Style Artillery by Alex: November 2011

I was lucky enough to stay at the wonderfully decadent Aviator hotel in Farnborough recently, and am already hoping to revisit this boutique masterpiece. Sidled alongside the private Farnborough airport, the hotel has been designed with Farnborough's aviation history in mind. This is most evident in the interior décor, where the glamour of the 1930s merges perfectly with the present day to create a contemporary luxury with timeless elegance.

As you enter the hotel, you are greeted with a towering atrium up towards the roof, very much reminiscent of Edmund Goulding's Grand Hotel. It's certainly very imposing, completely unexpected, and sets the tone for the opulence and luxury that awaits. Check-in was swift, and the staff well-trained and polite. With the neighbouring airport, the hotel is naturally popular with business people, and is well equipped to cater to their needs with excellent meeting spaces, and a very impressive boardroom. The Aviator has also recently acquired a marriage licence for those who want a wedding with a difference, where the bride walks down a 'runway', rather than an aisle.

My top-floor Sky Suite offered perfect views of the private jets coming and going into the airport, yet was relaxing and quiet. The dark wood, touches of leather, and the separate living area all added to the luxurious nature of the accommodation. The bathroom was large, with a huge shower area, and the suite even offered a separate walk-in wardrobe (sadly not filled with designer clobber to wear for dinner). The separate living area, with L-shaped sofa and a coffee table full of magazines, was the perfect place to relax.

Upon arrival in the suite I was greeted by strawberries dipped in chocolate and a nice bottle of bubbly, and relaxed in front of the television (there are televisions in both the living area and the bedroom area) to watch one of the many films available to guests at the push of a button. Aviation themed wares fill the room, including a retro globe and a model airplane, and a coffee table book depicting the world from the air. All in all it’s a very classy affair, but not showy. Essentially, the rooms feel like a beautifully decorated home, rather than a hotel.

Before dinner I explored the hotel's cocktail bar, Sky Bar, in which I was encouraged to order something that I wouldn't ordinarily enjoy. I ended up with a superb whisky-based cocktail with apple and honey. The bar, as expected, was opulent, if a little heavy on the purple decor. It's certainly the perfect place to relax after a long journey, or indeed meet with friends, as other guests were doing.

I ate in the hotel's excellent brasserie, which is adorned with pictures of old Hollywood greats such as Joan Crawford, Clark Gable et al. The decor is rich and warm, and genuinely feels more like a Parisian restaurant than a hotel. Treated to a seven course tasting menu, I tucked into canapés, scallops with chorizo, watercress soup, quail salad, fish, venison, and some of the very best white wines I have ever tasted. We were seated in the private dining room that doubles up as the wine store, full of dark wood and soft lighting that makes the tasting menu experience even more special. A final assiette of desserts with coffee and I was fit to burst.

The Aviator truly is a wonder. The hotel’s inspiring and glamorous design, excellent service, and incredible food cannot fail to impress. The local aviation history, right on the doorstep, adds to the atmosphere and makes the hotel all the more significant. Fans of stylish design with retro touches, good food, and opulent, comfortable accommodation, will certainly feel at home at the Aviator. Visit the website

A trip to The Fashion Museum yesterday in Bath, which I certainly cannot recommend to those with any kind of fear of mannequins, for there are many, many frightening ones here. Fortunately, they are wearing lovely clothes to drool over. The museum separates the outfits into periods, and below you can see some of the pictures I took. My favourite outfit was the beautiful green shooting stars dress from the 1940s (directly below). You will spot a few recognisable dresses, including the famous Versace jungle print dress made famous my Jennifer Lopez a decade ago. Sorry about the quality of the pictures today, I only had my iPhone to hand! Oh, and check out the Kate Moss mannequin - pretty realistic, non?