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Thursday 7 April 2016

We have the fabulous job of seeing and experiencing some great venues and a few weeks ago we got to experience two incredible five star hotels.

The first night was a tour of some of the Radisson Group hotels located in the West End, Grafton, Bloomsbury and Kenilworth Hotel. The three spaces are a stone’s throw away from each other and each unique in style, from traditional, to the more modern, each with quirky features scattered around the public areas. The final stop was the luxurious May Fair.  One of our favourite hotels in London, the hotel is notorious for its opulent design and five star service, and not only were we having a tour of the hotel, we were getting to stay for the night and experience it first hand – such a hard job we have!

As soon as we arrived we were greeted with a glass of Champagne and then shown around the hotel, from their smaller meeting rooms to their three larger spaces. From the screening room which is a large theatre style space which can accommodate up to 201 guests, to the Danziger Suite which can seat up to 170 guests for a dinner, and the stunning Crystal Suite, the most luxurious event space with its Baccarat chandeliers and stylish features. This space is perfect for Christmas parties and awards dinners, but also works really well for conferences and meetings. We also got a sneak peek of some of their bedrooms and incredible suites, as well as the newly refurbished Mayfair Bar, which has a much cooler, sleeker feel to it post-refurb. Not only were we impressed by the event spaces the hotel has to offer, but as we learnt more about the Radisson group and its origins, it is clear that this is very much a family owned business, and one that cares about it’s employees and guests.

Once the tour was over we were then invited into the hotels main restaurant May Fair Kitchen, to sample some of their delicious menu. The restaurant prides itself on its simplicity; it is all about exquisite food and sourcing the finest produce. There is an open kitchen at the front of the restaurant, creating a theatrical dining experience, while still keeping a relaxed, informal atmosphere. As a team we tasted a variety of dishes from the scallop starter to the fresh lobster and the marbled beef fillet, which was divine. After a delicious dinner, we made our way up to our Deluxe Rooms, where we had a luxurious nights sleep in king-sized beds. Not a bad way to end our tour of the Radisson Group.

But it didn’t end there! The next evening we were invited to The Connaught, which is part of the Maybourne Hotel group, a quintessentially British five star hotel located in the heart of Mayfair Village. As soon as we walked in we knew we were somewhere special, very much a high end hotel with stunning interior design and architecture. First we had a look around the hotel, learning more about their event spaces, from the intimate private dining rooms such as the Silver Room and Georgian Room, to the largest event space, The Mayfair Room. The room is simply stunning and as soon as we entered, our minds were buzzing with different ideas and what events we could place here. The room has full-length antique mirrors and beautiful Georgian features as well as a gorgeous black and white marble entrance.  For receptions the Mayfair Room can accommodate up to 200 guests, for dinners it can take up to 120. For conferences, it can accommodate 120 guests theatre style and 60 cabaret. The space has the flexibility to host catwalk shows and also private screenings, with its state of the art sound system and cinema screen. As we explored the hotel it was clear to see so much thought has been put into the design of this beautifully crafted hotel, from the grand wooden staircase to the quirky artwork, it’s obvious why the hotel is such a hit with guests from around the world, including a whole host of A list celebrities, and was even a favourite with the late Princess Diana.

Once we had the whole tour of the hotel including the incredible Suites (our favourite was the Princes Lodge) we were taken down to see the award winning Connaught Bar, which is so impressive, definitely one to recommend if you are looking for a lavish bar to drink mouth-watering cocktails and people watch to your hearts desire! Much to our surprise we were then led into the secret Champagne Room, a hidden gem located next to the Connaught Bar, where we had a taster of the catering the hotel has to offer. The ornate room is an intimate space, which can take up to 25 guests, and has a great, relaxed atmosphere about it. It is here where we were treated to Champagne (again!) served in bespoke crystal Baccarat glasses, and sampled a selection of delightful canapés.

After such an amazing evening we really couldn’t recommend this hotel enough as an event space. As soon as we walked in we were blown away, but as we became more knowledgeable about the hotel and its history, as well as the impeccable service, we fell in love with it!

What a week we had on the VSL team – someone’s got to do it!