Breakaway – A Weekend In London Like Grace Kelly

If you’ve been working too hard, here’s a real escapade that lets you live out the glamorous life even if it’s just for a few days. To coincide with the Grace Kelly exhibition in London at The Victoria & Albert Museum, The Connaught in Mayfair has launched its ‘Grace Kelly: Style Icon Weekends’. An ab fab situation, its a getaway that screams serious, pull-out-all-the-stops, old world glamour!

Simply fabulicious Grace Kelly herself used to stay at this hotel whenever she was in London, and many staff vividly remember her presence. So what do you do? Make a grand entrance in your most retro-glam outfit, sip on a couple of special Grace kelly inspired cocktails (more later) and languish elegantly like she did in the hotel's rooms. Soak up her vibes watching her movies in-room, enjoy your own copy of the official V&A exhibition book, Grace Kelly: Style Icon -
 which you get as part of the package - then totter off to the V&A exhibition itself with two tickets in hand compliments of the hotel. And for afters? How about a spot of luxe shopping Grace Kelly style, with private visits to Balenciaga, her favourite boutique, arranged by the Connaught’s butlers. (After all, don't we all need a few investment pieces?)

After din dins, waft into the Connaught Bar and sip on three specially created cocktails inspired by different stages of her life – ‘Hollywood Star’, ‘Beloved Princess’ and ‘Royal Bride’ before you retire for the night.

By the way, here's a blingworthy 'did-you- know', (we totally didn’t!): Prince Rainier gave her a ‘friendship ring’, a band with diamonds and rubies, until the diamond engagement ring could be made. Grace Kelly's Cartier engagement ring featured a 10.47-carat emerald-cut boulder of a diamond (sweet palpitations!) and two baguettes mounted in platinum. When their engagement was announced in 1956, Grace drank vodka on the rocks and Rainier had a sidecar.

Since it is unlikely that most of us will get such a dinky trinket, let’s just focus on the weekends. The Grace Kelly Weekends runs from 17 April – 26 September, in conjunction with the V&A exhibition which is open from 17 April – 26 September 2010. Apart from the goodies mentioned above, the package also includes two Grace Kelly cocktails in The Connaught Bar, and English brekkie for two. Starting price from £375 plus VAT per night (superior king room).

Carlos Place

Mayfair
London. W1K 2AL
Tel: +44 (0)20 7499 7070

- by EW