Luxury Hotelier - September 2007 - (Page 36)

36| Properties The see-and-be-seen Library Bar is considered one of London’s best, and was rated in 2004 by Harden’s Guide as the Best Hotel Bar in the World. It also houses a stunning “Liquid History” collection of vintage cognac, one of which sells for some several thousand pounds a glass. These rare cognacs (and rare Cuban cigars that sell for nearly as much) are routinely purchased at Christie’s auction house. To counter London’s no-smoking ordinances, the new Garden Room is now open to accommodate smokers from late afternoon on. Yet another idea of Mr. Gelardi’s, guests also can enjoy cognacs and light snacks offered on the Library Bar’s menu. The Lanesborough has five individually designed event rooms, the largest of which accommodates up to 180 guests; four are licensed for civil wedding ceremonies. These bespoke rooms with original fireplaces, richly paneled walls, lush fabrics, Czech crystal chandeliers and gilded mirrors are available for private dining, business meetings and social gatherings. Discovered when the hotel was restored by Rosewood, the wine cellar is another option for exclusive gatherings for up to 12 guests for a sit-down meal. Asked what he wished he could change, if options were endless, Mr. Gelardi quickly responds, “Fifty more rooms!” The Spa Studio [left] offers treatments that can be personalized for guests, including a caviar body treatment. The Conservatory [right] features trickling fountains and towering palms. Executive chef Paul Gayler’s menu spotlights international cuisine. really didn’t complain. But as phone rates for overseas calls continued to drop, we indeed began to get some negative feedback. So I decided to not charge at all. So far, none of our competition has followed suit.” Mr. Gelardi also surveyed his competition, including The Dorchester, Claridge’s, The Berkeley Hotel, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Four Seasons Hotel London, The Ritz London and The Connaught Hotel—and concluded that also offering one complimentary pressing on arrival, two bottles of water with turndown, a complimentary movie, Internet access and fresh fruit daily also put the Lanesborough at the front of the pack. “I found that these amenities cost guests anywhere from £75 to £125 (about $150 to $250),” he adds. “Our room rates are never discounted, so my decision was to continue to offer our guests what are fair market rates that happen to include some terrific complimentary amenities.” Around the hotel The glass-roofed Conservatory restaurant was styled with whimsical flourishes, decked out in exotic palms, Chinese lanterns and Oriental figurines in 1991. In this dining room spilling over with natural light, you will find well-executed dishes prepared under the watchful eye of executive chef Paul Gayler. The room will undergo a major refurbishment in January, and the forecasted opening (with an updated new menu) is slated for March 2008. In the interim, guests can dine and sip tea in the Belgravia Room. The hotel’s tea service received the Award of Excellence and the Top London Afternoon Tea award from United Kingdom Tea Council in 2005 and 2006. There are nearly two dozen varieties of tea, many rare and limited in their production, including a vintage Pu-erh 1990 Wild Tuo Cha and a 2000 Fuhai 250g Pu-erh Cake. Nearly all are purchased through auctions. The traditional Afternoon Tea menu offers just-out-of-the-oven scones, cakes and pastries, finger sandwiches, homemade lemon curd and fruit preserves, and enough clotted cream for generous scone slatherings. Guests can upgrade to the Belgravia Tea if they fancy a glass of Taittinger’s or Kir Royal and a serving of plump fresh strawberries served with heavy cream. “The idea of a tea sommelier started out as a fun promotion about a year ago to create more interest in our afternoon tea service,” says conservatory director Karl Kessab. “But guests loved it; business steadily increased, and now we’re booked solid every day. I think, in some ways, our tea service is the new ‘power breakfast.’” — InfoConcierge » MORE INFORMATION: Owner: Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Management: St. Regis Hotels Guestrooms: 95 Staff number: 300 Year opened: 1991 Average yearly occupancy: 85 percent Customer mix: 70 percent business, 30 percent leisure Affiliations: Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Virtuoso, Signature Hotels & Resorts and Andrew Harper’s Q Club, American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts Luxury Hotelier | September 2007 | www.LuxuryHotelier.com http://www.LuxuryHotelier.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Hotelier - September 2007

EDITOR’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER INFORM NETWORK PERSONALITIES INSIGHT INSIGHT PROPERTIES ROPERTIES INSPIRE DELIVER PROTOCOLS INSIGHT INNOVATE DEVELOPMENT INDULGE INSIGHT CONNECT UPDATE DOSSIER

Luxury Hotelier - September 2007

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