Reaching for the skies at a new London hotel
There is something very calming and serene – unless you are afraid of heights, of course – about staring down at a world in miniature from the 19th floor of a sky-scraping hotel.
Not always known for their elevation, London’s luxury hotels may be high-end in style, but they’re positively low-rise compared to the towers further to the East.
Well, now, thanks to one of those Asian brands, London has the Pan Pacific, also the first for the brand in Europe. Of course Shangri-La The Shard has a towering structure that precedes this one, but Pan Pacific London has now deftly placed 237 rooms (including 43 suites) in a part of town that could surely well do with it: the City. Just steps from Liverpool Street, the hotel straddles the buzz of Shoreditch, the stylish shopping of Spitalfields and London’s high-flying financial district.
The 43-storey bronze tower also houses ultra-luxury Sky Residence apartments from levels 21 to 41 and forms the flagship of One Bishopsgate Plaza, a new square that is also home to the 144-year old Devonshire House.
Behind a listed facade is a space that will gradually fill up with designer shops, a restaurant and a cocktail bar designed by Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio, and between these buildings is a landscaped public plaza, which brings a pleasant new corner to the neighbourhood.
The hotel is a neighbourhood all of its own of course – afternoon teas by the wonderfully talented executive pastry chef Cherish Finden in The Orchid Lounge; flavours from Singapore and beyond in Straits Kitchen; and atmospheric cocktail bar Ginger Lily, with a champagne list from more than 200 houses, the largest list of by-the-glass bubbles in the City, as well as offering around 150 rums.
There’s also the incredible ballroom and function space; and one of the key highlights – a wellness floor. That includes an 18.5-metre infinity pool looking out over the plaza, relaxation pods, 24-hour high-performance gym, mindfulness studio, saunas, steam rooms, and lounge with nutritional menu curated by an in-house nutritionist.
All this has been steered by designer duo Yabu Pushelberg, who have brought great lightness of touch into the tower, nothing stabs you in the eye with too much contemporary wow, the design just gracefully guides you around.
This is particularly wonderfully executed in the signature Pan Pacific Suite, perched on the 19th floor with spectacular views of The Gherkin, and the place I was lucky enough to lay my head for a night.
Lights, different scenes and drapes can be seamlessly electronically controlled, but there also some lovely analogue touches such as a well-thought out library of books in the sleek office.
The lounge had space to entertain, with a huge comfy corner sofa, drinks trolley and dining table where any kind of Succession-type secret family meeting could be held; there’s also a butler’s pantry space. Of course, I had to make sure I squeezed in at least a couple of Zoom meetings from that dining table didn’t I, just so I could show people the room too? There was also a small selection of books on cats and dogs; which I assumed was a personalised choice laid out for an animal nut like me.
The bedroom was a gentle palette of silver and grey with pops of teal and beautiful pendant and side lamps, and I know it probably always seems like a cliché in a hotel review too, but the bed was genuinely massive and genuinely cloud-like and comfortable. With the black-out curtains swooshed closed and not a sound coming in, I was well and truly cocooned and slept beneath a beautiful wall mural of a soothing floral scene.
A Dyson hairdryer and straighteners (set up in a dedicated vanity area) caught my eye, as did the sleek marble of the bathroom, with its twin basins and corner views of the city, generous soaking tub and walk-in shower for two – not forgetting a giant built-in TV and a loo with a view.
But no matter the room you are in, all have custom headboards that act as personalised art pieces, adding a layer of calm through their depiction of oak, elder, elm and maple trees, and designs are all very soothing and neutral. I love that all rooms have plants in, to bring a burst of nature, whether a pot of squishy moss or a miniature tree.
And the ticks continue – as one of my favourite brands Diptyque supplies the bathroom amenities, and rooms also come complete with yoga mats and on-demand virtual yoga sessions. You can also request the innovative ChiliSleep Ooler Sleep Cooling System be placed in the room to aid better sleep via its temperature regulation.
If wellbeing is your thing, you’ve checked into the right place. There were lots of things happening in the fitness studio that went over my head – I’m usually more about the spa treatments and yoga – such as the D-Wall from TecnoBody, with many elements combining to make this one of the most technologically advanced facilities of any hotel gym in the UK.
Spa treatments infuse Western science and clinical research with south-east Asian traditions, while guests can also avail of an in-room “wellbeing experience” with a wide range of equipment possibilities and digital content.
