There’s a lot to be said for a staycation. With one of the world’s greatest cities on our doorstep, hands up those of us who have spent our London lives walking past beautiful landmark hotels and not thinking twice about staying in one when home is so close and the budget won’t quit stretch?
One website is changing the face of hotel use and offering the perfect solution to those pondering the idea of a staycation; Dayuse.com offers hotel rooms during the day at a reduced rate. Intrigued? You should be. Dayuse.com offers a choice of 300 UK hotels in major cities, 160 of which are in London; from The Hoxton to Sofitel St James’s, The Ampersand to Chelsea Harbour Hotel, budget, boutique and business - there’s something for everyone. As autumn approaches it’s the perfect excuse to indulge in a day of R&R - what better way to spend a chilly, rainy Sunday than wrapped up in a robe in a king size hotel bed, watching movies and ordering room service? Sounds blissful.
Intrigued to try it out for myself, I recently paid a daytime visit to the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, a long time note on my must-visit list. Checking in, one can’t fail to be wowed by the impressive lobby; it’s a glorious piece of architecture and definitely one to come back to for afternoon tea and people watching. Dayuse.com offers Superior King rooms at the hotel for £150, from 9am-5pm, a big saving on the usual nightly rate of £293.
After checking in to the room the first stop, as always, was to hit the spa. Discretely located in the original underground kitchens of the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London, the hydrotherapy pool, sauna and steam room make for the perfect relaxation circuit and there’s an impressive menu of treatments and packages if you need some proper r&r. Be warned though; children’s swimming is from 8am - 10am and 2pm - 4pm; I didn’t check that part and subsequently my session wasn’t quite as relaxing as it could have been…
Dining at the St Pancras Renaissance is certainly something to shout about. From afternoon tea in the Hansom Lounge lobby to the Booking Office, a bar and restaurant located inside the station’s original ticket hall, there’s plenty to choose from. Though if of course you’re indulging in your room for the day, the room service menu is full of classics to keep you going. Post-spa we indulged in a spot of lunch, eaten in bed of course, accompanied by a stack of magazines and a classic movie on the TV, just the ticket when there’s rain outside the window. 5pm rolled round far too quickly (I didn’t even have time for a proper nap..) and we were undoubtedly disappointed to leave our happy little cocoon after a day chillaxing.
Whether it appeals to tourists needing a base for the day, travellers with an awkward 12 hour stopover or just a bored Londoner fancying an escape for the day and a peek inside the walls of some of the capital’s premier hotels, Dayuse.com is an intriguing proposition to kill some time and with over 3000 partner hotels in 16 countries, certainly something that’s catching on around the globe.
