Intercontinental London Park Lane

Official National Olympic Committee hotel for the London Olympics 2012
Introduction: The InterContinental Hotel Park Lane stands in an enviable location, on the edge of Mayfair, opposite Hyde Park and right next to Hyde Park Corner. On the opposite side of Hyde Park Corner is Green Park and the grounds of Buckingham Palace (London residence for the reining British Monarch). Mayfair itself is one of the most exclusive areas not just in London but the UK, with companies from all over the world occupying offices here as a Mayfair address is very prestigious. Just to the South of the Hotel is Piccadilly, which has a range of upmarket shopping include the internationally known Fortnum and Mason. Bond Street is known across the world for its quality designer fashion and jewellery boutiques and shops and is just 0.5 miles to the East (also in Mayfair). Just beyond Bond Street is Regent Street with is huge range and mix of shops, boutiques, cafes and Bars. Regent Street is also the start of London's Theatre Land and nightlife. Oxford Street, perhaps the best known of all the major shopping areas in London is 0.7 miles to the North. Less than 0.5 miles to the South West is Knightsbridge which runs along the South side of Hyde Park and is home to the famous department store of Harrods. All of the most popular London attractions and places of interest are accessible from here, some of which include: Apsley House (with the unique address of 1 London) (0.1 miles), The Queens Gallery (0.4 miles), St James's Palace (0.5 miles), Westminster Cathedral (0.7 miles), Speakers Corner (0.7 miles) and Marble Arch (0.8 miles).

Hotel:
The Intercontinental Hotel Park Lane has a policy whereby every guest entering the hotel should be greeted immediately by a member of the staff.  Whatever your needs, be it help with shopping bags or guidance to a part of the hotel it should be there as soon as you need it.

Bedrooms bring a modern slant on the traditional British stately home in both furniture and fabrics. Cots and rollaway beds can be hired for a fee. All rooms are of course en-suite with a bath, robe, phone, toiletries and hairdryer. Standard room amenities include cable television (with pay movies, games and internet browser), CD and DVD player, video check-out, music system, tea/coffee facilities, fridge, minibar, modem connection, high speed internet access, desk, direct dial phone with voicemail, safe, individually controlled air-conditioning, iron and ironing board. Video films can be rented.
All guests have access to the business centre. The hotel provides a valet and turndown service.

The Executive club rooms are on a dedicated floor (7th) along with the Club InterContinental lounge. The lounge is contemporary in style with great views over central London and Buckingham Palace. The lounge is also free to guests in suites while other guests can pay a surcharge for access. Guests in the executive rooms and suites enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks along with a separate check-in area.

Suites again are designed to bring a modern slant to a neo-classical theme. Suites have the latest in technology with the likes of Bose Sound Systems, ipod docking stations, and B&O plasma TV's. As well as standard amenities the rooms come with a Butler Service, dedicated check-in area and the very latest in video equipment. They also have a kitchen area with a dishwasher, microwave, toaster, utensils and oven.
The Intercontinental now boasts four very special signature suites which come with specially commissioned artwork from Uschi Schmitt-Ladanyi. They are the height in luxury and innovative design with a range of high tech facilities. They are the Royal suite, the London suite, the Wellington suite and the Cinema suite. The Royal and London suites can be connected to create one of Europe's largest hotel suites. The cinema suite has a real cinema, £70,000 pounds worth of equipment with 5 foot screen and 250 films.
All suite guests can enjoy complimentary access to Club InterContinental, a drive in an Aston Martin, dedicated Concierge and 24h Butler service.

Eight rooms have been adapted for accessibility. Room configurations include sixty suites, two hundred singles, one hundred and eighty seven doubles and two hundred and ten rooms that are non-smoking. 
Room service is 24 hours and there is a daily maid service.

