Be A Bond Girl!
Every guy wants to be the uber-suave Agent 007 and every gal dreams (even just a little bit) of being an irresistibly sexy Bond girl. At London’s posh Dukes hotel, that fantasy comes to life.
By Tara Weingarten
How Do You Like Your Martini?
Shaken, not stirred, of course! It’s a command that’s so well known, most of us expect our cocktails to be prepared that way. Ever wonder how super-sleuth James Bond came to utter those words? The line was born in London’s charming Dukes hotel. Sir Ian Fleming, who penned all the James Bond novels, enjoyed his fair share of the tipple and found inspiration for that famous line by frequenting the Dukes Bar. The intimate space is luxurious, and the signature treat is, without a doubt, the best martini in town.
Kickin’ *&%$#@Aston!
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series, the Dukes hotel, fittingly in the swank St. James section of London, is offering two 007-inspired packages: the “Bond Experience” and the “Ultimate Bond Experience”. Guests will embrace the Bond character’s love for adventure, fast cars, perfectly crafted cocktails and posh digs. Channel your inner Bond girl!
The Dukes “Bond Experience” package includes accommodations in a gorgeous junior suite, with marble bath and separate sitting area. To play the Bond Girl part to a T, have your guy pack a tuxedo and you squeeze into that short cocktail dress and head to the Dukes Bar for a Vesper Martini, a cocktail from the 1953 Bond novel “Casino Royale”, with No. 3 gin and Patocki vodka. Apres drinks, guests will be escorted to the hotel’s chic and contemporary restaurant Thirty Six By Nigel Mendham for a three-course Bond-inspired dinner. Yes, James Bond loved his caviar, and the Dukes stays in character with this elegant meal, including lobster, caviar with blini, and more martinis! After dinner, head out to the historic Leister Square theater for a big-screen viewing of the new Bond flick, “Skyfall”.
The Dukes’ Bond package is crazy great, but it wouldn’t be complete without the experience of driving Bond’s favorite wheels: Aston Martin. Oh Yes! Guests can tool around London, snapping pics of themselves in this quintessentially British marque next to hot spots like Stella McCartney’s boutique and Fortnum & Mason. Or better yet, why not zip off into the English countryside, following a special ‘Bond Run’ map the Dukes has assembled, which lists destinations made famous in Bond films. This one-night romp is £1,030/person (about $1,650 USD).
Bond, Bond, And More Bond
For super Bond fans, Splurge on a two-night stay for the Dukes’ “Ultimate Bond Experience”, which incudes a Deluxe suite, Vesper martinis in Dukes Bar, the three-course Bond-inspired dinner at the hotel’s restaurant Thirty Six By Nigel Mendham, and “Skyfall” cinema tix. Instead of the new Aston Martin drive, guests are treated to something rarely experienced, the chance to drive a fleet of classic cars made famous in Bond movies. They may include: a 1966 MGB Roadster, 1968 Jaguar E Type, and a 1970 Porsche 911. This package also includes a private Bond-themed tour of London, along with a three-course lunch at the elegant Stoke Park Golf Club, the scene of the famous golf game between Auric Goldfinger and James Bond (Sean Connery) in the 1964 movie Goldfinger. This package is for a very special occasion, and runs £3,395/person (about $5,442 USD).
