He's saying something about a discount for business class on the train after paying for an economy class plane ticket. I have no idea what he's saying to be honest, I'm just excited to be here!

Saturday 5:30PM GMT | In an Uber | London, England

Chris' main thrill in life is taking Uber in every city possible, so we grab one from Paddington Station to our hotel. A sleek silver Mercedes pulls up and it's time to go.

Saturday 6:00PM GMT | InterContinental London Westminster | London, England

This guy has really outdone himself. We check in to our gorgeous hotel and immediately try to figure out how to work the fancy lights and extremely large sliding bathroom door. Apparently, the bathroom is wired for sound - sure, why not? We're across the street from a Tube station and a five minute walk from Westminster Abbey and 10 minute walk from Buckingham Palace. I suppose this will have to do.

Saturday 7:30PM GMT | Imperial College London, Royal Albert Hall, The Queens Arms | London, England

After showering and getting settled in at the hotel, I'm anxious to explore. I've been to London once, but it's been four years and I've been dying to go back. Chris went to grad school here, so we head over to his old neck of the woods and he gives me a brief tour of his (sadly, quite ugly) alma mater. From Imperial, we walk over to Royal Albert Hall and then the edge of Hyde Park. 

Now it's getting dark and it's time for a pint. Chris has a favorite pub nearby, but despite attending university here for a year, he may not remember how to get there. (I scratch my head at the thought.) We wander through tree-lined streets and eventually happen across an adorable pub tucked away on an unassuming side street. Ok, I guess it was a bit tricky to find. We luck out and the usually crowded pub is not too busy. 

Saturday 10:00PM GMT | London Eye, Big Ben | London, England

After dinner, I have the brilliant idea to head over to Westminster and take some night photos of the Eye and Big Ben. Chris is a champ and tries diligently to get the perfect shot. Unfortunately, there are still 80 kabillion tourists with the same idea we had, so it's a bit tough. Finally, we head back to the hotel. My trick to beat jet lag is to sleep when you're supposed to sleep and Big Ben just chimed 10. See you in the morning, London.