Stay Near Trafalgar Square To See Living Art In London This Summer And Fall
October 5, 2009 by Rajul Chande
Filed under Destinations
Until October 14th this year, the Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square (traditionally reserved for Kings and Generals) is transformed into a space for living art, with the artist Antony Gormley’s amazing One and Other project.
The artist has invited UK residents to stand on the “plinth” for a full hour in front of the world. There is a live webcam and tv recording the action.
Thousands have applied for 2,400 spaces – chosen by luck. There is someone standing on the plinth 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Each individual is free to do as they please on the plinth, providing it’s legal. A lot of participants are taking the opportunity to show the world everything they’ve got!
The artist’s own description of the project is shown on the London Hotels Insight blog (link below), which also links you to the live webcam showing the 24/7 “performance” in progress.
It is a truly path-breaking project and gives tourists visiting London an awesome perspective on Britain’s diverse, eccentric and fun-loving population. You can’t miss the opportunity to see it if you’re visiting London in summer or autumn 2009!
If you want to stay close to the action at the Trafalgar Square plinth, here are a couple of hotels to suit all budgets, both of which are highly-ranked on TripAdvisor:
A top-notch luxury hotel
If you come to London with someone you wish to impress, you would be wise to consider One Aldwych. This is a hotel with amazing contemporary design (later copied by many others) but which also thrives on friendly and down-to-earth service.
The staff who greet you as you enter the stunning lobby exude a natural warmth and friendliness.
Having been fortunate enough to personally meet the founder of One Aldwych, I can confirm that his prime concern is to make your stay “as exquisite as possible”.
There is more on One Aldwych at the London Hotels Insight blog, where you can also get the best rate from more than 30 different travel websites with a single click.
A cheap hotel with good reviews
If you’re on budget but still want to stay in this amazing area in the heart of Theatreland, you might want to consider the Travelodge in Covent Garden. It is only 10 minutes walk to Trafalgar Square.
You’ll feel smug about getting a functional, clean room in an amazing location for much less than other tourists with accommodation in the same area!
Recent TripAdvisor guest reviews suggest that people love Travelodge Covent Garden’s location and value for money.
If you stay at either of the above hotels and like modern art, you can easily cross the river to the Tate Modern and take a ride on the London Eye.
A further advantage of staying in this area is the fact that you’ll be so close to all the wonderful street markets and performers of Covent Garden.
So if you do plan to drop by London this summer or fall, don’t forget to visit the people on the plinth in Trafalgar Square!