Want to see the Bayeux tapestry in London but missed out? A £1,000 hotel booking gets you in

When the Bayeux tapestry goes on display at

When the Bayeux tapestry goes on display at the British Museum in September, securing a ticket will be no small feat. The £33 passes vanished within 24 hours, leaving thousands of would-be visitors stuck in online queues that stretched to nine hours. But for those willing to splash out on a luxury stay, a much easier path has opened up.

Guests booking a room at the five-star One Aldwych hotel in Covent Garden—where rates start at around £1,000 per night—are being offered reserved slots for the exhibition. The hotel has quietly secured a number of viewing times for its clientele, sparing them the frustration of refreshing browsers and waiting on hold.

The tapestry, a nearly 1,000-year-old embroidered cloth depicting the Norman conquest of England and the death of King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, is being loaned to the UK from France for the first time in over 950 years. Its arrival has sparked intense public interest, with many willing to travel long distances for a glimpse.

The British Museum has confirmed that a limited

The British Museum has confirmed that a limited number of tickets were set aside for hospitality partners, a common practice for major exhibitions. However, this has reignited debates about access to cultural heritage, with critics arguing that such arrangements privilege the wealthy at the expense of ordinary visitors.

For those who missed out on the initial sale, there is still hope: the museum has said it will release additional tickets in the coming weeks. But for now, the quickest route to seeing the tapestry may well be to book a night at One Aldwych—and enjoy a luxury stay while you're at it.