Meet The Curators

Exclusive cultural experiences for creatively curious guests

Surprising. Memorable. On point, yet off the beaten track. As London’s ‘cultured independent’ hotel based in vibrant Covent Garden, we’ve signed up a quintet of quintessentially inspiring curators. Each one is a specialist in a fascinating field, from history and theatre to art. All offer private and privileged access. For details, talk to our Concierge about participating in private and small-group activities. Extraordinary experiences, handpicked to personalise and enhance your stay.  

Get to know our curators below

THE HISTORIAN – DR MATTHEW GREEN

A historian and broadcaster, Dr Matthew Green is author of London: A Travel Guide Through Time, writes for The Guardian and The Telegraph and appears on documentaries for major UK channels, including the BBC. His most recent series on Channel 5 was Walking Tudor Britain. He has shaped several tours de force for One Aldwych, granting guests glimpses of the city rarely seen.

During the Coffeehouse Tour, for example, you will discover 17th century meeting places that brought brilliant minds together, while enjoying a taste of coffee as it was brewed 300 years ago. While the Medieval Wine Tour brims with revelations from palaces to gothic graves, as you sample a coconut shell of medieval rosé in one of London’s lost vineyards. All tours can be customised and punctuated with a lobster lunch. A complimentary copy of Dr Green’s book seals the historical deal.

THE FRAGRANCE SPECIALIST – MICHELLE FEENEY

Founder of Floral Street flagship fragrance store in Covent Garden, Michelle Feeney has worked in the beauty world in London and New York. Her perfumery resides in the heart of Covent Garden, home to the original Victorian Flower Market. Packed with glorious ingredients responsibly sourced, her captivating brand places sustainability and eco-responsibility at its heart, while at the store, her ‘Floralistas’ are trained to take you on an immersive journey of discovery.  

For your chance to be a connoisseur of fragrance, sign up for Floral Street’s scentschool™. During this private consultation you can explore award-winning fragrances to match your mood and learn how to create a perfume wardrobe, expressing the different facets of your personality.  

THE ART EDITOR – FRANCESCA GAVIN

A writer and curator focussing on contemporary art and culture, Francesca Gavin has co-curated numerous international exhibitions including Mushrooms: The Art, Design and Future of Fungi at Somerset House and the Dark Cube at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris. She is editor of LIMBO magazine, has written seven books and contributes to various publications including Financial Times’ How to Spend It. She also has a monthly radio show on NTS Radio (www.nts.live) on the relationship between contemporary art and music. Francesca can organise and lead private tours that take in some of the very best  exhibitions, as well as exclusive gallery tours of important private gallery spaces such as Thomas Dane, Simon Lee, PACE and Almine Rech that are at the sharp end of discovering emerging art in the city.  

THE TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE WRITER – MILLY KENNY-RYDER

As a freelance writer and food photographer, Milly is an inspirational travel writer, having teamed up with her designer husband, Simon Lovell, and photographer brother, Gabriel Kenny-Ryder, to put together a terrific trio of travel books, known collectively as the Weekend Journals. The most recent edition is London, which includes the insider scoop on where to eat and shop, peppered with enticing imagery that truly celebrates this diverse, bustling and thriving city. The guides are designed to encourage people to travel and explore destinations in a more considered way… always with a focus on food, although she also loves art, theatre, fashion and beauty. Milly will escort walking parties, taking in hidden haunts in the Covent Garden area. Think of it as the fast-track to smart shopping.

THE THEATRE INSIDER - SILVIA MELCHIOR

As director of strategic development and fundraising at the award-winning Donmar Warehouse, one of London’s most intimate and boundary-pushing theatres, Melchior is pivotal in ensuring the Donmar, a not-for-profit venue, can continue to create high quality productions at affordable ticket prices, helping to keep theatre alive for a cross-section of Londoners and visitors alike. She has previously worked as head of individual giving at English National Ballet and has been on the fundraising teams at the Royal Opera House.  

Silvia is collaborating with One Aldwych, putting together exclusive theatre packages that include access to post-show Director’s Forums and panel discussions with the cast. The Donmar Warehouse has exciting productions lined up, including Henry V with Kit Harington and Marys Seacole about a pioneering Jamaican nurse in the Crimean War. Don’t miss out.

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