Rich's Tongfamily (Richtong.net add-on)

Thanks to “Adrian”:http://smithstuff.net, I have at least a few places in London that make life easier for the frugal business guy. A little accidental tourist, but here are some places:
* “Hilton Green Park”:http://www.londontown.com/LondonHotel/Hilton/Hilton_Green_Park. This is a small hotel near the center of London. Not a mega hotel, but 18 townhouses remodelled together to be a single hotel. The rooms are scandinavian like and small (like most London hotels), but the rates are reasonable (150 pounds) and most important they have WiFi access. It is expensive at 15 pounds per day and you have to buy a special card since BT (who runs the service) only takes british credit cards, but I have to say it was certainly easy to sign up and logon. Major drawback is no air conditioning, so on these muggy autumn days, it was a little hot. Plus you have to love the fact it is on Half Moon Street. As Stacey says, sounds like Harry Potter lives there.
* “Julie’s”:http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-1010602-julie_s_restaurant_and_wine_bar_london_attractions-i. A very nice restaurant in Notting Hill. Does anyone think it is strange that the Julia Roberts was at Julie’s in a movie called Notting Hill. Nice place. Lamb chops were very good as was the mozzarella with tomatoes.
* “Heathrow Express”:http://www.heathrowexpress.com/. Man these brits really have transportation figured out. It is 15 minutes by rail from Paddington Station in London to Heathrow. And you should see the mall in the airport. Bigger than most shopping centers. Good for those last minutes gifts.
* “Air Canada”:http://www.aircanada.ca/. Flying between Seattle and London is expensive. Only non-stop is BA. They charge an amazing amount. On the other hand, their business class features flat beds. A dream of mine really to really get some great sleep on a plane. On the other hand, Air Canada flies non-stop to Vancouver and you can then jump down to Seattle. Way cheaper. The dreaming continues
* “Blackberry 7230”:http://blackberry.net. I can’t imagine anyone being without one. It works amazingly well as a world phone and with GPRS roaming, I was literally online the moment I landed. There is no easier way I know of to stay in touch. Plus, it takes power with a USB cable, so you don’t need to bring a charger. Go to someone’s office and just take the USB cable and plug it into a PC and you charge.