Once in a while, women need to stop being colleagues, bosses, wives and mums, and take a little time out in the lap of luxury as Ladies Who Lunch. To spend quality time with their friends, get pampered, indulge in a little culture and shopping, and eat and drink exactly what they want, when they want. Without the whims of their partners, husbands or kids getting in the way.
And we know exactly how to do it.
Hotels
Location, location, location
A ladies' weekend away is all about location. If you really want to push the boat out, the Mandarin Oriental is fantastic – near the shops, with a great spa, and a bar. For a slightly more hip, marginally cheaper option, try the Sanderson, or the lovely Pembridge Palace hotels, perfectly positioned on the Notting Hill / Kensington borders.
Saturday Morning
Shopping, of course!
Menfolk out of the way, you and the girls can engage in that great feminine pastime, shopping. Try chic and elite in Knightsbridge, top designer stores on the Kings Road, or hunt that quirky, vintage one-off around Notting Hill and Portobello Road.
Saturday Afternoon
That Riviera feeling
Chelsea Harbour feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of busy city life. Take time to gaze at the moored boats from the heated terrace of Aquasia sipping on a champagne cocktail; one could almost believe one was in St Tropez.
Saturday Evening
Show time
Indulge yourself – this is all about you, so nothing's too cheesy, too girly or too embarrassing. Check out those shows where ballsy heroines win the day to really indulge that Independent Woman feeling: Wicked, Sister Act, Mamma Mia! or Chicago.
Après theatre food is best, and it's one of the nicest times to visit a restaurant. It's your treat, so why not splash out at the Wolseley, The Ivy or Le Caprice?
For a final nightcap, give in to the cliché: all Ladies Who Lunch love the bar at Quaglino's. It's open until 3am - the cocktails are guaranteed to flow for as long as you have girly gossip to accompany them!
Sunday Morning
That Sunday morning feeling can only be cured by breakfast in bed and some serious pampering. Hydrohealing in Notting Hill is all about water - there are floatation tanks, facial and body wraps, colonic irrigation, and more, all using water. Everything's clean, calming and welcoming (and obviously not compulsory!).
Kensington Park Road is also a prime place for lunch. Choose between E&O, Osteria Basilico and Essenza. A trip round the corner leads to Julie’s in Holland Park; head round another corner to Kensington Place, where the late Princess Diana sometimes enjoyed lunch.
Sunday Afternoon
Retoxed and ready for action
For some cultural, intellectual stimulation we recommend the fashion galleries at the V&A Museum. And if the glamorous outfits get your retail therapy glands going, how about a spot of shopping in the nearby cathedral of style, Harvey Nichols?
Tea time
Tea really should be taken at The Ritz, Browns, Fortnum & Mason or Claridges. Endless pots of tea, plus cucumber sandwiches, cakes and champagne will be the perfect finale to your luxurious weekend.
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