WOULD you like to go to London for a few days, they said. Stay in the five star Sheraton Grand Park Lane and explore Mayfair, they said. The rest of what they said went unheard because I was already in a taxi to the airport.
The Sheraton Grand Park Lane is a Grade II listed art deco extravaganza in the heart of exclusive Mayfair in the west of London and after a massive renovation is every bit as decadent and luxurious as you would imagine.
It’s also a dog friendly hotel and if you’re lucky enough you’ll get to meet Ted who belongs to general manager Kieran Quinn. Kieran is a Donegal man so you’re practically in a home away from home in the Sheraton Grand (if you’ve spent millions of pounds and two years turning your semi-d into a five star hotel that is).
Located steps from Green Park, every bedroom has two ornamental Dalmatians as a nod to the park where scenes from 101 Dalmatians were filmed.
The hotel has an interesting history too and during the recent renovation more and more information came to light as plans and drawings were perused. The subterranean ballroom was used as an air raid shelter in the Second World War and it was agreed that if the Houses of Parliament suffered a direct hit members would set up shop there.
The silver gallery leading to the ballroom is exquisite with palladium-covered walls and full art deco splendour.
The hotel is a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace and a young Queen Elizabeth learned to ballroom dance in the Rose Room, which is the junior ballroom. No word on whether she still pops over for an American Smooth or if watching Strictly scratches the itch.
The original architect also designed Harrods and the Dorchester hotel. When Henry Tanner joined the war effort the Park Lane hotel was still under construction and work had to be paused. The building was left with its steel framework during the First World War and earned the nickname the Bird Cage, which guests will see referenced in the bird cage-shaped cake stands on which afternoon teas is served in the Palm Court.
Palm Court is the “emotional and physical heart” of the hotel according to Kieran Quinn and it’s the perfect setting to enjoy tiers of sandwiches, scones served with a mango jam so delicious you’ll want to spoon it straight from the pot and delicate patisserie, all while a harpist plays softly.
The downstairs bathroom serving the Palm Court is so splendid that it deserves a special mention. It’s art deco on overdrive with the signature scent of Molton Brown’s mulberry and thyme.
The main restaurant in the hotel is Mercante and it has an entrance on Piccadilly to catch passing customers.
On my visit we enjoyed the chef’s table experience where head chef Davide D’ignazio and his team prepared seasonal dishes in a small kitchen close to our table. On that occasion David served octopus salad, silky mushroom tagliatelle and a rabbit dish followed by red mullet.
For more relaxed dining there’s Smith & Whistle where chef James Dugan and his team will prepare burgers, fish and chips, steak sandwich and the like or something more special from the pie and mash menu. Bring your appetite.
It’s worth noting that every bedroom in the hotel is equipped with a Handy, a smartphone, which you can take out and about during your stay and which provides internet access as well as pre-loaded information about the hotel and London. Even better, you can use it to make free calls to seven countries including the US.
Mayfair isn’t an area of London I had ever considered exploring but it merits a trip, even if only for the day. It’s chock full of art galleries, museums, parks and beautiful architecture and it’s brilliant for people watching. If you’re a shopper then Old and New Bond Street will delight you.
While you’re there be sure to pop into the Burlington Arcade. Established in the 1800s by Lord Cavendish who was fed up with people slurping oysters and then tossing the shells over the wall into his estate, it is a covered shopping arcade full of exclusive brands.
Among its shops is Penhaligons where you can have a scent profiling session which should help you find your perfect perfume. It is also home to Manolo Blahnik, Chanel and La Perla and the largest collection of vintage Rolex in the world.
Hancocks jewellers is worthy of your time. Not only does it have a £1.2m diamond ring which yours truly got to try on and ogle before handing it back like a petulant child but it was here that the Victoria Cross was designed in the 1850s and Hancocks has made each of the 1,300-plus which have been issued since.
When you’re in the arcade be sure to tear your eyes away from the shops and take the time to look down at the geometric stone floor and up at the flock of paper birds which are an installation by the French artist Mathilde Nivet.
Plenty of interesting people have passed through Mayfair. George Frideric Handel and Jimi Hendrix lived next door to each other, for example. Granted it was 240 years apart but still cause for celebration and that’s how Handel & Hendrix came about. It’s a strange hybrid of a museum and apparently when Hendrix fans finish their pilgrimage they wander into Handel’s area but the classical composer’s fans rarely have their interest piqued by a musician from the 1960s.
On my visit I got to enjoy a harpsichord recital and it was an unexpected treat.
Another nice surprise is Lock and Co Hatters on St James’s Street. It’s the oldest hatter in the world, having been established in in 1676 and moved to its current location in 1759.
The customer base has always been global and displayed on the walls are outlines of some of the most famous heads from the worlds of politics, entertainment and sport. Among them are Jackie Onassis, Charlie Chaplin, Lord Lucan and David Gandy who has, as you would expect, an exquisite head shape.
Heads are measured using a contraption which looks like an instrument of torture and has the most made-up sounding name imaginable – a conformateur.
The second floor is for ladies and the colours, fabrics and designs are stunning. You can meet the milliners on the top floor who are working on top secret commissions.
One box had a young royal’s name written on it… I can say no more for fear of being locked in the tower.
Shepherd Market is located close to the Sheraton Grand and it’s a hive of narrow streets with restaurants and independent businesses.
Believe it or not it is possible to enjoy a lovely lunch or dinner in an upmarket Mayfair restaurant without having to sell a kidney on the black market. Look out for set menus, particularly at lunch time, which can offer good value.
Park Chinois is the place to go if you fancy dining on Chinese food while listening to jazz. What a great spot. You’ll want to eat your bodyweight in dim sum but just remember that you’ve a mortgage to pay.
Have a look at the prix fixe lunch menu offering £26 for two courses and £30 for three. Options include grilled XO black cod which on the dinner menu would set you back £48.
Mayfair is expensive and it is exclusive but it’s also flipping lovely to be spoiled in hotels and restaurants so, if you get the chance, perhaps for a birthday or an anniversary, treat yourself or someone else you love just as much to a weekend in Mayfair. You’ll come back to Earth with a bang but it’ll all have been worth it.
:: Maeve Connolly was a guest of the Sheraton Grand Park Lane. For more information visit sheratonparklane.com
