life. D A I L Y
2 0 2 2
LUXURY  Living room of
the serviced apartment
in the heart of Mayfair
Mix with the elite
in Mayfair when
London’s calling
Jacob Farr tries out a serviced apartment in one of Central London’s most
exclusive areas and discovers a haven perfect for a short-but-suite city break
WITH the Covid-19 pandemic still
around, people are looking closer
to home for holiday breaks and
where better to look for those of
us north of the Border than
London.
The English capital is steeped in
history and whether you have
visited several times in the past or
not, there is always a fantastic
number of attractions, events or
great places to eat.
But who wants to take in Big
Ben, the House of Commons or
Buckingham Palace after a rough
night’s sleep in a cheap hotel bed?
Certainly not me.
That’s what brought us to
ByMansley’s serviced apartments
at 44 Curzon Street, in the heart of
the luxurious Mayfair area.
We were invited down to
sample one of their one-bed
flats and share our thoughts on
our stay.
Travelling down on a Sunday,
we arrived in central London and
grabbed a bite to eat with friends
in Covent Garden as our check-in
wasn’t until 4pm.
However, we were able to walk
from Covent Garden to our
apartment in less than half an
hour – meaning it was perfectly
situated for shopping trips.
We were taken aback by the
grandeur of the property and the
warm welcome we received
from the concierge who
services the front desk
through set hours.
The living room was very
spacious and the couches
extremely comfy – brilliant
for sinking into after a long
day taking in all the
traditional tourist sites.
A welcome pack greeted
us upon our arrival and
R E C O R D
FactBox
Options are available from
about £545 and can be booked
via the ByMansley serviced
apartments website –
bymansley.com/44-curzon-
street/apartments-suites/?id=1)
contained croissants, jam, cereal,
water and a mixture of other items
within the bag.
There is a balcony that one
person can stand on and survey
the Mayfair streets and what
appeared to be a Saudi Arabian
embassy further down the road.
The kitchen/hallway was cute
and allows residents to self-cater if
they wish to do so.
Although, I would add that I
don’t think you could come up with
an intricate meal in the space as
there is not a lot of room to
manoeuvre.
SY  Giant
SLEEP EAapartment
bed in the
3 0 . 0 4 .
But ultimately the Mayfair area is
surrounded by fine restaurants,
pubs and cafés that would meet
the culinary needs of almost
everyone.
The en-suite bedroom, however,
was the pièce de résistance.
It’s off a spacious bedroom filled
with plenty of spaces for storing
clothing and a giant bed big
enough for a mediaeval king.
As for the bathroom, there
were his and hers sinks, a bathtub
and a powerful shower. A lovely
collection of toiletries was also
supplied for us.
The only downside for those
travelling from sleepy suburban
areas was the noise coming from
surrounding businesses in the
morning.
This was less than ideal after a
late night in the West End followed
by dinner and drinks.
As well as this, there was
sometimes an issue with hearing
fellow guests in other apartments
arguing but that can’t be blamed
on the venue and is the fault of
those shouting in other residential
properties.
A number of the finishes
around the apartment also looked
rather worn.
Ultimately though, the rich
historic demeanour of the
apartment was breathtaking and it
did feel as though you were living
among the elite of the United
Kingdom.
The best thing about the
apartment was the location and
we managed to visit the Natural
History Museum, Buckingham
Palace and Covent Garden by foot.
They were all less than
30 minutes’ walk away.
We were also spoiled for
choice when it came to dinner
options.
36&37
Travel
Travel test
CHRISTIAN
VALUES
Church of
the Holy
Sepulchre
travel
ravel WITH
SALLY McLEAN Super Israel’s BY RICHARD JACKSON
WHAT: The newly opened Zog
Playland at Warwick Castle. The
old Midlands favourite for a family
heaven sent
s.mclean@ visit has launched a new outdoor
dailyrecord.co.uk fun zone for little kids (themed
around the much-loved Julia
Donaldson book and cartoon).
Day tickets from £25pp, under-3s
free. Annual pass £65pp, off-peak
pass £45pp. warwick-castle.com
WHERE: Just off the M40. You
Queuing up to see the shrines is can’t miss it, it’s well signposted.
EXPERIENCE: The new Zog
worth the wait, as Virginia Playland is great, and exactly
what the castle needs to attract
HOUSE
Blackburn discovers all ages. With a zipwire, sandpit,
slides and belching lions/smoking
PROUD dragons (that sounds like a good
Tel Aviv idea for a film...), you’ll have
streets with STUNNING
View of trouble dragging your young ’uns
Bauhaus
features ancient – it’s suitable for ages up to 10 –
Jaffa away from it.
But the castle’s old favourites
shouldn’t be missed. The birds of
prey show The Falconer’s Quest is
still a thrill for young and old,
while the Horrible Histories-
themed maze is fun to get lost in
for toddlers, teens and grown-ups.
Nerdy adults (and nerdy kids) will
also enjoy the history of the Great
Hall, and its waxwork displays, too.
It really offers something extra
for a group with a young child or
two, if they’re a bit small for the
PIVOTAL castle’s other sword-fighting
VIEW
Holy
Sepulchre
and arrow-flinging attractions.
