James and I recently returned from a trip to London, visiting the city to attend an NFL game. While we took the same trip last year, this time was a bit more exciting because the game pitted our beloved Chicago Bears against the mediocre Jacksonville Jaguars. Even better, we got to have an enhanced experience beyond anything I would have expected, due to some last-minute luck.

Bookings

I think I changed our itineraries for this trip over a dozen times before settling on a set of flight and hotel bookings that provided the correct combination of cost and enjoyment.

Flights

With us flying out of London, there are a lot of taxes and airport charges that are unavoidable. I considered repositioning us to Dublin or somewhere in continental Europe (like we did last year) to start our journey home, but decided that I’d just pony up the cash to reduce the amount of flying everyone had to do.

I also prioritized getting James home on one of the few direct flights to Seattle from London. This meant spending additional cash out of pocket because British Airways leverages fuel surcharges on all award tickets, regardless of ticketing airline.

• James
  • 56,500 American Airlines AAdvantage miles + 5.60USD per ticket
    • SEA-DFW on AA J
    • DFW-LHR on AA J
  • 55,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles + 690.71USD per ticket
    • LHR-SEA on BA J
• Nicholas
  • 80,000 United Airlines MileagePlus miles + 5.60USD per ticket
    • LAS-LAX on UA Y
    • LAX-LHR on UA J
  • 80,000 United Airlines MileagePlus miles + 340.91USD per ticket
    • LHR-DEN on UA J
    • DEN-LAS on UA Y

Hotels

I changed our flight itineraries while on the trip, meaning I needed to scramble to book another night at The Trafalgar St. James. I was surprised to see that the points cost per night had increased in the months between my initial booking and the late one.

Because James had an early flight out of London Heathrow on his final morning, I moved him out of London to the airport so he could have a relaxing morning. It also meant saving a few points compared to booking a hotel in central London.

• James
  • One room for five nights at The Trafalgar St. James for 80,000 Hilton Honors points per night (one night) and one Hilton Honors Free Night Certificate per night (three nights) with fifth night free
  • One room for one night at The Trafalgar St. James for 85,000 Hilton Honors points per night
  • One room for one night at the Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 for 50,000 Hilton Honors points per night
• Nicholas
  • One room for five nights at The Trafalgar St. James for 80,000 Hilton Honors points per night with fifth night free
  • One room for one night at The Trafalgar St. James for 85,000 Hilton Honors points per night

Activities

All prices listed are inclusive of taxes and fees.

• Two tickets for the Twist Museum for 26.00GBP per ticket
• Two tickets for Moulin Rouge! The Musical for 107.95GBP per ticket
• Two tickets for The Moonwalkers for 36.00GBP per ticket
• Two tickets for Space Marine VR: Defenders of Avarax for 25.95GBP per ticket
• Two tickets for Six the Musical for 81.95GBP per ticket
• One package for two people provided by Marriott Moments including Jacksonville Jaguars vs Chicago Bears Suite Tickets + Behind The Scenes Stadium Tour for 217,500 Marriott Bonvoy points

October 8, 2024

Angela dropped me off at the airport an hour before my flight’s scheduled departure. I walked directly to the gate and was able to board less than five minutes later. The short economy flight to Los Angeles was pleasant and uneventful.

Upon arrival at LAX, I headed to the United Polaris Lounge for the duration of my layover. I enjoyed the lounge’s restaurant-style dining. My dishes were quite tasty and the service was excellent. I opted for the watermelon and feta salad followed by two Polaris burgers as I wasn’t anywhere near sated after the first one. In the future, I will ask for additional patties on a single burger rather than eating multiple burgers.

After eating, I found a quiet place in the lounge to sit down and do some writing during my layover. I enjoyed a cappuccino from the bar while doing so. I left the lounge thirty minutes before my flight to walk a couple of loops around the concourse, stretching my legs before the long flight to London.

Boarding was straightforward and I enjoyed my seat for the flight. I purposefully assigned myself 9L as it was a bulkhead seat with slightly increased room for my feet. After takeoff, I requested to skip dinner except for dessert. The flight attendant was happy to comply and went above and beyond by bringing me two separate desserts at my request.

