© BRITAIN ON VIEW

Doing business
London is the epitomy of diversity, meaning pretty much anything goes. For meetings in the City the once obligatory bowler hat and black umbrella is a thing of the distant past, but good time-keeping is still appreciated – indeed, it's expected. Already home to the best and most wide-ranging hotel and events infrastructure in the UK, it's a portfolio set to expand further as the London Olympics of 2012 draw nearer.

Cool Hotel
It's hard to pick one hotel from such a fine line up, but what we like about the Hoxton is that it breaks the mould. Founded in 2006 by Sinclair Beecham (the man behind Pret a Manger) and located in Shoreditch, the hotel's catchphrase is 'luxury where it matters, budget where it counts' – and it's a fair description. Rates start from £59 a night (including a 'Lite Pret' breakfast, wifi access and VAT) and the hotel's sleek designs and chic rooms are pleasing to the eye. There are vast leather sofas in the light, airy lobby – whose redbrick walls are adorned with colourful pop art pieces – and for dining and drinking there's the atmospheric Hoxton Grille.

Hip restaurant
Established in 1798, Rules is London's oldest restaurant and maintains an air of Olde English grandeur – hip and contemporary it might not be, but it does count Charles Dickens and Charlie Chaplin among star names to have indulged here. Drawings, paintings and cartoons adorn the walls, while traditional game cookery, oysters, pies and puddings make up the menu. There's two private rooms available for hire, seating between nine and 18.

Happening bar
Soho's Amuse Bouche Champagne bar offers a wide range of the sparkly stuff at prices that won't make
your company accountant weep, all served with a smile
in a clean-cut contemporary environment. Runner-up in the Time Out Eating & Drinking awards 2008, it's a popular post-work hangout and can fill up quickly. £5 is the least you'll pay for a glass, but at the other end of the spectrum Cristal magnums come in at the £750 mark if you're looking to splurge. 

Must-see sight
Where to begin? Big Ben and Tower Bridge are good for starters, the latter even hosting corporate events on its walkways high above the Thames. For shopping, theatres and nightlife head to the West End, and for views across the capital the London Eye is hard to beat. 

Getting downtown
While London's main rail terminals are all fairly central, it's quite another story for its airports, excluding, of course, London City, handily located in the Docklands, only a short hop from the capital's financial heart. Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports each have their own dedicated express rail service, but there are cheaper mainline options too, and that goes for Luton airport
as well. In addition, Heathrow is connected to the Underground courtesy of the Piccadilly line. Taxis are the most expensive option; buses the slowest.

Getting there
Train services from London run approximately every 30 minutes, going via Doncaster and Peterborough, with a journey time of around three hours. It's 90 minutes from Edinburgh and there are also rail connections from the likes of Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and Oxford. By car, the city lies at the junction of the A1 and A69. There are scheduled flights to Newcastle International Airport from a large number of UK and European destinations.

The carbon cost
A return flight from Glasgow to London Heathrow will cover 1,210km and emit 0.2 tonnes of CO2. Offset this with The CarbonNeutral Company starting from £1.50

INSIDER’S TIP
“For budget accommodation with a difference, look no further than the Hoxton, a new hotel concept where 24-hour room service and minibars are shunned in favour of stylish rooms with flat-screen TVs and duck-down duvets”  
Jo gardner, Welcome to London Magazine

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