Dining:
The Intercontinental Hotel Park Lane has its own restaurant, cafe and lobby bar.
Theo Randall at The InterContinental: The restaurant takes it name from its head chef who was formerly head chef at the River Café (once named best Italian restaurant in Europe).  A large 120 seat restaurant in a stylishly modern and chic setting focussing on the best of regional Italian cuisine that has enjoyed many great reviews. The decor features the use of brown leather and mirrors. The menu is varied and changes most days. In fact the Chef only decides the menu each morning after taking note of the quality of the ingredients available to him that day. Open for lunch and dinner.
Theo Randall at The InterContinental Bar: part of the restaurant with a 20 seat capacity.
Lobby Bar: Vibrant setting serving classic cocktails as well as locally brewed beers.
Cookbook Cafe: Serves breakfast, lunch and dinner along aside its range of drinks that include fine wines. Cookbook Cafe was created to give aspiring chefs and sommeliers a place to learn and share their know-how, but it's also an excellent option if all you want is a delicious meal. Artisans demonstrate their skills at cooking stations and there's a daily menu of starters, entrés and desserts. The atmosphere is like a breath of fresh air, casual, comfortable and flooded with daylight from the enormous windows overlooking Hyde Park.
Lobby Lounge: Sited in the hotels lobby and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A restful environment in which to enjoy fine tea's and wonderful chocolates from some local suppliers. Enjoy fresh handmade treats from a local chocolate shop and fine teas from a local specialist tea supplier.
Late Lounge: New in 2009 was the InterContinental's Late Lounge. Situated in the hotels lobby this chic and intimate lounge is open 7 days a day from 22.30 till 03.00 with its own resident DJ. With its extensive drinks selection including champagnes and cocktails with waitress service. The decor includes subtle coloured lighting, velvet chairs and floor to ceiling drapes. Also serves a late night bar menu.

The Intercontinental Hotel Park Lane has a dedicated floor for its 13 meeting rooms. All rooms make use of natural daylight with full length windows. The largest room can accommodate up to 750 delegates theatre style. Some rooms are far more intimate with the smallest having a capacity of 4.
The hotels business centre is manned from 7.00 till 19.00 daily (weekends 10.00 till 18.00) and opened 24 hours. Here you can obtain services such as photocopy, fax, internet access via computer, mobile phone rental, pc hire, modem connection, WiFi broadband internet access and secretarial services.
WiFi can be picked up throughout all the public areas.
Hotel services include an onsite laundry (self service), dry cleaning and laundry pickup, full concierge services, safety deposit box (front reception), currency exchange and shoe shine. The hotel has shops located onsite which include a florist and beauty salon. Baby sitting can be arranged for your children and the hotel runs what it calls a Kids VIP Program.
All the public areas benefit from air-conditioning.
A gymnasium is to be found on the first floor which is equipped with free eights and cardio workout machines.

---

Parking: ten spaces onsite. Valet parking option (fee). NCP pay car park 0.13 miles away under the Hilton Park Lane Hotel.
Room Numbers: 447 (60 suites) / 8 floors
Check-in: 15.00 (3 pm) (you must be at least 18 to check-in unaccompanied)
Check-out: 12.00 noon

---

Awards: Theo Randall restaurant is an AA 3 rosettes holder
Forbes Traveler Top 400: 2008
Visit London:
2010: Bronze for Outstanding Customer Service
2009 Silver for Large Hotel of the Year
World Travel Awards:
Englands Leading Conference Hotel 2011
Englands Leading Business Hotel 2010

---

Comment: Originally opened in 1975.
The hotel re-opened in November 2006 after being closed to allow for a £63 million pound refurbishment program. The refit was extensive, was carried out by Reardon Smith architects, and resulted in all new dining and bar facilities and bedrooms that are now state-of-the-art. 

Timeline:
The Intercontinental bought multiple London Cycle Hire memberships to allow hotel guests complimentary use of London's cycle facilities.
Late Lounge introduced 2009
Gym renovated 2007.
Four signature suites opened in June 2007 designed by Khuan Chew of KCA International.

---