BOOK IT QUIBBLES: Restaurant service
ROOMS at the Brown Beach was slow at the otherwise-
House hotel in Tel Aviv start at excellent Knight’s Village – an
about £210 a night. brownhotels.com option if you are planning to stay
Rooms at the Arthur Hotel in Jerusalem overnight. So go early if you
start at about £170 a night. atlas.co.il have younger kids who will get
GET THERE grumpy/hungry waiting, although
British Airways flies from Heathrow to they do put on a very entertaining
I AM in Israel, doing what the British Orthodox and Armenian Apostolics all tour began. After a night in isolation kettle of fish indeed. We started off in embraced by Tel Aviv from £474 return. sword fight to keep you occupied.
do best – queuing. But this is a queue have chapels in the church (Golgotha is at our hotel, one block from the beach the centre of Jerusalem, heading everyone concerned. britishairways.com The Knight’s Village lodges
like no other I’ve ever been in. in a Catholic chapel) and Coptic (Israel takes Covid restrictions very towards Mea She’arim, which is For what it is worth, I offer a beautiful and peaceful
where the ultra-Orthodox Jewish was not aware of any
MORE INFO stay just a few minutes’ walk from
I’m at the Church of the Holy Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox and seriously), we ventured out into the goisrael.com
Ethiopian Orthodox are represented too. city famous for Bauhaus architecture. community live, mainly Hasidic. tension between the different PILGRIM the castle (glamping tents are
Sepulchre, in the Christian quarter of
Old Jerusalem, and I’m queuing to get Quite apart from the religious Tel Aviv is the antithesis of This is the community that still communities and in the Old Orthodox also available in warmer months).
Jewish man VERDICT: The medieval wonder
to Golgotha, or Calvary. element, it’s also extremely beautiful, Jerusalem. Established at the dresses in a style dating from the 18th City, the three are piled up on top alone at the
beginning of the 20th century, it is a century (our guide pointed out that of each other. When I was standing of Warwick Castle has always
This is the spot on which Jesus was with Byzantine mosaics and icons Wailing Wall
city of wide boulevards, very foodie different types of headwear, breeches in a church, I heard the call to prayer been a great destination. Zog’s
crucified and the stone the cross was decorating a place on which a church
restaurants and markets, namely and so on indicated the European from a mosque. Playland adds something extra
thought to have stood on is right here, has stood since 327AD.
Hacarmel and Levinsky, where you country of origin of an individual’s We were in Jerusalem for two days, for parents with younger children.
in this church. It is also the last place you visit as you
can find everything from electronic family) and eschews modern life, which is nothing like enough to see Joust do it. 9/10
It is mainly protected by glass but walk the Via Dolorosa, the route Jesus
gadgets to good food. refusing such elements as televisions. it all.
there is a hole you can put your hand took as he walked to the site of the
through to touch it and that’s what I
and many others are waiting to do.
crucifixion, marked by XIV Stations of
the Cross (the last are inside the church
Nearby is the site of the tomb he was itself.) And not far away, on Mount Zion,
The city is quite small so it’s fairly
easy to stroll around in a day. The
Rothschild Boulevard runs down the
It’s a small network of streets and,
while you are allowed in, it is a must
to dress and behave modestly, which
We did visit the Western Wall,
known to some as the Wailing Wall,
but were only able to admire the
Big Deals
CROATIA cruise from £1395pp:
Dome of the Rock, housed in Haram
incarcerated in before the Resurrection. stands a chapel on the spot where the centre of it and is home to many for women includes wearing long-ish save £900pp on an eight-day small
al-Sharif (the “noblest sanctuary” to
Unsurprisingly, to Christians, these are Last Supper was supposed to have Bauhaus buildings, the defining skirts. And don’t gawp. ship Adriatic sailing on Princess
the two holiest sites in the taken place; it, in turn, is directly architectural style of the city. The city centre is very attractive. Muslims – this place really does Eleganza to Krk, Dubrovnik, Rab,
world. above where the Tomb of It is also easy to get to neighbouring It is all built in the same limestone have some of the holiest spots Sibenik, Split, Korcula and Vis.
Jaffa, an ancient port city which has a colour (to this day no other colour or for all three of the great
It is a remarkable David ( from whom Jesus PERFECT Drinks with meals and local
place, as is the city in was said to be totally different atmosphere with old stone is allowed in the building of it) monotheistic religions) from Beach Hou SETTING Brown guided tours included, depart
se, Tel Aviv
which it is housed. descended) was cobblestone streets, a flea market, and you can stroll down Ben Yehuda afar. And the archaeologist from Gatwick or Heathrow on
arty shops and a lovely seafront Street and Jaffa Street before visiting excavations of the City of David
Much like Jerusalem thought to, May 27. Book at aptouring.co.uk
dotted with fish restaurants. It is also, Machane Yehuda, a local two-block are for another time.
and Israel itself, the although modern GREEK Islands from £255pp:
incidentally, where Jonah was market that is a paradise for foodies. Fortunately my support
Church of the Holy archaeological save 54 per cent on a week’s self-
supposed to have been swallowed by But it is the Old City that has been bubble is a keen archaeologist catering getaway at the two-star+
Sepulchre is home opinion now cites
to many shades of him as being a whale. exuding fascination for thousands of who has been on a dig in Katelios Studios in Katelios, on the
Tel Aviv is only an hour’s drive to years. In it, Jews, Christians and Israel, which he is eager to south coast of Kefalonia. Fly from
religion, although in elsewhere.
this case all of them It’s a far cry from Jerusalem so we headed off from Muslims appear to co-exist relatively repeat. Birmingham on May 11, other UK
KEY SPOT laidback partying (it even has a equably, although it is a pragmatic Would I go again? Like airport departures available.
are Christian: Roman party central, aka Tel
Catholics, Greek Dome of the Rock Aviv, which is where our whisky distillery) to a very different decision rather than one joyfully a shot. Book at olympicholidays.com