You could sit for hours by the spectacular pool, and there is a mindfulness studio too. I also loved The Drawing Room, a dedicated space for rest and rejuvenation, with handcrafted heated relaxation loungers with weighted blankets (why did I not know about these before, I ask myself?). A soothing spot to go between treatments, there are also drinks and healthy snacks available in this lounge, which is also an option to relax in if guests need a spot prior to, or after, their main hotel check-in/out.
I love too that the hotel has baked in sustainability into its operations and guests’ experience, from eco-friendly in-room amenities to Cheeky Panda bamboo toilet paper and working alongside CleanConscience to ensure all partially used toiletries are repurposed and redistributed to those in need. The culinary team source 95% of ingredients locally within the UK, while chef uniforms are made from recycled plastic bottles by Chef Works.
It’s not often you’ll get a line about the meeting rooms in a luxury hotel review from me, but I was really impressed with the “marketplace” area, home to nine flexible meeting and events spaces, with covetable design touches, more books and plants dotted around, not to mention superfast Wi-Fi and 5G receivers.
The 464sqm smart Pacific Ballroom is incredible, and really tops the lot when it comes to hi-tech delivery and epic proportions. It even has direct access from Bishopsgate Plaza via a glass escalator and lift (as well as direct access via the hotel), and luxury touches include a custom Lasvit chandelier designed by Yabu Pushelberg beneath which guests can dine in the expansive ballroom.
But dinner for me was on a much smaller scale, as I dined with my sister on a quiet Monday night in Straits Kitchen, the hotel’s main restaurant. While we were happily wrapped up in our conversation and some Chablis, the place seemed pretty quiet and it’s hard to know if things will pick up, as it’s not quite buzzing in that part of town with office-goers just yet. I hope so, as anyone – city financier or not – would be advised to go check out the amazing menu.
I no longer eat fish, so I challenged my sister to tackle the Soft Shell Singaporean Chilli Crab, which I know having seen first-hand in its home town how loved this dish is; it’s a tough one to tackle, but she did it with aplomb. Less of a physical challenge but also delicious was her starter of tempura vegetables, and the dessert of Pan Pacific London Guanacoa chocolate mousse, with brownies, hazelnut praline crunchy and a soursop sorbet was so beautifully presented.
I started with goat’s cheese fritters with shiso watermelon – which had the curious yet delicious texture of something like tuna sashimi – and micro greens; followed by a dish that packed a big flavour punch, the Malaysian-inspired vegan Laksa Lemak with tofu puff and brown rice vermicelli in a coconut and soya milk broth. I finished off with a kaffir lime pavlova which was a miniature work of art, hiding a sweet and sour tropical fruit salsa, and paired with a mango and kalamasi sorbet.
Led by executive chef Lorraine Sinclair and Finden, the team are working closely with British producers, Nurtured in Norfolk, to grow their own Asian ingredients as well as sourcing local produce to help minimise carbon footprint.
Proudly Singaporean, Finden has also created a “heritage” version of the afternoon tea – christened Kopi Tiam, which means “coffee shop” – which brings a slice of Asia to this much-loved British affair, and all served on the prettiest of tableware.
There’s a mini dim sum selection – I had a vegetarian one prepared for me which was utterly delicious – then treats followed such as curry puffs with a potato and carrot filling and mushroom bao, which sits alien-like on a bed of crispy kale in its basket. Finden also puts in some of her favourites like “taste of umami seaweed sesame shortbread with soya sauce caramel” and “mocha dark chocolate ganache with lime”.
On the sweet side – four little treasures appear on the plate: a lychee choux, with cremeux and rose bandung sphere; one with mango, coconut mousse and shortbread; a chocolate one with 67% Guanacoa, praline, chocolate brownies and crunchy pear; and finally, the cheongsam (shaped like the beautiful traditional Asian dress style) with matcha, yuzu and black sesame.
The intricacy in each piece is divine, and as Finden says, “for me, pastry is not cooking, but edible art and I love to create beautiful magical things, especially out of chocolate”.
She really does weave magic, and while there is an array of teas available, I had mine with a glass of 2017 Gusbourne Rosé. All these treats cost £78 per person: we continue to hear that as we carry on emerging from the pandemic, people will look to treat themselves and this is certainly one way to do it.
How to book it: Room rates start from £325 per night, room only.
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Place of registration: England and Wales.
Company number 08723341.
Registered address: 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU
