Where to stay and dine
Inexpensive accommodations will be few and far between in London over the Platinum Jubilee June weekend, with many hotels already sold out. If you spot a room deal that seems too good to be true, read the fine print. Is it in a desirable location? Does it have an en suite bathroom? Does it have a window? Is it even big enough to accommodate a Chihuahua, much less a full-sized human or two? If you’re looking for a bargain, it’s best not to visit in early June. Here are some suggestions in different neighborhoods.
Proximity for a price: If you want to be at the center of the action for the Platinum Jubilee June weekend, you can’t get much closer than The Rubens at the Palace, overlooking the Royal Mews entrance to Buckingham Palace; or The Goring, which borders the palace and is the only hotel to hold a Royal Warrant. Even if you don’t snag a room at these posh, pedigreed hotels, you can still enjoy their afternoon tea or other Platinum Jubilee dining experiences. The Michelin-starred Dining Room at the Goring is offering a menu inspired by dishes served during the 1953 coronation, and the Rubens will host several Jubilee events June 2-4, including a seven-course dinner featuring the queen’s personal bagpiper ($400 per person) and a 1950s-themed “street party” in the hotel’s New York Bar ($204 per person).
A big caveat: To be in such intimate proximity to the palace in June will set you back a bundle. Doubles start at $470 at the Rubens and $960 at the Goring, which is also offering a Platinum Jubilee package for $1,180 per night, including two nights’ accommodation, full English breakfast each morning, the Jubilee Bollinger Afternoon Tea for two, two Jubilee Fizz cocktails with canapés, and a three-course dinner for two from a set menu in The Dining Room with champagne and petits fours.
The turreted 19th-century St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel boasts glamorous public spaces, a spa and a pool, but its chief asset is its location, just steps from King’s Cross St. Pancras Underground Station, where six Underground Tube lines meet. It’s the perfect base for accessing sites across London, including Buckingham Palace. In June, doubles start at $468.
King’s Cross is a hub for dining, too, with nearby Coal Drops Yard and Granary Square offering dozens of reasonably priced options like Dishoom, which serves Indian dishes in a Bombay-style café, and Granary Square Brasserie, where you can savor British favorites like fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and smoked salmon surrounded by crystal chandeliers and vibrantly colored velvet seating. On weekends, locals flock to Canopy Market, in a Victorian steel and glass-covered hall. Vendors hawk inexpensive grab-and-go fare, like gooey meat-and-cheese-filled “toasties” and Chinese barbecue, as well as handicrafts and jewelry.
Stylish and (slightly) less expensive: For foodies and artistic souls who don’t mind sharing the sidewalk with boisterous members of Generations Y and Z, The Courthouse Hotel, a Baroque property less than 4 miles northeast of Buckingham Palace, beckons with a pool, spa and rooftop bar. In June, doubles start at $325.
Neighborhood highlights include some of London’s best street art, Brick Lane’s curry houses and vintage shops, and restaurants that run the gamut from Michelin-starred The Clove Club, across the street from the hotel, to Italian sharing plates at Popolo, where gastronomes belly up at the kitchen bar to watch the chefs at work. For a real deal, head to Padella, which serves fresh pasta dishes from $11 at two locations: Shoreditch and Borough Market, an epicurean epicenter near London Bridge, less than 2 miles away.
Outside London: Not only does Windsor boast a striking castle at its center, but hotels are generally less expensive than you’ll find in London, and it’s only 7 miles to Ascot Racecourse, where the queen will attend Royal Ascot’s opening day on June 14. If you’re flying in to Heathrow, you can prebook a taxi from the airport to central Windsor for about $30.
You’ll find a variety of accommodations in Windsor and neighboring Eton. For modern elegance in a boutique Georgian building, consider Castle Hotel, which sits almost on the doorstep of Windsor Castle. In June you can find doubles from $177.50. The hotel restaurant, Leaf, a light and airy confection draped in greenery, offers British classics starting at $20 and a Queen’s Jubilee afternoon tea for $36.
