London is as popular as ever, with both traditional and trendy hotels, and a treasure trove of event spaces. (Have you done a champagne reception on the London Eye (“the world's tallest observation wheel”)? The city seems to be building in every nook and cranny, with regenerated areas like the Docklands being transformed into centers of commerce. And 18,000 bedrooms will be added before the 2012 Olympics.

In the Docklands, the O₂ entertainment complex (the former Millennium Dome) includes a 23,000-seat arena, a 7,700-seat cinema, and an exhibition center. And the ExCel Exhibition center, with 45 meeting rooms, is in the process of Phase II development and will add 65,000 square feet of exhibition space and more meeting space. At Canary Wharf, London's new financial hub, Hilton Canary Wharf offers executive floors, free Wi-Fi in public areas, and eight meeting spaces for from 12 to 400 attendees.

Other London hotels with panache: InterContinental Park Lane has 400 guest rooms and suites, and 13 conference rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Royal Parks. The Mayfair, a Radisson Edwardian hotel, opened in November 2006 with 406 guest rooms and the city's largest private indoor cinema. At the London Hilton on Park Lane, the signature restaurant, Galvin at Windows, boasts 360-degree views from its 28th floor perch. One Aldwych has 105 elegant guest rooms and suites and six sleek, high-tech meeting rooms to accommodate up to 100 attendees.