West London in a nutshell - a quick corporate guide

West London has grown up as a transport hub - the point at which a number of London's main transport arteries converge, and which now, owing to its strategic location between London's Heathrow Airport and the capital's centre, is increasingly attracting major global office users for their headquarters operations

History

Hammersmith in West London, and its neighbouring boroughs such as Chiswick, have been occupied since Roman and Saxon times, its livelihood developing - and depending on - the River Thames. With fishing providing an early mainstay, the area developed as more use of the river was made, with watermen's' wherries (water taxis), Thames barges, passenger steam boats and rowing boats, for leisure, all appearing over the years. With it, wharves and warehouses were developed (during the 17th century), and the area began to attract brewing as a business particularly well-suited to the area, with the grain and fuel being brought by river.

However, it was the arrival of the railway - and after that, air travel - that began to change West London's fortunes: in the 100 years from 1801 to 1901, the area saw its population increase some 25 times, from just 10,000 to 250,000 by the early 20th century.

Transport

The key to Hammersmith's commercial success is its transport links.

Tube - West London is served by the Piccadilly, District and Metropolitan lines which link London's Heathrow Airport, and the borough of Richmond, with the West End and City of London beyond. Hammersmith itself has two underground stations, which together serve more than 27 million passengers annually.

Bus - Countless bus routes run through the Hammersmith, at all times of the day and night.

Road - The M4/A4, the key arterial route into London from the west of England runs through Hammersmith, linking Heathrow Airport with the capital's centre.

Air - The nearest airport for London's West End is Heathrow, which is easily accessible by road (A4/M4) and the Piccadilly underground line.

Business in the Hammersmith area

Since Victorian times, Hammersmith has grown to become a major commercial and residential hub of London. Hammersmith's office activity takes place mainly to the eastern side of its centre, along Hammersmith Road and in the Ark, an office complex to the south of the M4/A4 flyover which traverses the area.

The offices of Coca-Cola, Disney, EMI, L'Oreal, Sony Ericsson, VisitBritain (the national tourist board), Bechtel, World Wrestling Entertainment, AOL UK, and Accor UK are all found in Hammersmith.

In addition to the cinema and pubs of King Street, leisure activity also takes place along Hammersmith's pedestrianised riverside, home to a number of pubs and rowing clubs.

And westwards...

Following the A4/M4 westwards, towards Heathrow Airport, the area is populated commercially by a number of leading, global operations, from CBS News, France Telecom, Paramount Pictures, Singapore Airlines, Starbucks and Teletex, to GlaxoSmithKline's global headquarters at Brentford, and out towards Stockley Park.

Stockley Park

Stockley Park is one of Europe's leading business parks. Located just minutes from Heathrow Airport and the M4 junction, Stockley Park is home to more than 30 blue-chip businesses including M&S, Apple, Cannon, Adobe and Hasbro. The glazed modern office buildings of Stockley Park are flooded with natural light and boast views across acres of parkland and a picturesque lake.

Amersham to the north west...

Amersham is a picturesque market town in Buckinghamshire, located just 27 miles north west of London and within a short commute of the Capital. The nearby A-roads provide excellent links to surrounding towns and cities, like Slough, Uxbridge and Berkhamstead. London Underground Metropolitan Line runs services to Amersham, with Baker Street station around 45 minutes away, Marlebone station is also a 40 minute train ride away.

Amersham offers an attractive work / life balance for professionals thanks to the picturesque setting. A number of professional services companies are located in Amersham, including new media and design, marketing and advertising companies, and financial and legal service providers.

Where to go in West London

There are a number of attractions in Hammersmith, including three well-known theatres; Riverside Studios, the former BBC studios which now houses a cinema, theatre, a bar and café,The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and the Hammersmith Apollo, a large concert hall and theatre.

Along the river, towards Chiswick, there are a number of pubs, as well as a scenic river path. The Dove pub, one of the oldest surviving riverside pubs in London, is located by Hammersmith Bridge, while further upstream, are the Blue Anchor and the Old Ship, all of which serve food. Alternatively, several restaurants can be found along Chiswick High Road, nearby.

Amersham has any number of historic and picturesque pubs - with two local pubs (The Crown and The King's Arms) used for interiors and exteriors on the film Four Weddings and a Funeral. There are also numerous restaurants in the locality. Gilbey's in Old Amersham is housed in the former grammar school and offers garden dining, while The Artichoke offers contemporary French food in a 16th Century venue and The Famous Fish Co specialises in seafood. Restaurant Guide has customer reviews of these venues and many other suggestions.

Where to sleep

Because of its proximity to central London, Hammersmith tends to offer hotels more at the budget end of the spectrum, with the Novotel, Premier Inn and Premier West all located there. The nearby Hilton London Kensington in High Street Kensington is popular with business users, as are a number of the major, West End hotels. For more information on West End hotels, we recommend a look at the Michelin Red Guide 2009, The Good Hotel Guide 2009 or the London Hip Hotels guide.

Further out of town, towards Stockley Park and Heathrow, there are literally hundreds of hotels to choose from - from the large airport hotels including the five-star Radisson Edwardian Heathrow and Hilton London Heathrow, to smaller, boutique-style hotels dotted around the nearby towns of Windsor and Eton.

As you would expect with a smaller town such as Amersham, there are no 5 star or boutique hotels on offer, but a personal touch is provided by the many public houses offering accommodation to visitors, including the two pubs mentioned in "Where to play", plus Saracens Head Inn and The Chequers.

Executive Offices Group

Executive Offices Group provides state-of-the-art serviced office accommodation at its Palladia Hammersmith, Palladia Stockley Park and Palladia Amersham buildings.