Glossies save their double issues for the holidays, the thicker edition that has to last a fortnight. Ours is the extended booking: one companion across a weekend in town, a run of evenings during a long business trip, or a few days out of London altogether. It is the least hurried format we offer and the one that rewards a little planning the most.
Weekends are not on the fixed price list, because no two look alike. Bella quotes each one as a single figure once the plan is sketched, and nothing changes after you agree. Thea, who loves a long walk followed by a warm bowl, and Cindy, happiest on a boat in summer, both blondes with an outdoor streak, are natural weekend company.
Some guests want continuous company, Friday evening through to Sunday lunch with the same woman. Others are in London for a fortnight and would like the same companion on three or four separate nights. Continuous time is quoted as one figure, while separate evenings simply follow the price list night by night. Bella can hold every date in one conversation either way.
A weekend in town might begin with Friday supper at Scott's, then a slow Saturday morning, an afternoon at the Royal Academy and a wander through Burlington Arcade, followed by dinner on Mount Street and a late drink at the hotel. Sunday belongs to Hyde Park, a long lunch and the papers. Staying on Park Lane puts the park across the road and most of the weekend within walking distance.
The weekend can leave London: a country house hotel in the Cotswolds, a summer day at Goodwood or Henley, a few nights by the sea. Your companion travels with you, and the quote covers her time and her journey together. Vanessa, who rides early in the park and collects fragrances with a story behind each one, loves the slower pace outside the city.
The quote covers her time for the whole arrangement, from the first evening to the final goodbye, plus any travel beyond Zones 1 and 2. Your hotel, meals and tickets are yours as host. The figure is written into the chat before anything is agreed and given to your companion directly when the first evening begins, as with every booking on this site.
The double issue is not only for leisure. Someone visiting London for a week of meetings might book the same companion for the Tuesday dinner, the Thursday reception and the Saturday that is finally free. Seeing one familiar face across a busy week turns a hotel stay into something closer to a London life, with a table on Grosvenor Square that already knows your order. Bella keeps the dates together in one thread and confirms each evening in writing as it comes round.
Two or three days together need a different rhythm from a dinner date. Good weekend companions are as comfortable with quiet stretches as with long talks, and they are happy to take an hour for themselves while you make a call. Margo, in her early thirties and unhurried in everything, is a favourite for exactly this reason. Agree the loose shape of each day in advance and leave the details to the moment.
A weekend is easiest with a few days' notice, and a week ahead gives you the widest choice of names. Rearranging is free up to the three hour mark before she is due; closer than that, the usual cancellation terms on the rates page apply. For a single long night rather than several days, the special edition is the better fit.
5 answers below. Tap a question to open it, and send anything we missed to Bella on WhatsApp.
Because the plan sets the figure: two nights in W1 and three days in the country are different arrangements. Bella quotes each one as a single sum before you agree.
Yes, if her diary allows. Each evening follows the usual price list, and Bella can hold all the dates for you in one conversation.
Of course. Many guests have meetings or family plans in the daytime, and the quote reflects the time you actually spend together.
The moment your dates are fixed. Seven days ahead leaves almost every name open, though three or four days usually works.
Certainly. Bella confirms the address once before the first evening, and your companion arrives as a house guest would, with a small bag and no fuss at the door.
A long supper, a gallery opening, a slow night upstairs: give Bella the outline and she will suggest the companion who fits it best.
