west end

Heron Tower, A Home For Hedgies Who Want To Swim With Sharks

Hedge fund managers are often referred to as having shark-like qualities so it's no coincidence that a new skyscraper in London designed to lure deep-pocketed hedgies from their Mayfair digs will have a shark in the lobby. The Heron Tower may have a bird's name but it's the huge aquarium that is attracting attention. The tower topped out to full height this week. For now it is the tallest building in London although it will soon lose that title to the Pinnacle project.

The property website refers to the tower as offering "advanced business life development." It will have an entrance that is more like a luxury hotel than an office and will have a restaurant and a sky bar. The 46-story building is broken into segments they call villages. A village consists of three floors arranged around a central open atrium. Most of the villages are a a full base floor and two gallery floors arranged around a north-facing atrium for around 35,000 square feet of office space. There are ten three-floor villages and one six-floor village in the building. Three basement levels house retail, parking, storage and management services. The building should open early next year.

Tags: heron tower, london, west end

Enjoy the Cigar Lounge at The Montague on the Gardens

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars, Luxury Travel & Hotels

As I learned on my last two trips to the United Kingdom, there aren't many places where you can light up a cigar. Had I known about The Montague on the Gardens, I probably would have altered my travel plans a bit. The hotel bar has a dedicated outdoor cigar terrace, which for puffers, amounts to a bit of tranquility in an otherwise hostile world.

Toward the back of the hotel, like-minded guests can gather in the bar for a drink before stepping outside to a blissful smoking location with a great view of the Bedford Estate's private gardens. I tend to bring my own cigars when I travel, but sometimes like to sample the locally available fare and The Montague on the Gardens offers plenty of incentive. The bar has more than 20 brands on hand, including the coveted Cohiba Siglo VI. Smoke it gently while sipping a glass of Remy Martin Louis XIII, and you'll struggle to find a more enjoyable situation.

The hotel itself is designed to impress. It's a Georgian townhouse hotel with 101 rooms and suites – not to mention a two-bedroom apartment. This four-star establishment is within walking distance of the West End and The British Museum, and the "Type A" crowd will be happy to know it isn't far from London's Financial District.

Whatever the day's distraction is, though, return to The Montague on the Gardens and settle down for the evening with the cigar of your choice. Savor each draw, and punctuate it with your preferred spirit. Perfect.

Tags: british museum, BritishMuseum, cigar, cigar lounge, CigarLounge, cigars, cognac, cohiba, england, great britain, GreatBritain, liquor, london, londonengland, louis xiii, LouisXiii, remy, remy martin, RemyMartin, spirits, united kingdom, UnitedKingdom, west end, WestEnd