I’ve been in London, having a lovely time in the boiling sunshine. I had the best pedicure of my life, including any I’ve had from ultra-luxe salons and spas, at The Nail Spa in George St in Marylebone. So I’m sharing that because it takes quite a lot to impress me on that particular front.
Also, they were so nice - they prefer being paid in cash (should you go, there’s an ATM next door) but my card was at home and I only had my phone with me. I had an excellent manicure last night and then the pedi this morning, and after the manicure they said ‘just pay us tomorrow’. Which I call trusting, given that I was a random woman walking into a random nail bar in the middle of town without an appointment.
I was staying at Durrants ↑ - as previously noted, like staying at the London house of an aged, beloved and mildly eccentric aunt who lives in the country, thinks aircon and modern bathrooms are for wimps, doesn’t much mind if there’s the odd stain on the carpet or a chip in the paint, but values a really good mattress and believes in lots of very cosy nooks everywhere and board games at tea. It’s not for everyone, Durrants - it’s genteel rather than glamorous - but if it’s for you then it’s really for you.
NB it’s not a sex hotel, do you know what I mean? It’s the perfect hotel for the solo traveller and his or her laptop, rather than a couple who want to spend two days in bed. Although I suppose if you want to spend two days in bed you’re not especially fussed about location. It’s romantic, though, but in an old-fashioned way. (Actually I imagine it’s the perfect sex hotel for people in their seventies who have been going for 50 years and still burn with lust for each other, which is a charming and even poetic thought).