LHR: Melia Neighborhood Report

(Here's the neighborhood report someone put together - enjoy! Tim)

NEW LONDON MELIA HOTEL NEIGHBORHOOD

Here’s a very quick thumbnail sketch of the new neighborhood. The new hotel is palatial. The rooms are small but luxuriously appointed. Good discounts, a free drink chit for now (don’t tell), good HVAC, funky programmed elevators, very upscale clientele. It is a definite change for the better from the Hilton. The neighborhood is fantastic.

LOCATION

The hotel is at the very southeast corner of Regent’s Park, half a block north of Marylebone Rd (become Euston Rd. 1 blk. East). Walking-distance times are as follows:

Oxford Street 10 mins
Oxford Circus 11 mins
Berwick St. – Soho – Ch-town 15 mins
Covent Garden 20 mins
Piccadilly Circus 17 mins
Marble Arch 17 mins
London Hilton 15 mins
Big Ben - Westminster 30 mins

There are three tube stations within a five-minute walk:

Great Portland St. – Circle, Hammersmith, Metropolitan lines
Warren St. – Northern, Victoria lines
Regent’s Park – Piccadilly line

The Baker St., Euston, Euston Sq. and Goodge St. tube stations are within a 10 minute- walk. Grab your Oyster card and be at Harrods in 15 minutes, Notting Hill & Queensway in 10 minutes, and Tower Hill in 15 minutes. Busses all over London are plentiful on Marylebone, Baker Street and Tottenham Court Road. Night busses serve Tottenham Court Rd and Baker Street.

Of course there is Regent’s Park and the London Zoo right there. No roller blades in Regent’s Park. Along the north edge of the park is the Grand Union Canal and Walkway. Follow the canal from Camden Town to Little Venice. Extremely scenic walk any time of the year.

Avoid some of the neighborhoods to the northeast of the hotel. Stick to Albany Street or Hampstead Road if you are going to Camden Town.

NEW DINING VENUES AND PUBS

The Concierge pointed me to three areas.

1. Great Portland Street (GPS) and Totenham Court Rd. Both run south from Marylebone and have the typical commercial and touristy London fare with a few glamorous pricey ones mixed in. Sorry, Pizza Express and Angus Steak House just don’t do it for me, but they’re there.

2. Cleveland Street runs south from Marylebone between Portland and Totenham, and is where the local residents and students from the University of London go. No tourist traps – very affordable. Within six blocks there are two Thai restaurants (very inexpensive)( Lotus Thai / Melonbee), a Chinese sit-down and take-away that is dirt cheap (Friendship), two affordable Greek restaurants (4 Lanterns / Vasis), an Indian restaurants (Ragam - inexpensive), a Chippie (very inexpensive), an affordable Turkish restaurant (Istanbul Mezze) and an affordable Italian restaurant (Monte Blanco). Most of the restaurants on Cleveland don’t open for dinner until 1800 hours.

3. Warren Street runs east-west parallel to Marylebone just one block south behind the Volvo dealership. There is the Smuggler’s Tavern which like Churchill’s and Windsor Castle is a typical pub with a Thai kitchen. A little further to the east is Lord’s Indian Restr which had reasonable prices. The pub I’ll call my new home on cold winter nights is The Prince of Wales Feathers, located one block further east on Warren Street across from the Warren Street Tube Sta. It is a typical new-style pub with four or so flat screens for sports and a kitchen menu that is four pages long. What’s so special is that every day they have a meal and drink special that runs either 5.99 or 6.99 for a FULL meal and a drink! They also have a very extensive menu with London Pride on tap. It’s jam-packed, friendly, with sharing tables, great digital juke box (70’s & 80’s). Very much like the Pride of Paddington on Praed Street – just better!

4. Other areas nearby: The Great Portland Street tubestation has a Coffee Stop on the outside with freshly made breakfast and lunch sandwiches for 2.00 or less. Yes, a real bacon roll for 2 quid. Starbucks and Pret a Manger are both directly east of the hotel on Marylebone (two blocks) or go two blocks down Great Portland St. (south). Behind the G.P.S. tube station is the Albany Pub. Huge, popular, crowded, loud. . . For a more quintessential old London pub, go two blocks down G.P.S., turn right on Devonshire to the Mason’s Arms.

5. Food Shopping. Tesco Express is right behind the G.P.S. tube station (1/2 block from hotel), and Sainsbury’s local is two blocks down Great Portland St. A full-size traditional Sainsbury’s is down Tottenham Court Rd, about a block south of the Warren St. tube station (seven minutes walk from hotel)