Well actually it was 5 hotels…….. We spent a day in London recently and held an off-site Team Meeting, worked on day-to-day business and combined this with a number of show rounds, maintaining our venue knowledge. It was a great day and it was so good to see and experience the Hotels. Huge thanks to Andy Woods from Leonardo Hotels and Amanda from Pan Pacific.
We were invited by Andy Woods from Leonardo Hotels to come and experience one of his Hotels by holding our team meeting at the Leonardo St Pauls and whilst we were there also have the opportunity to revisit the other 4 Hotels. There have been a number of changes to the Hotels since Leonardo have taken over
We also took the opportunity to visit the Pan Pacific London which was our first stop……
Pan Pacific Hotel London is located within just a few minutes’ walk of Liverpool Street Station. The first Pan Pacific in the UK, it has all the hallmarks of the Asian Brand and much more!! It has 237 bedrooms of which 42 are suites, all having commanding views across the city of London.
Their Pacific Ballroom is the ‘piece de resistance’ of the Hotel, with state-of-the-art tech, amazing lighting and is triple-height and pillar-free. It can hold up to 400 pax banqueting. Indeed, all meeting rooms come with cutting-edge audio and visual technology as standard.
On level three of the hotel is Market Square, a relaxed creative meeting space, consisting of four meeting rooms named after local London markets within the Market Mile.
The central breakout space, known as Market Kitchen, is well-stocked with snacks and drinks, providing flexibility and choice and delegates can help themselves throughout the day. Glass walls and doors divide the spaces which are flooded with natural daylight through floor-to-ceiling windows, and are equipped with 4K LED screens, video and audio conferencing. The floor is perfectly designed to be booked exclusively, benefitting events that need privacy away from other meetings and guests.
Below, on Level 2, are a number of meeting and function rooms which can cater from 12-28 people boardroom style.
We get a significant number of private dining enquiries from clients, so I must touch on what the Pan Pacific has to offer in this regard. Newton and Katong are the two intimate private dining rooms at the hotel, accommodating all tastes and occasions, from working breakfasts to lunch hour meetings and private dinners. Newton can seat 12 guests at a striking asymmetrical table, while Katong seats 14 around a central captain’s table. Executive Chef Lorraine Sinclair, has curated seasonal menus with traditional and signature dishes served individually or sharing family-style, as is synonymous with Singapore.
A great feature to highlight is the Event Emporium which is specifically designed for event planners. This space has an exclusive range of bespoke linens, crockery and table decorations to help planners/organisers to personalise their event and the hotel staff are, of course, also on hand with a wealth of experience in bringing a planners vision to life.
Next onto the Leonardo Hotels!
There are four Leonardo Hotels in central London, two of these being within close walking distance of each other. All the Leonardo Hotels have undergone a major refurbishment, offering state of the art meeting facilities.
Leonardo Royal Hotel London St Pauls is located, as the name suggests, near St Pauls and in the heart of the business district. It was over 450 bedrooms, 23 meeting spaces and a Rooftop Bar.
The Wren and Shakespeare Suites are the largest of the meeting rooms at St Pauls and can either be used as one room, which can hold 550 theatre style/ 450 dinner dance or split up providing spaces for breakouts or catering. There are 21 further meeting spaces with capacities ranging from 15-230 pax.
We used the Executive Boardroom, which was a lovely big room on the Mezzanine Level with natural daylight.
The Rooftop Bar & Restaurant, Sabine, is a great feature at the hotel and can be hired out for private events. As well as the outdoor terrace there is also an indoor venue complete with a retractable roof, so can be used whatever the weather! Further it is set over the stunning London skyline with never seen before views of St. Paul’s Cathedral
The Leonardo Royal Hotel London Tower Bridge (located close to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London) has 370 modern and spacious bedrooms all with the bespoke DREAM beds and 17 meeting spaces. It’s the largest of the Leonardo Hotels in London in terms of meeting capacity, being able to accommodate up to 850 people theatre style/600 dinner dance/432 cabaret style. There are a number of smaller rooms with capacities that range from as little as 12 to others such as the Minories Suite, which can hold up to 400 pax theatre style.
The Leonardo Royal Hotel London the City is located very close to the Tower and just minutes from Tower Hill tube station.
It has impressive meeting space in the form of a large Auditorium which is an expansive space with double height ceilings with a capacity of 500 people theatre style (or 260 classroom style). It is perfectly suited to host a range of events and can be used as a flat-floored space or tiered. There are additional smaller meeting rooms and an outdoor event space, ideal for hosting summer barbeques and drinks receptions.
All three Leonardo Hotels have the same F&B concept onsite, Leo’s Bar and Restaurant. When we visited the Tower Bridge property, this outlet was particularly buzzing with people enjoying a drink (eg a signature cocktail) and some food. Breakfast is also served in Leo’s.
NYX Hotel London Holborn by Leonardo Hotels, is completely different to the other Leonardo Hotels! Located in Holborn, so between the West End and the City, NYX has its own unique urban style. The bedrooms are very individual, the bars ‘cool’ and the restaurant also has a semi-private space which can be hired out for a host of different events. There are 213 bedrooms and suites which also feature the DREAM bed, in addition to Smeg fridges and minibars.
We were treated to dinner at NYX and one of the foods we had and shared was what’s called ‘the mother of all nacho platters’ and it truly was, but delicious too! For the Instagrammers amongst you, there’s lots for you at NYX.
NYX has recently opened its Rooftop Bar, Glasshouse and it is looking fabulous!
Our View
Pan Pacific London is certainly a venue with the wow factor. The service and the product they offer is 2nd to none.
Leonardo Hotels offer very good 4 star conference facilities and also offering outdoor space to add something extra special to an event. NYX Holborn is definitely one to consider for the client who is wanting to offer something a little different.
London has such great variety of hotels and we always aim to find our clients a venue to suit their brief and budget.
