A few days earlier, Tony winner Idina Menzel will make her solo London concert debut on October 6, 2011, at 7:30 PM. She will be accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, which will be conducted by legendary Tony-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch (who wrote a little show called A Chorus Line).

And next year, the 50th anniversary of the film version of West Side Story will be celebrated June 22-24, 2012. A full live symphony orchestra will play Leonard Bernstein’s score while the re-mastered film is shown in high-definition on the big screen with the original vocals and dialogue intact.

Tickets and more information are available at www.royalalberthall.com.

(c) 2011 DUKES London

If you like your London luxury cranked up to 11, consider a suite at Dukes London, where all 11 hotel suites have been newly refurbished with a striking mix of classic and contemporary design elements.

The hotel worked with designer Shaun Clarkson to renovate each of its suites in a “modern classic” style. In addition, the historical hotel has entered into a partnership with Thomas Goode & Co. to display a rotating exhibit of exclusive items by the porcelain maker in the Duke of Clarence Suite, also known as the Penthouse Suite.

The Junior Suites (combined bedroom and a sitting area separated by an archway) and One-Bedroom suite (with a separate sitting room that includes a dining area for four, and optional connection to a Superior room for families or VIPs) sound great, but we’re most excited about the Duke of Clarence Penthouse Suite, which was renovated last year.

Top Views: This fifth-floor suite has a private outside terrace overlooking Clarence House (the London home of HRH the Prince of Wales) and Green Park.

The suite has a separate living room and dining area (complete with a table for four) and a large bedroom. Good for Families: An adjoining separate Classic Double guest room is available on request. Business-focused guests will appreciate the suite’s five telephones (never miss a call!), and complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi access. Bonus for families (or for grown-ups who haven’t lost touch with the child in them): PlayStations and Xbox players are available upon request. Best of all: Guests can ask for a 24-hour butler service.

Family Friendly: Dukes provides some nice perks for younger guests. Kids under six years old will receive a “Dukesy” dog toy at bedtime, and older children (between six and fourteen years old) will receive a storybook on their pillow at turndown. In addition, the hotel provides children’s slippers and has designated children’s television channels. Playstation games are also available.

Great for summer nights: The hotel’s Cognac and Cigar Garden is now open, so guests can choose from an array of fine cigars (including some Cuban favorites) and sip a fine cognac. The newest addition to the hotel’s bar lineup focuses on bubbly: The PJ Lounge serves Champagne and Champagne cocktails from partner Perrier Jouet.

Located on Whitehall Place between Trafalgar Square and the Thames, the Corinthia Hotel London occupies a landmark Victorian building with views of the London Eye and the river from some of its spacious rooms and suites. Others overlook the Royal Wedding route along Whitehall, and you can even see Westminster Abbey in the distance.

Corinthia Hotel London has 294 rooms, including 43 suites, as well as:

*    A “Full Moon” Baccarat chandelier in the lobby with 1,001 sparkling crystals.

*    Massimo Restaurant & Oyster Bar by Chef Massimo Riccioli of Rome with designs by David Collins Studio.

*    Northall Restaurant featuring contemporary British cuisine.

*    Bassoon Bar, also by David Collins Studio, destined to be a top London gathering spot.

*    ESPA Life, the largest spa in London, sprawling over four floors with a beautiful pool, treatment rooms, a café and innovative services.

*    Seven signature suites including The Royal Suite, also the largest in London, with everything from its own wine cellar to a spa treatment room.

*    A Daniel Galvin salon with a “movie makeover room” where guests can view hundreds of DVDs to see old hairstyles and fashion ideas.

*    And even a Harrods boutique for easy shopping.

For more information, visit www.corinthia.com/london.

The four-day Jane Austen’s World will take clients through the Hampshire countryside that inspired the author Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. The pinnacle of this walk is the visit to Chawton; the 17th century house was once Austen’s ancestral home where she spent the last eight years of her life and wrote some of her most popular world, now a museum, featuring information about her work.
England’s Lake District features poet William Wordsworth and children’s author Beatrix Potter. Spanning seven or eight days, from $2,850 per person, the tour explores the area, including Wordsworth’s home and museum and Potter’s Hilltop Farm.
The Shakespeare Way is a self-guided walking tour that follows what could have been the Bard’s route departing his birthplace, Stratford-on-Avon, for London in the 16th century. Heading through Woodstock (the burial place of Sir Winston Churchill), Oxford and Kew, this tour arrives at none other than Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London.
For more information, visit www.ramblers.com or call 1-800-724-8801.