By now, many of you who read my blog about Paddington, London are aware of my affinity for this special place because of the unique qualities it offers tourists visiting London, but in this article I’d like to address a special situation that in this day and age doesn’t happen very often.

It starts with The Stylotel Hotel, which over the past three or so years has become my home away from home (see my review of this hotel here). One of the things I’ve observed over time is how special the staff are and, equally special, the staff’s relationship with its owner Paul Charalambous. They are fiercely loyal to him, and he to them, by being a true humanitarian when it comes to their personal needs by going above and beyond where your average employer goes in making sure his employees are taken care of both at work and in their personal lives. I believe that this is what makes them a truly exceptional hotel staff which is a major factor as to why this hotel is a such great place to stay.

With all of this in mind, I’d like to share a personal experience which occurred during a recent stay there. I was standing in the lobby having a conversation with hotel manager Andreas Iona, when one of the cleaning staff approached him, offering what appeared to be a folded piece of paper. She opened it up, and tucked inside was an American $100 bill which she said she found on the floor of the last room she cleaned: room 205. My room. Indeed, I had placed some $100 bills into the safe earlier in the day, and this one apparently fell to the floor and under the bed without my seeing it. I was astonished. Admittedly, as of late, I have become very cynical of today’s society, but this was truly a ‘maybe there’s hope for humanity after all’ moment. I thanked her profusely for her honesty and immediately offered her a few British pounds which she politely refused, but I insisted she take it.

Let’s face it, most of us are wary of people coming into our hotel rooms while we’re out during the day, and many of us (myself included) go to great lengths to make sure we leave nothing to chance, but as of now, I leave my room comfortable in the knowledge that I’m leaving my belongings in good hands. Thanks to the wonderful staff that work for this hotel.

Paddington is of course famous for one little bear from Peru who’s partial to marmalade and is recognised all over the world.

But now there’s a new Bear in town with the opening of Paddington’s latest pub – The Bear which occupies the former Cork and Bottle wine bar on Spring Street, near the station.

The business has been taken over by The Craft Beer Company and is the company’s ninth London outlet offering a bewildering choice of 41 beers all sourced from small independent breweries.

General manager Kiran tells me his food menu is limited to eight kinds of burger and fish and chips – as he wants to do one type of food and to do that well.

Here is one of the most common Adjacent Area plans I use with my London Travel Planner clients:

Today’s Itinerary: 

• Tower Bridge and Saint Paul’s – The Tower Of London is the most time consuming London tourist attraction; a half day at least depending on how thorough you are about sightseeing. These two areas are close enough to one another that if you’re feeling really ambitious, there is a very nice walk along the Thames from Saint Paul’s to Tower Bridge that affords you a wonderful photo opportunity of the bridge as you approach it. If you want more information on this walk contact me.

To Saint Paul’s from Paddington: Paddington (Lancaster Gate Station) Central Line to Saint Paul’s

Saint Paul’s to Tower Bridge: Saint Paul’s Station to Bank Station. Walk from Bank to Monument Station. (stations are interconnected) Circle Line to Tower Bridge Station

Back to Paddington: Tower Bridge Station Circle Line to Paddington Station.

 

Here’s an example of an Adjacent Area plan, combining Westminster and Charing Cross stations I use for travelers who may only have one day in London, maybe due to a layover, or a business trip with one free day.

Today’s Itinerary:

• Westminster and Charing Cross -Westminster can be combined with Charing Cross but you’ll need a full day to do it. You’ll be amazed at how much of iconic London you’ll see by combining these two areas: Big Ben, Parliament, London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, The Mall, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and 10 Downing Street. All of these iconic London places, all in one day!

To Westminster from Paddington: Circle Line at Paddington Station to Westminster Station.

Back to Paddington: Charing Cross Station Bakerloo Line to Paddington Station or Westminster Station Circle Line to Paddington Station.

It’s really just about knowing which tourist attraction is where, and a knowledge of the London Underground Stations and where they are located in relation to the tourist attractions. This is a tried and true method I’ve been using for over 10 years, and I almost always receive positive feedback on it.

If you have any questions about any of what I’ve written in this article, please contact me through the contact page, or by using the Facebook Messenger App here on the page.

• Paddington Waterside canal tours
• Waterside Puppet Barge
• The Paddington Bear Shop
• The Paddington Bear bench on platform one of Paddington Station
• Hyde Park
• The Princess Diana Memorial Playground

 

Paddington has loads of resources for making your family’s stay here easy, especially if you’re staying in a B & B:

• Grocery stores
• Pharmacies
• Souvenir shops
• Fast food

Read more about things to do for kids at our sister website HERE