An old soldier
becomes the new

LONDON’S RAILWAY Hotel is a British institution. It
represented the best of the Victorian cra, but had the
misfortune to live on when Victoria passed away.

The last of them, the Hotel
Great Central, opened in 1899,
© enjoyed some ‘good years, then
was pressed into service us a con-
valescent home for officers during
the First World War. ;
in the next war it was demoted
to a transit station for troops, and
later suffered the ignominy of
becoming offices for British Rail.
Then Japanese investors arriv-
ed, sank $150 million into the’
place, and reopened it as the
London Regent. Today it’s the
newest hotel sensation in London.
It’s even attracting attention
from neighbors, normally the last
people a hotel can lure inside.
- Residents have heard about the
hotel's superb health club with
swimming pool, a coveted facility
even in this area of expensive
' apartment buildings.
The Regent is on Marylebone
Road just a short walk from
Baker Street. Walk down Baker

4a It’s even
attracting attention
’ from neighbors,
normally the last
- people a hotel can
lure inside. a

Street for 15 minutes and you’re
_in Oxford Street close to
Selfridge’s.

Sherlock Holmes’ rooms were
at 2218 Baker St., almost at the
junction of Marylebone Road.

The current occupant is a bank,
-but across the road there is a
Holmes memorabilia shop, and a
dry cleaner with the slogan ‘‘We
will dye for you.”’

Down the road there is a
Sherlock Holmes Hotel, and an
enterprising dentist has set up
shop as Dr. Watson’s Chambers.

Just behind 221B is Dorset
Square, an enchanting little

' private garden with more than a
little history.

Here, on May 31, 1787,

Thomas Lord organized the
world’s first cricket match, and
the Marylebone Cricket Club was
founded here.

Regent’s Park is close by, a
huge expanse of greenery that is
one of London’s prizes.

'. One afternoon I took a walk
from the Regent, gratefully accep-
ting an umbrella from the door-
man as insurance against threaten-
ing clouds.

Clickety-click I went to the

‘ park, where traffic noise was soon

‘ left behind. Boys sailed yachts in
a pond and fellow walkers, towed
by large dogs, exchanged greet-
ings.

My trail led by a golf practice

David
Wi shart

‘TRAVEL TIPS

very unpleasant man.”’

I asked about Amis in the cof-
fee shop, where donish types sat
glued to The Guardian. | was
referred to the Queens pub across
the road. No, Arnis was not there
— not yet, anyway.

Back to the Regent in a light
rain, to a warm bathroom de-
cadently tiled in Regent marble.

Then down to wonder at the
Winter Garden — the body of the
kirk — a huge atrium-covered
courtyard with palms and malac-
ca-inspired furniture so that it
feels like the Raffles of
Marylebone.

At cue time the courtyard was
open to the sky, in the style of the
Savoy Hotel or the Royal
Academy's Burlington House.

Carriages came in where the
reception desk is now located, and
dropped guests where today’s
ensembles play for afternoon tea.

The change is miraculous, but
many intriguing, original parts
remain, and a painting by

Photo David Wishart

LONDON'S REGENT Hotel, next to the park, is filled with the history of English traditions like

Sherlock Holmes and cricket.

Breakspeare was safely retrieved
from a cellar and returned to the
its rightful place.

Public rooms have been hand-
somely restored.

The dining room is making its
mark under chef Ralf Johannes
Kutzner, late of Hong Kong’s
Mandarin Oriental and the
Michelin three-star Tantris restau-
rant in Munich.

The 309-room hotel is offering
special opening rates of £126
single or double, which is a
discount of 30%.

True, it’s a steep rise from the
15 shillings a night of the Great
Central, but not all travel costs
have been rising.

Take air fares, Air Canada,
which flies daily non-stop from
Vancouver to London, is offering
a high-season seat sale of $857
(but it may expire June 30, so talk
to a travel agent now).

This is about the same as, or
even less than, fares 10 years ago.
Think about that.

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