After indulging myself, I laid down and managed four hours of sleep before the toddlers in the cabin started crying and screaming. With only three hours left in the flight, I decided to stay awake and read until landing.

October 9

After being rejected by the automated immigration gates (once again, because the chip in my passport no longer works), I visited a very grumpy immigration agent who demanded to see my driver license alongside my passport. After he waved me into the United Kingdom, I walked past baggage claim and customs and stopped in the United Airlines Arrival Lounge to shower and grab a bite to eat. I was thankful to have somewhere to freshen up and spend a few hours before my hotel room would be ready.

After receiving a notification that my room was ready, I walked to the Picadilly Line and took it to the Picadilly Circus station. There, I disembarked and walked the final ten minutes to my hotel. The Trafalgar St. James is a solid, if unassuming, hotel with spacious rooms for a major European city. The location is perfect for those of us who enjoy a good musical, the main reason I booked the property.

James arrived at the hotel ninety minutes later and, after he checked in, we went for a brief walk around the nearby St. James’s Park, snapping a few pictures of the local wildlife and famous sites along the way.

It had started to rain, so James and I stopped at our hotel so I could grab my rain jacket. Afterwards, we walked to Kingly Court, an upscale food court hosting a wide variety of cuisines. After perusing the options, we decided to dine at Liu Xiaomian, a Chongqing spicy noodle restaurant.

James ordered the vegan noodles with chickpeas and a side of edamame. I opted for the minced pork noodles with a side of spicy pork wontons. For our spice level, we both chose “Mild” as we were informed it would indeed be spicy. The meal was delicious, and the dishes were definitely spicy enough for me. I understood the warning that they weren’t “British Mild” and that refunds wouldn’t be provided if they were too spicy.

We both felt a little tired after dinner and we retired to the hotel and called it an early night.

October 10

After waking up at 0630, I decided to go for a run around St. James’s Park. Of course, I made this decision before I looked at the weather and noticed it was only 49F degrees out. Regardless, I put my shorts on, walked to the park, jogged a loop around it, and returned to the hotel. It was certainly nicer and more peaceful than my usual jogging route along our suburban streets in Las Vegas.

I showered and met James for breakfast at 0830. The hotel’s main restaurant is currently under construction. As such, breakfast is hosted at the rooftop bar and restaurant, which is considerably less spacious. The dishes were just as tasty as I remembered, but the experience felt more crowded and inconvenient.

After breakfast, we walked to the British Museum. When we arrived, we saw a huge line at both the ticketed and non-ticketed entries, so we passed it by and kept on walking. Looking on Google Maps, I noticed that there was a nearby attraction at a place called Lightroom. We made our way there but, unfortunately, the exhibition we wanted to see was closed for the day. I made a note to buy tickets for the following day, and we changed plans.

Our backup was a visit to the Twist Museum of Illusions. The museum hosts a large array of optical illusions and explainer placards for why they work the way they do. It was a fun way to spend the early afternoon before we headed to the theater.

We left the museum and walked to our show for the afternoon, Moulin Rouge. Quite frankly, I had forgotten which seat I purchased so it was a mini-surprise to find us seated in the center of the fourth row. The show was great, although I preferred the Satine in the Broadway production that Angela and I saw.

After the show, we went to Seven Dials Market, a casual food hall with a wide variety of options, for dinner. We visited this location on our last trip and would visit it twice on this trip. The food hall concept makes it very easy to accommodate everyone’s dietary choices.

I started with beef manti from Oshpaz Dumplings before moving on to an amazing roast beef sandwich from Stakehaus. James had some vegan manti from Oshpaz and a fried plaintain burrito from Los Gordos.

After dinner, we picked up a couple of chocolate chip cookies from EllaMia on the way back to the hotel. After James dropped his jacket in his room, we enjoyed our cookies alongside coffee while chatting about the days ahead.

October 11

After waking up, I looked at the weather before deciding to do anything. Seeing that it was only 36F degrees out, I promptly went back to sleep for two more hours. At 0830, I joined James in the (somewhat unimpressive) gym for a quick workout before breakfast.

