Planner in Residence
Joe Mensah, director of events and operations at the InterContinental London Park Lane, shares his tips for a delightful stay in the British capital.
What are some of your go-to meeting venues?
We work closely with heritage locations in and around London to present off-site locations. Some of my personal favorites include Hedsor House in Buckinghamshire, or the top of the iconic Wellington Arch just opposite the hotel.
Where is a great place to shop? After all, London is the birthplace of modern tailoring.
Liberty London is a true embodiment of British creativity. Liberty is famed for innovation and design that blends international pieces with fresh British design talent. At the hotel we can arrange for private VIP shopping tours as well as exclusive access to Liberty history.
What are some of your favorite dining spots?
It is a really exciting time for the restaurant scene in London. We are very spoiled at the hotel as we have Theo Randall, which is constantly voted the best Italian restaurant in London. I also really like London’s other local offerings such as Turkish, Indian, Vietnamese — and, of course, a great pub. One of my favorite pubs is the Bull Highgate.
London is heating up for summer
London has been enjoying a lot of capital
investment in the past year, and this has meant a boon for
planners, with multiple new hotel openings and renovations.
In March 2012, Apex Hotels opened its third London property,
the Apex Temple Court, a 184-room luxury boutique hotel,
complete with exclusive club lounge and restaurant. Then, in
July of last year, the 115-room Park Grand London Heathrow
opened near London Heathrow airport, featuring a restaurant,
bar, fitness center, complimentary Wi-Fi, and 24-hour room
service. It also has three meeting rooms and banquet services
that can cater for up to 200.
Also last summer, the 110-room Ampersand Hotel reopened with a
patisserie, Bellini bar, and a vaulted cocktail and dining
room. The historic property was originally built in 1888, and
is billed as "one of London's original Victorian boutique
hotels." The property offers three meeting rooms, the largest
of which can host up to 50.
In September 2012, the new 80-room, boutique South Place Hotel
opened behind Finsbury Circus. The unique property is the debut
hotel from restaurateurs D&D London, and it features
Conran-designed interiors, two restaurants, three bars, and
five meeting rooms, the largest two of which can be combined to
accommodate up to 200.
The historic Cafe Royal hotel in Central London opened in the
winter of last year as well. The 159-room property is a revamp
of the original Cafe Royal, which closed in December 2008 and
was famous for being the meeting place for the likes of Oscar
Wilde, Elizabeth Taylor, Winston Churchill, and Princess Diana.
The new property features five meeting rooms for a total of
5,400 square feet, and includes complimentary Wi-Fi.
Last December saw the opening of more historic lodgings, as the
InterContinental London Westminster opened with 256 rooms in
the former Queen Anne's Chambers, which were originally built
in the 19th century. It features eight meeting rooms and is the
first IHG hotel to open in London in 36 years.
Additionally, the Ilec Conference Centre has reopened following
a $7.68-million refurbishment. The conference and meeting venue
boasts more than 16,000 square feet of space, which can be
configured into a total of nine modular rooms. Its newly
developed, pillar-free ballroom can accommodate events,
conferences, and meetings for up to 1,200 delegates.
The Olympia London event venue has also been redeveloped, with
West Hall transformed into a 92,000-square-foot convention
facility.
Lastly in 2012, the former Mountbatten Hotel reopened as the
Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street Hotel after a $23 million
renovation. The 137-room Radisson Edwardian property features
Apple TV technology in every room. There are six meeting rooms
capable of hosting up to 50 people. Features also include
Japanese-style "bento boxes" for lunch.
More on the Horizon
This month, the new 99-room, contemporary boutique hotel Xenia
will open in South Kensington. Housed in an artfully restored
Victorian building with contemporary interiors, Xenia will
comprise a destination restaurant, a bar with an outdoor
terrace, a private dining area, and an unspecified amount of
event space.
In the second quarter of 2013, the new Shangri-La Hotel London
will open at The Shard, one of London's iconic glass
skyscrapers. The 202-room Shangri-La will include a lobby
lounge and bar, a gourmet lounge cafe with artisan foods, a
themed bar situated on the 52nd floor, and three river-facing
event rooms.
In July, Olympic Park will reopen as Queen Elizabeth Olympic
Park site in Stratford, East London. It will feature lush
parklands and waterways, new neighborhoods and world-class
venues. The North Park area will feature a nature-themed
community hub and the South Plaza is billed as an ideal events
venue.
The new Art'otel London Hoxton - the first London property from
the boutique hotel group - is scheduled to open sometime this
year. The 350-room property will be art-focused, and will
feature a gallery space, an arthouse cinema, a spa, and a
restaurant on the double-height top floor. Also this year, Nobu
is planning to open a modern, architecturally astonishing
property with 143 guest rooms and, of course, a restaurant.
Among the other new offerings to crop up recently, is an
affordable-luxury property opened by hotel group citizenM last
year. It has plans to open two more: citizenM Tower of London
and citizenM St Paul's. The hotels will incorporate
contemporary design and modern art, though the opening dates
have yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile, floors three through seven of the Trocadero - a
gaming and entertainment complex in the city - will be turned
into a Tokyo-style "pod" hotel. The 495 windowless "pods" will
resemble those of a luxury cruise ship and will be styled with
high-quality finishes, as well as a double bed and high-tech
bathroom. The hotel will feature a rooftop bar and restaurant,
providing breathtaking views of the London skyline.