Monday 7am. As a result of jet lag, I slept for 10 uninterrupted hours in a comfortable twin bed with Egyptian cotton linen, in a splendid room with coffee/tea/hot chocolate -making facilities. Sipping Twinings breakfast tea in a soft chair with my legs extended upon an 18” x 46” window sill, my rested eyes focused on the largest eye in London, the British Airways Eye. This observation wheel is the tallest in the world and rotates completely every 40 minutes. This is the quintessential “room with a view“. In the foreground, are flocks of birds , countless chimneys, and rows of windows. The sun has been up since 4:20am. A large man-made bird comes into the picture delivering hundreds of travelers who will enjoy this spacious, seemingly limitless, most vibrant city in Europe, as I will. Maybe the most exciting city in the world… definitely in the hearts of Samuel Johnson, Charles Dickens, and Valerie Arena.

The twin deluxe room at the 4 star Charing Cross Guoman Hotel features both air conditioning and heating. The large bathroom has a long bathtub with double safety bars and a separate shower stall away from the tub. Two walls display large mirrors and a third wall supports a heated towel rack. The towels are large enough to double as bedding. Everyday the hotel provides shampoo, shower/bath gel, body lotion, and a pleasant scented soap. The housekeepers work diligently to keep the facilities immaculately clean and supply us with a variety of yummy Walker cookies to accompany the drinks.

At 9:30 am we strolled to a baroque room with a multi-windowed terrace overlooking the Strand, for a full English Breakfast which was included in the price of the room. Through the search engine Expedia, the room, breakfast, and the flight were a total of $5,400 for 11 nights, for two adults. For a 4 star hotel and airfare, this was summer 2008 excellent! Upon approaching the well-decorated cheerful ambiance of the breakfast room, Isabella, a very congenial and gregarious hostess, seated us. All of the breakfast staff were friendly and immediately asked us which hot drink we preferred.(Believe me, in England, I always request tea. Even at THE RITZ, coffee was second rate compared to their wonderful teas). However, one staff member stole our hearts. Cyan Richards dons a ready smile and converses just enough to make you feel welcome and yet give you the space to enjoy your breakfast. Every day she asked us about the preceding day and if we enjoyed ourselves. When it came to our needs, Cyan had Extra Sensory Perception and she was omni-present asking you what you needed or desired. Every morning she knew that I wanted whole wheat toast, porridge, and a special order of vegetarian sausages. Her cheerful willingness to facilitate our breakfast time was manifested in every conceivable way. A hotel staff is of paramount importance to the comforts of the hotel guests. Our breakfast choices included a variety of eggs, bacon, bread, pastry, fruit, jam, cheese, sliced meat, and juice. Moreover, the kitchen provided us with sautéed mushrooms, hash browns, and, believe it or not, baked beans! I enjoyed the uniqueness of having baked beans in the morning. One could sit in the spacious, regal, dining room, under the soft, chandelier lighting or the veranda which offered a panoramic view of the National Museum and St. Martin -of -the- Fields on Trafalgar Square, and the consistent flow of black taxi cabs and red buses traveling up and down the Strand. We enjoyed the veranda and with great sensitivity, Isabella made sure that we had our table on the veranda because she sensed our appreciation of this view. This view was a prelude to a day filled with an assortment of images and momentous energy!

The friendly hotel staff went beyond the kitchen. Since our stay transcended the norm, [corresponding to my passion for London which transcends the norm], the manager, Marlon Abbyakoon, and the assistant manager, Peter Ng, sent us a complimentary bottle of Italian, red, wine. Clive Sparrow, one of the Concierges, with whom we became acquainted, assisted us with directions to some suburbs and recommended good restaurants.

Location, location, location!!! We only used public transport for our treks out of the city. When you step outside the main and only entrance, if you walk a sort of straight line, you are on your way to Leicester Square and theatreland. If you take a right turn, you walk eastward on the Strand and pass Somerset House, various pubs and shops. Eventually, the Strand becomes Fleet Street and St. Paul’s Cathedral is right there in front of you. If you go right and take an immediate hairpin turn onto sloping Villiers Street, there are reasonably priced pubs and restaurants featuring delectable entrees, sandwiches, and desserts. Moreover, the famous Gordon’s Wine Bar, which serves wine and food in a cavernous atmosphere, as well as on an outdoor patio bordering Embankment Park along the Thames. A left turn leads you to Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and if you are very energetic, Harrods. Therefore, for the first-time visitor, the Charing Cross Hotel is especially appropriate for it’s prime location .

For every other conceivable reason, The Charing Cross Hotel is a 10 star hotel in my rating because I could not ask for anything more to make my 22nd visit to London exciting, peaceful, joyful, and beyond, way beyond satisfactory.