Room for ‘at most’ one more Eurostar rival, says regulator Transport and infrastructure There is space for “at most” one more rail operator at Eurostar’s key east London train depot, the UK’s railways watchdog has said. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has been assessing capacity at Temple Mills International depot after Eurostar claimed it was “basically full.” It said on Thursday there was room for “at [...]
Build-to-rent: UK boom in purpose-built properties Property The number of build-to-rent completions in the last year has shot up in another sign the sector is here to stay in the UK. Completions of built to rent properties – which refers to purpose built, institutionally owned and professionally managed residential blocks of flats – have risen by 16 per cent year on year, [...]
La Môme at The Berkeley review: a splash of high camp Life&Style The Berkeley’s newest restaurant, La Môme, is best when it leans into eccentricity, but the food needs work, says Adam Bloodworth The Maybourne Group run the very plushest London hotels. Their newest, The Emory – London’s first and only all-suite hotel – charges north of a grand for an entry-level room. It opened last year [...]
The Emory London review: is this £1k per night hotel more fun than Claridge’s? May 28, 2025 INTRODUCING THE EMORYAs the hotel beloved by Princess Victoria and the late Queen and Madonna and just about everyone worthy of admiration, Claridge’s is considered by those lucky enough to go as the pinnacle of London luxury. Even if you visit once a year for their afternoon tea or to stare at the Christmas tree, [...]
Uber unveils tie-up with Eurostar challenger May 21, 2025 Uber is planning a partnership deal with one of the firms seeking to oust Eurostar as the sole operator of the Channel Tunnel. Gemini Trains, spearheaded by the Labour peer Lord Berkeley, is one of several competitors looking to break Eurostar’s 30-year monopoly on cross-channel services. Passengers will be able to book tickets via the [...]
Eat, drink, sleep repeat: From martinis to ceviche – the best London spots past and present April 24, 2025 Studying successful luxury brands is a personal passion of mine; At their best, they inspire the people working within them to achieve what they didn’t think possible, whilst creating a huge following of passionate advocates spreading their brand love and purchasing power. If you have success in both of these areas, the profits will follow; [...]
Avanti West Coast co-owner to launch €1bn Eurostar rival April 8, 2025 A co-owner of Avanti West Coast has confirmed plans to launch a €1bn (£856.6m) rival Eurostar which would run services between London and Paris. FS Italiane Group is looking to run a high-speed rail service between the two capitals by 2029. The group, which co-owns Avanti West Coast alongside FirstGroup, has put aside €1bn for [...]
Japanese Whisky: A celebration of Japan’s culture April 3, 2025 Whisky Business: City AM’s monthly look at the world of whisky. April 1st marked Japanese Whisky Day, the annual event designed to celebrate and showcase Japanese whisky. While the drink has gained recognition in recent years, it’s still fighting for a place on the shelf alongside Scotch, Irish and Bourbon. It might come as a surprise, [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: London’s best dog-friendly restaurants March 26, 2025 Last week Franco Manca announced that they have become ‘dog friendly’. This a welcome turnaround for the restaurant group that turned away a guide dog from one of their venues in 2018. Fortunately, this shameful incident led to my meeting with Dave Kent, the blind gentleman who required his trusty friend Chad to lead him [...]
Third Eurostar challenger steps up March 24, 2025 A third operator seeking to challenge Eurostar’s monopoly on Channel Tunnel services has been announced. Gemini said on Monday it had submitted an application to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) regulator for access to Eurostar’s Temple Mills depot, which is the only place in the UK to park and maintain high-speed, cross-Channel trains. [...]