We walked to Lightroom to see The Moonwalkers, an immersive movie about the Apollo missions. The exhibition was interesting and worth the time and money, even if it wasn’t exactly what I expected. One of the best parts of the experience was talking to an older British man who recounted staying up until 0300 to watch the first moon landing live on television. It was a joy hearing him tell the story and talking with him briefly after the movie.

After leaving Lightroom, we stopped at Katsu Bun for a curry puff and grabbed a couple of flat whites from Redemption Roasters. Both were quite delicious.

We walked to St. Pancras King Cross station and took the Underground to Wembley Park. We were a little early for my scheduled activity, so we wandered around the area for a while before settling down inside BoxPark, a food hall and entertainment venue. At 1500, we entered meetspaceVR to enjoy Space Marine: Defenders of Avarax, a free-roam VR experience. We were greeted warmly, stored our belongings in a locker, and headed into the equipment room to suit up.

I really enjoyed walking around as a Space Marine and shooting Tyranids. The experience is high-fidelity and convincing enough to make you think you’re inhabiting a huge world filled with hordes of monstrous creatures. James had a few issues with a mismatch between what his brain and his body were telling him, but he adjusted well-enough.

When we exited the play area, we discovered that I had the highest score of anyone who had played at that location since the game launched.

For dinner, we took the train back into Central London and met my friends Stephen and Xiaoling at Harar. I had never had Ethiopian food before and wasn’t sure what to expect. We ordered a vegetarian and meat combination platter so everyone could enjoy something. The meal was delicious and sharing it with friends made it even better.

After dinner, James and I stopped briefly at our hotel to change and then walked to Six the Musical. Angela and I had previously seen Six as a touring production, but it was much better on the West End, especially because the performers didn’t have to fake their accents.

October 12

After a quick run in St. James’s Park and a limited workout in the gym, James and I ate breakfast at 0930. This time, we sat in the enclosed courtyard that I’m assuming they open up during the summer.

Afterwards, we walked to the British Museum, took one look at the lines at both entrances, and walked right on by. I knew we’d want to visit on Monday, so I booked timed entry tickets for the late morning as we headed to a coffee shop.

We stopped at a Redemption Roasters location for a couple of flat whites and a cardamom bun while we waited out a bit of rain that appeared suddenly.

Afterwards, we returned to the hotel so I could drop off my backpack before heading towards the Imperial War Museum. Along the way, we passed by Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster, stopping on Westminster Bridge to take a couple of pictures.

Immediately after we crossed the bridge, a torrent of rain started dropping out of the sky. We soldiered on and eventually made it to the Imperial War Museum. While there, we spent time at the special exhibition War and the Mind. It was interesting to read about the research that has been done into managing a populace’s morale, motivating them to fight wars, and understanding when morale has broken.

On our way out, we snapped a few pictures of the large artifacts in the museum’s concourse.

After we left the museum, we took a bus to Liverpool Street Station and then took the Overground line to the White Hart Lane station. From there, we walked towards Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. We were a little early for our scheduled tour, so we walked around the area a bit and grabbed some espresso and baklava from Central Cakes. The cakes were delicious, and the espresso was strong enough to put some additional hair on your chest.

As we walked back towards the stadium, I received a text from Lewis, our Marriott Moments contact, advising us where to meet him. Upon arrival, we met Lewis and another couple, Mark and Sarah, who would be going on the tour with us.

Unfortunately, I cannot share most of my pictures from our behind-the-scenes tour. That being said, it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done and something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. We got to visit the Jacksonville Jaguars locker room, the Chicago Bears coaches’ box, the hospitality suite for VIPs at ground level, and the Chicago Bears locker room. In the middle of all that, we got to walk out onto the field and were shown how the teams enter and exit the playing surface.

We were lucky enough to be the last people in the Chicago Bears locker room before they literally chained the doors shut until the equipment manager arrived before the game the following day.

At the conclusion of our tour, Lewis gave us some information on how gameday would go. Afterwards, James and I headed back to Seven Dials Market for dinner. On this visit, I enjoyed a beef brisket burrito from Los Gordos and several pieces of nigiri from Sukoshi.

