Sheraton Grand London Park Lane
BACKGROUND The Sheraton is one of the best-known London hotels – an art deco property originally intended to be apartments when its construction began in the early 20th century. Having completed a multimillionpound refurbishment in October, it has now joined Sheraton’s “Grand” tier.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? The renovation has taken many years, but has been worth the wait. Almost every area has been refurbished or replaced, and the art deco beauty of the interiors shines through all the more clearly thanks to the work done by MKV Design in partnership with Sheraton’s global design team.
The hotel has two entrances: on Piccadilly and behind on Brick Street (where taxis will drop you off). If you enter through the latter, you are faced by a set of black mirrored doors, behind which is a grand staircase leading up to the rooms. The lifts on either side of the lobby are pretty slow and were often busy during my stay, so I used the stairs as much as possible. From Piccadilly, you enter through the Palm Court lounge, which is beautiful, but best enjoyed with a drink in hand rather than dragging a wheelie bag through. WHERE IS IT? On Piccadilly, a five-minute walk from both Hyde Park Corner and Green Park stations.
ROOM FACILITIES The 303 rooms and suites all offer free highspeed wifi. Classic (20-25 sqm) and Superior rooms (25-30 sqm) make up the bulk of the inventory and, since the hotel is in a hollowed-out U shape facing Green Park, only rooms at the top of the U have park views. Most overlook the open courtyard above the Palm Court lounge. This helps to explain why, despite being on such a busy road, so many rooms enjoy quiet – rare for central London.
The rooms now have a cool elegance about them, with modern furnishings, art deco detailing and a good-sized desk and comfortable chair, along with an HD TV. The air conditioning works well, and an armchair provides the option of sitting somewhere other than the desk or bed.
New to the hotel are 43 Sheraton Club rooms and suites with access to the ground-floor Club lounge. This has two rooms – one for dining and one for relaxing – although in the morning, both are laid out for breakfast. It’s a nice place to relax in the evening. The Club rooms also include free use of the lounge’s eight-seat meeting room. There are only 21 suites in total, all with views over Green Park. RESTAURANTS AND BARS
The main restaurant, with its own entrance on Piccadilly, is Mercante, which offers seasonal Italian dining (for a review see businesstraveller.com/tried-andtested). I ate in the 1920s-themed Smith and Whistle bar, which serves cocktails and craft beers alongside “British-inspired sharing plates”, (which seems a contradiction, since most British people I know don’t like sharing their food.) I had a good burger and chips, and the list of real ales and drinks was impressive. Outdoor dining is available in both Mercante and Smith and Whistle, although both areas are on busy Piccadilly. MEETING FACILITIES The hotel is known for its event spaces, which include the Grade II listed Art Deco Ballroom and Silver Gallery. These were not part of the renovation but on the night I stayed I walked through them once again and can confirm that they are as stunning and well used as ever – they don’t make spaces like this anymore. LEISURE FACILITIES There is a good gym in the basement. Otherwise, head to Green Park or Hyde Park for a run.
VERDICT The renovation is a great success. It keeps what was special about the hotel – the art deco theme, the Palm Court and the service – and improves it with modern rooms, free wifi and a good Club lounge.
TESTED BY
Tom Otley
HOW MANY ROOMS?
303 rooms and suites.
HIGHLIGHTS
The location, and dinner at Mercante, the Italian restaurant.
PRICE
Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in June started from £352/`28,182 for a Classic room.
CONTACT
Piccadilly; tel +44 (0)20 7499 6321; sheratonparklane.com FREE WIFI 24hr ROOM SERVICE 4 RESTAURANTS 1 BAR 5 MEETING ROOMS