Transportation

High Without a private guide, my high-end stand-in would have to suffer the indignity of London’s black cabs and their famously proper and well-informed drivers. Ms. Calon’s estimate for six rides was £64, which at $1.57 to the pound (the rate when I was there in late August) is the equivalent of just over $100.

Low That sum, of course, would end my day before it started, so taxis were out. And even London’s subway is pricey — starting at £2.30 for a ride or £12 for a daily pass. So instead, I bought a £2 24-hour pass for London’s bike share program, and, when necessary, took the bus (£1.50 and, from the upper level, a great view). As it turned out, only one Tube ride was required; total expenditure about £9.

Hygiene and Headwear

High As a way to start my day, Ms. Calon suggested a hot towel wet shave, which included a shoeshine, at one of the classic shops in the hotel’s opulent environs: Truefitt and Hill (truefittandhill.co.uk), barbers since 1805 and holders of a royal warrant, meaning someone from Buckingham Palace is a client. “It’s where you’d see Prince Charles getting his haircut,” she said. (No promises, obviously.) £42.

Low The free shoeshine sounded appealing. But I’ve been bearded for over a year now, so I rejected the shave. Instead, I set out to experience some of the other centuries-old London merchants of the St James’s neighborhood. My walk included a stop at Lock & Co. Hatters (lockhatters.co.uk), another royal warrant holder established in 1676. I couldn’t afford to buy anything, but Lock & Co. also features a newly opened heritage room that serves as a mini hat museum; I gawked at the conformateur, a gizmo used for recording the precise outline of a client’s head, and Winston Churchill’s yellowed page in the store’s ancient ledger, which records four velvet hats purchased in 1911. Nearby, I also found William Evans (williamevans.com) (“Country Clothing — Gun & Rifle Makers”) and James J. Fox Cigar Merchants (jjfox.co.uk), which features its own Winston Churchill memorabilia. No sign of Charles, however.