You only have to mention Park Lane to immediately picture the full London orchestra: red buses lumbering by, tourists weaving through traffic, black cabs honking their horns. But from the Four Seasons Park Lane’s Garden Suite terrace, all that chaos feels wonderfully beneath you.
Newly relaunched, the suite is a removal from that urban churn. Sure, the noise of Park Lane – and maybe some of the fumes – travel up (after all, the suite is only on the first floor), but this is a place in which to look down on London, rather than feel overcome by it.
While the hotel is a mainstay on the city’s luxury circuit, many of its suites had failed to keep up with more contemporary competitors, and thus, a facelift was due. For the renovation, London-based studio Interiors with Art was drafted in and tasked with upgrading 14 suites, including the Presidential Suite, Garden Suite, and several Deluxe Suites. Elite Traveler checked in to see what had changed.
Stay
A receptionist gleefully tells me, “This is one of our very best!” as I check in to The Garden Suite. A gentle golden color scheme leads in the space, with rust-toned boucle twin sofas, light-wood paneled walls, Murano glass light fixtures, and gilded artwork. The suite is generously proportioned with a private dining area, butler’s kitchen, marble entryway, bathroom with her-and-hers vanity and a window-front tub, plus a roomy lounge with a separate study.
Amenities are up to standard too. Signature suite guests get complimentary airport transfers, VIP hospitality at Bicester Village shopping hub, an extensive in-room bar, and in-room styling services.
The real rarity, however, is the outdoor terrace which, with its separate lounge and dining space, seemingly sets it apart from the Presidential Suite (which has a lighter, brighter palette and covers more sq ft, but lacks any outdoor space).
While the suite’s upgrade has indeed taken the interiors from waiting room to slick yacht chic, it is, in all honestly, a gentle improvement on the existing design, as opposed to the strip-back, start-from-scratch refurb I had expected. In places, the old style still manages to seep through. The phone sets built into the wall surely saw the best of the 2010s, and the light switches are far from intuitive (please – a simple ‘on/off button’ is always best).
Dine
On the first floor is Pavyllon by Yannick Alleno, which has emerged as one of London’s most reputable fine dining restaurants, with a Michelin star awarded for its take on seasonal British ingredients.
But it’s the neighboring Bar Antoine that really impresses. Far from a stuffy hotel bar, a sense of fun is prioritized here: its newest menu leans on French flavors and injects them into classic cocktails. The buttery croissant old fashioned is a safe win, but more experimental serves, such as the peach and Dijon mustard marg, a fig paloma with a Comte cheese tuille, and the cornichon martini (served with an unlimited supply of cornichons), show real ingenuity. Pull up a seat at the bar for a BTS look at the team at work.
Relax
While shoehorning spas into the basement has become standard practice across many hotels, Four Seasons Park Lane has bucked the trend: its rooftop wellness and fitness space has skyline views across the city. There are nine treatment rooms, including a double-size Sky Suite, all with glass walls overlooking Hyde Park.
Explore
A recent partnership with V&A comes as part of the hotel’s bid to establish itself as a more culturally clued up property. Guests in the set of top suites will be given complimentary tickets to shows across London’s V&A network, even to shows that are otherwise sold out. It’s a short walk to the South Kensington gallery, but the complimentary use of the house Bentleys makes the trip even easier, and there’s the option to tag on guided private tours.
The hotel also has a round-the-clock concierge team – which includes seven Les Clefs d’Or members – who can organise local activities, experiences, and reservations.
