At the time of booking in mid-June, the Club InterContinental lounge was due to reopen on 1 July. This date kept being pushed back due to lack of demand (presumably mainly from business travellers), and at the time of writing the lounge remains closed. For those guests who had pre-booked suites or added the Club supplement to their room rate (as we had done), or for Royal Ambassador members, the Club Life experience was – and still is – being offered in lieu of the normal lounge experience. The Club supplement at the Park Lane is GBP110 per night for Ambassador members, or GBP145 for non-members. Club Life offers breakfast at Theo Randall, light afternoon tea in the Arch Bar, and evening drinks and canapés also in the Arch Bar, and represents pretty good value for money for those who will be near the hotel during their stay. We had been handed a small card at check-in for presentation during each meal service, identifying our Club Life inclusion to the waiting team.
Whilst I was slightly disappointed that the seventh-floor lounge remained closed during our stay – particularly as the lounge has recently been refurbished and is consistently rated as one of the best lounges in the InterContinental network with its view over Hyde Park – the Club Life experience was a more than adequate substitute.
We took breakfast each morning in Theo Randall, located just off the lobby. This famous restaurant is nicely appointed with an intimate mix of banquette and open table seating – there are even a couple of high-top tables adjacent to the semi open kitchen, although the lack of natural light is quite noticeable. Mitchell and Peach hand sanitiser was available on each table, as it was in other areas of the hotel.
Although a small cold buffet was available, manned by a waiter who would plate up whatever the guest wanted in a COVID-compliant manner, we tended to choose from the plentiful but not extravagant à la carte menu, with everything included under Club Life.
Across two mornings we sampled the homemade Bircher muesli, eggs Benedict, pancakes, an omelette, and a couple of variations on the traditional English breakfast; all excellent, with a notable shout-out to the roasted organic pork sausages, which were divine. A smoothie was proactively offered on our second morning. Service was generally very good.
Beyond the lift lobby, the Arch Bar and Wellington Lounge spread out until they meet Ella Canta, the hotel’s still-closed Mexican restaurant. Almost imperceptible from one another, the bar and lounge share the same design ethos, making it difficult to judge where one ends and the other begins. It turns out we enjoyed afternoon tea in the Wellington Lounge, not in the Arch Bar as proclaimed on the Club Life letter we’d been handed at check-in – regardless, it’s the same delicious food and the same excellent service.
A slightly slimmed down version of the normal afternoon tea offered by the hotel, the Club Life version of afternoon tea includes the complete tea selection, two varieties of finger sandwiches, plain and raisin buttermilk scones, and a selection of four cakes and pastries. The scones and homemade jam were some of the best I’ve ever tasted – including in Devon and Cornwall. Whilst it may be a slimmed down offering, the selection was more than ample, particularly as our excellent waiter offered us a glass of Veuve Clicquot and kept it topped up. Being located in the main lounge, the Club Life afternoon tea experience is actually elevated when compared to the ‘normal’ Club experience; fully laid tables and service on William Edwards crockery sets the scene for an elegant afternoon.
We opted for a pared-back afternoon tea on our second afternoon, requesting only the sandwiches, accompanied by an iced tea and iced coffee – but were happy to return to the full offering (minus champagne due to a change of waiter) on our final day.
The hotel’s main washrooms are located below Ella Canta, and although their design matches those in Theo Randall, they feature some surprising unique additions to the wall.
The partially raised Arch Bar is a tasteful space in which to await dinner, with views out onto Hyde Park Corner. Since our stay, the IC have created Number One Park Lane Terrace to block the view – a casual outdoor dining venue, presumably aimed more for the summer months.
Nothing was too much trouble for the waiting team as we enjoyed what technically should have been a house drink from an admittedly wide selection but turned out to be anything on the menu – including cocktails. If I have one criticism of the Club Life experience it was that the canapé selection was fairly uninspired – I’m sure there would have been both more substance and more variety six floors up. The Club lounge manager was working in the Arch Bar during our stay and took the opportunity to apologise for the lack of lounge – whilst appreciated, this really wasn’t necessary as the substitute and service was so good.
Dinner at Theo Randall is reliably excellent, and the experience during our stay was no different. The Orata and risotto di mare were both sublime, accompanied by zucchine fritte, followed by the pannacotta. Although we hadn’t ordered any drinks (such is the fullness of the Club Life experience), our waiter was kind enough to offer us a glass of Prosecco each.
After a truly odd 14 months, it felt brilliant to do something as normal – and strangely familiar – as stay in a hotel, and what a hotel to break back into the travel game. Whilst undeniably corporate in tone, the InterContinental London Park Lane’s beautifully refurbished rooms, excellent dining and standout team make this firmly one of London’s best branded hotel experiences.