MT Business Travel: Frequent Flyer Ann Marie Rosa's Guide to London
HOW TO GET THERE: I'm based in New York, and usually fly to London Heathrow with BA. On its red-eye flights, you eat before boarding. This is great, because you need every minute to sleep if you want to be on the ball in the morning.
AIRPORT TO TOWN: I'll take a taxi if I've had a particularly bad night's sleep. It takes no more than an hour and costs around £50. Otherwise, I take the Heathrow Express to Paddington. First class costs £22. It's fast, clean and dependable. And there are always taxis at Paddington.
BEST HOTELS: The St Martins Lane Hotel 1 (45 St Martin's Lane, +44 20 7300 5500, www.stmartinslane.com) is intensely sophisticated. The service is exceptional. I like to stay at the Royal Horseguards 2 (2 Whitehall Court, 0870 333 9122, www.thistlehotels.com); it has the feel of a 19th-century London inn - smaller, elegant and hospitable. The staff are very outgoing - if you've got any problems, they'll be there in the morning apologising. New York hotels have better hairdryers, though.
BEST BUSINESS RESTAURANTS: The Asia de Cuba 3 (45 St Martin's Lane, 020 7300 5588, www.asiadecuba-restaurant.com) does such a beautiful job of presentation, you almost don't want to disturb the food. But once you dig in it's delicious - a successful blend of different cultures. The Alloro 4 (19-20 Dover St, 020 7495 4768) is very good for meetings - intimate, and not too noisy.
