Practical shopping question
 

I will be visiting London with my Mother the end of this month. We are staying at the Waldorf Hilton in the Convent Garden area. I am wondering if anyone can give me advice on places nearby to purchase toiletries? We are trying to do the carry-on only plan and I was going to purchase a flat iron and toiletries while there. Any tips?

There is a small Marks & Spencers close by, hotel can give you directions, I am sure.
Marks & Spencer
107-115 Long Acre
Covent Garden
London WC2E 9NT


Tel: 020 7240 9549
Int'l: 00 44 20 7240 9549
http://www.marksandspencer.com
May need to go to stores on Oxford street for item such as a flat iron. Be aware these electrical goodies are significantly more expensive in the Uk than in the USA.
This is a very classy hotel, all toiletries will be provided and be of a high caliber. Depending on how long you are staying if there are very particular skin products you cannot live without, consider asking in a department store for trial sizes or dispensing into travel containers (available at the Container Store)
If not there is Body Shop & Crabtree & Evelyn right there in C Garden. Enjoy your stay!
You could buy toothpaste etc in Boots on way out of airport, I think there is one landside in both LHR & LGW.

There are Boots everywhere. Including in Covent Garden, at least 2 on The Strand, and in Charing Cross Station.

didn't see dendleju's entry - we were posting at the same time. No need to go as far as Oxford Street.

Why don't you e-mail the hotel and ask if they have irons available for your use?

carolyn . . the OP is asking about a hair flat iron, not a clothes iron. I've never known a hotel to provide flat irons. Hair dryers, yes - flat irons/curling irons, no.

We stayed at the Waldorf Hilton 6 years ago, and the hotel is lovely. The staff is even lovelier. As janisj said, there are at least 2 Boots on The Strand where you can easily purchase a flat iron and toiletries. I had bought my dual voltage flat iron online in the US (folica).

You can bring the flat iron you use at home (if you're coming from North America) - because the Waldorf Hilton has a North American outlet in the room that works just fine (no plug adapter required either). If you can't locate it, call the front desk and they'll tell you where it is. (Every hotel where we've stayed in London, including this one, has had a North American outlet.)

Any Boots is a terrific place to go for toiletries. Those supplied by the hotel are nice as well.

"<i>Every hotel where we've stayed in London, including this one, has had a North American outlet.</i>

If you mean the one in the bathroom over the mirror -- that is only intended for razors -- not heat appliances.

No, I do NOT mean the one in the bathroom over the mirror for razors.

There is a regular North American outlet usually in the vicinity of the work table, but you have to look for it. One room, the desk had a vanity mirror that lifted up and stood up, the the NA American Outlet was in that drawer, which we'd never have found until we called the front desk.

An e-mail or phone call to the hotel would verify this.

It's much better to bring the flat irons you're used to using and works well for you at home, as they're all different regarding heating/performance. No point in having to purchase a dual voltage (limited dual voltage models for flat irons) or having to get used to a model you purchase there (at a premium price) that takes a lot of getting used to and/or doesn't produce the desired results.

Unless you have challenging frizz, you could also consider a dual voltage Conair curling brush (with or without hot air) which may be sufficient for smoothing the frizz and also shaping beautiful waves, larger curls, curves.

Remember that buying one there may be time consuming, you may never find exactly what you need, and if you do, pay triple or more as a similar model at home, and you still have to haul it home. So, you may as well bring one you know is reliable with you.

This is your nearest Boots:

http://www.yell.com/b/Boots+The+Chem...137/index.html

but you'll see them everywhere.

"Every hotel where we've stayed in London, including this one, has had a North American outlet.

Every hotel I've stayed in in London DID NOT have a NA outlet

I was going to say, most have only a UK outlet. If they have a US socket, they should also have a socket for European plugs, which most don't. For US appliances, the voltage is different too.

"We are trying to do the carry-on only plan"
If you mean you don't plan to check in any luggage, then you are restricted as to what you can buy and bring. Are you aware of the restrictions on liquids and gels?

"Every hotel where we've stayed in London, including this one, has had a North American outlet"

If you ever venture outside of the Amerian "branded" hotels you would find this is FAR from true.

I have bought curling irons in London, it took 10 minutes? Go to Boots, look at models, go to cashier, pay... Not really "time consuming" considering there appears to be a Boots every few blocks :) It was not dramatically more costly then the local CVS either.

Carry on is easy. I do carry on with my curling iron and plenty of tolietries for up to three weeks.