October 13

With game day finally here, James and I ate an early breakfast so that we’d be hungry and ready to consume the unlimited food and drinks in our hospitality suite. From there, we repeated our journey from the previous day, taking a bus to Liverpool Street Station and taking the Overground line to White Hart Lane. It was a little bit busier than the day before. Along the way, we got to chat with a bunch of NFL fans from all over.

We arrived at the stadium and met up with some of my friends who were also going to the game. We spent some time chatting before James and I walked back to Central Cakes for some coffees while everyone else headed into a bar to grab some pregame drinks.

Fully caffeinated, we returned to the stadium to take some pictures outside, including one of the four guys from my award travel and churning group.

At 1145, James and I said goodbye to our group and walked to our designated meeting spot. Lewis met us after we entered the stadium and brought us up to our suite. Our day at the game was an awesome experience. The seats were padded and heated with a great view of the action. The suite offered dedicated staff with a delicious variety of snacks and unlimited coffee, soft drinks, and beer.

Marriott Bonvoy provided each of us with a few gifts and, luckily, all of the other fans in the suite were rooting for the Chicago Bears. We had a great time, made even better by the fact that the Chicago Bears totally dominated the Jacksonville Jaguars. It didn’t hurt that Markos, Rena, Mark, Sarah, and Shawn and his family were all awesome people to watch the game with!

After the game concluded, we relaxed in our suite for forty-five minutes before exiting the stadium and walking to the train. There was a very long queue and we waited thirty minutes before boarding and retracing our steps from the morning. We visited the Covent Garden location of Dishoom for a delicious meal and, even though we had eight people in our party, were seated at a table after only a thirty-five-minute wait.

Everyone in our party agreed that I should be the person to order, and I chose a little bit of everything. We had a delightful dinner, full of lively conversation and lots of delicious food.

Afterwards, James and I returned to the hotel to rest up after an exciting and action-packed day.

October 14

James and I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before heading to the British Museum for our timed entry. I’ve been to the museum three times at this point, so I visited a few exhibits that I was particularly interested in before sitting down and reading my book while I waited for James to finish his perusal.

We left the museum at 1630 and stopped at Lever & Bloom for absolutely delicious flat whites and pastries. We split the cardamom and cinnamon buns, and they were both extremely tasty. In fact, they were so good that I returned to the storefront to tell the proprietor how much I enjoyed them.

After a brief stop at the hotel, we walked to the Elephant & Castle location of Mercato Metropolitano, to meet up with the group who were still in London. For dinner, I had beef manti from Oshpaz and a Vietnamese duck wrap from the Duck Shed. For dessert, I grabbed a cup of coconut and dark chocolate gelato.

I think everyone enjoyed their dishes and I personally enjoyed the conversation throughout the evening. Afterwards, James and I returned to the hotel to get some much-needed rest.

October 15

With an early morning flight out of LHR, I needed to wake up early. James and I met for breakfast at 0630. Afterwards, I confirmed that I had packed everything and walked with James to the Picadilly Circus station to take the Picadilly Line all the way to LHR Terminal 2.

I cleared security in less than ten minutes and walked to the United Club. While it was quite busy, I was able to easily find a single seat and enjoy a few glasses of water before heading to my gate.

My flight to Denver was pleasant. I chose to stay awake and write the blog post about my and Angela’s recent trip to Italy. I enjoyed the toasted ham and cheese sandwich that United served before landing.

After landing in Denver, I cleared immigration and customs before heading to the Centurion Lounge. Luckily for me, there was no waitlist for my visit, and I was able to enter immediately. I enjoyed some roasted pork and fried chicken followed by dessert. Thirty minutes before my flight to Las Vegas, I departed the lounge and walked to my gate.

My economy flight to Las Vegas was comfortable and uneventful, exactly how you want the final flight of a trip to be. When I landed, Angela was at the airport to pick me up so we could resume our life together.

With that, an excellent trip was over. I will always treasure the experiences I had in London on this journey, especially the amazing behind-the-scenes tour and the crushing victory that the Chicago Bears delivered.