The Time Out London blog team

Hornsey Town Hall is one of north London’s most storied venues. Over the years the Crouch End venue has hosted the likes of Queen, Electric Light Orchestra and Dexys Midnight Runners. Yes, that’s right, ‘Come on Eileen’ really did echo through the halls of this iconic assembly hall, which was designed by New Zealand architect Reginald Uren in 1935 and is one of the earliest examples of British modernism.  Nearly a century after it first opened, in recent years Hornsey Town Hall has been in need of some TLC – and thanks to a £29 million deal from the Far East Consortium (FEC) in 2017, the venue has received just that.  After closing for a major refurb all the way back in 2019, on December 6 the venue finally reopened its doors to the public. And it’s good news for culture vultures. The Grade II-listed landmark has been transformed into a full-blown arts centre. Think live music, theatre, comedy, cinema, food, drink and festivals – all under one very stylish roof. Photography: Make Architects   So, what’s on at Hornsey Town Hall? While no official schedules have been released yet, organisers promise a year-round calendar packed with everything from world-class theatre to concerts and dance shows. There’ll also be a specially curated cinema programme showcasing contemporary and classic films from around the globe, plus live-streamed ballet and opera.  If the arts aren’t your thing and you’re a firm foodie instead, worry not – HTH has stuff for you too. The revamped...

A new ranking of the world’s best new luxury hotels has just been revealed, and the top spot is in London.  Luxury Travel Intelligence (LTI), a members-only travel advice site that compares hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and more around the world, has unveiled its global list of the top 15 luxury hotels that opened in 2025. According to LTI, the world’s best hotel in 2025 was the Chancery Rosewood. Opening on September 1 2025, this ultra-luxury Mayfair spot is housed inside the Grade II-listed former US embassy on Grosvenor Square, which makes for some very fancy digs indeed.  Photograph: Chancery Rosewood The west London bolthole is home to eight restaurants and bars, a roof terrace, huge pool and an extremely bougie spa. You’ll find no bog-standard double rooms at the Chancery Rosewood, as all of its abodes are suites, with the smallest room measuring at 53-57 square-metres (which is about the average size for a one bed flat in London). The rooms are not cheap, with the prices starting at an eye-watering £1,280 per night.   The Chancery Rosewood was the only London hotel to make LT’s list for 2025. It beat the likes of &Beyond Suyian Lodge in Kenya, Aman Bangkok and Collegio alla Querce in Florence for the number one spot.  Photograph: Chancery Rosewood Here’s what LTI had to say: ‘Rosewood has enjoyed a remarkable year, unveiling several impressive new properties globally. Three have made this year's list. No luxury hospitality brand has yet achieved this accolade....

The iconic building above one one of London’s busiest train hubs is due to get a major makeover.  One Embankment Place is the impressive postmodern-style building above Charing Cross station that was originally designed by the late Sir Terry Farrell in the 1980s. If you look at it from the other side of the Thames, you’ll see that it resembles Victorian trainshed roofs rising up from the riverbank. The building mostly houses offices and, since it was completed in 1991, it has been the headquarters of professional services network PwC. Now, it’s in need of a big facelift.  The enhancement of Embankment Place is being led by property developers Bridgemont alongside award winning architect firm Hopkins Architects, which previously works on refurbishments of the Grade II-listed Financial Times building at Bracken House and the Wellcome Trust headquarters on Euston Road.  Hopkins’ vision for the building includes improving the arrival experience and connections at ground level to Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Station, repositioning it as ‘a vibrant destination for business, culture and tourism’, ensuring it continues to appeal to businesses and reducing its energy usage.  Plans include transforming the Victorian brick arches beneath the building into a space with high-quality retail and amenities. On top of that, the architects want to to improve connections to nearby stations, introduce more greenery, install more seating areas and celebrate the site’s ‘unique history and...