World War II buffs, take note: The luxe Lanesborough London is giving guests a rare chance to buckle up for a ride in one of the last airworthy Spitfires. This iconic fighter was used by Allied forces to keep German attacks at bay during the historic Battle of Britain.
Available through Eden Being (luxury hotel brand Otker Collection’s lifestyle arm), the over-the-top package begins with a night at the chic Lanesborough London. Upon arriving at the Hyde Park hotel, guests will be shown to one of the property’s 93 plush, vibrantly decorated rooms where they can settle in and get their bearings before heading downstairs for dinner at Céleste or — if they’re lucky enough to score a table — at chef Mitsuhiro Araki’s the Araki, which earned its third Michelin star last year.
The next morning, guests will be whisked outside the city in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class limousine to the famous Goodwood estate. There, guests will enjoy lunch before heading out onto the grounds to get an up-close-and-personal look at two of the rare Spitfires. After a thorough briefing, guests will strap into the co-pilot’s seat and take off from the property’s grass runways. Once airborne, the half-hour flight will take guests on sweeping turns and gravity-defying barrel rolls — putting the plane’s 1,500-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin engine to the test. When not enjoying once-in-a-lifetime sightlines of the sweeping Sussex coast, where the fateful Battle of Britain took place nearly 80 years ago, guests that are feeling up to the challenge can even briefly take control of the aircraft from the pilot — getting a taste for what it would’ve been like to fly the fighter plane.
Upon touchdown, guests will be given a 360-degree video of their experience before making the journey back from London, where a well-earned cocktail or a long soak in the hydrotherapy pool at the award-winning spa is in order.
The Spitfire Flight and Lunch at Goodwood package will be available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from April through November and can be booked directly through Eden Being. Pricing includes Spitfire flight experiences for two guests.
