E: 29/02 Win Stay at Intercontinental Park Lane

click here

76 MILLION is an eye-widening amount of money to spend on refurbishing a hotel. But when that hotel has a prestigious Park Lane postcode and international reputation of elegance to uphold, budget suddenly takes a backseat to unbridled luxury. And I raise a glass of champagne to that.

From the outside, InterContinental London Park Lane doesn't look like the epitome of style. The almost office block-esque hotel doesn't shout about its superiority quite like the surrounding Hilton and Four Seasons do. But be in no doubt of its offerings. A hotel with suites boasting their very own butler, spa and six-seater cinema, knows exactly how to impress.

Home for me at InterContinental was one of its latest launches, the Spa Boudoir. A cluster of exclusive suites with escapism in mind, these large-enough-to-live-in rooms have the plush king-sized bed, two bathrooms and series of plasma screens you would expect. And then there is the inter-connecting spa annex, with its further two bathrooms, massage table and therapist to call your very own.

Whether it's in your private chamber, or the cool, oriental-inspired setting of the Spa Intercontinental, you must find time to ease your tension with a treatment. Just as the likes of recent celebrity guests Scarlett Johansson and Reese Witherspoon have discreetly done.

From a 15-minute booster facial through to a five-hour package incorporating your favourite indulgences, the spa menu left me wanting everything on the list. The therapists encourage a time-over-treatment philosophy, and much prefer clients to book however long they can spare, then discuss what will be most beneficial when they arrive.

It was a Deep Tissue Muscle Massage for me, and an hour of intense, targeted, and sometimes painful pummelling in a room lit by my choice of pink and purple lighting, and contemporary background music. The massage left me a little wobbly afterwards, hobbling to my room like a wounded soldier, but boy did it iron me out. No pain, no gain, as they say.

An equally exciting menu to fall into my hands at InterContinental was that of its charming Cookbook Caf!. Taking dishes from a regularly-rotating pool of recipe books, the crowd-pulling caf! has a casual yet vibrant atmosphere, offering a little, or a lot, of what you fancy. The central market table is bursting with sweet and savoury treats, perfect to provide a hand-picked starter and dessert, and offering a Sunday brunch buffet worthy of a Time Out recommendation. My partner and I enjoyed plates of salad, cous cous and prawns before moving on to our choices from the à la carte - fluffy cod fillet with spinach for me, and juicy lamb cutlets with new potatoes for him.

My Christmas holiday-timed trip meant the Cookbook was the only restaurant available to me (no complaints there) but InterContinental's more glamorous dining option is a fabulously-chic restaurant headed by top ex-River Caf! chef Theo Randall. Tucked just inside the hotel's entrance, this Italian eatery is one to keep in mind for a formal meal with all the trimmings, whether you are staying the night or not.

After dinner, we ventured out into the bright lights of Mayfair, just a few steps from InterContinental. But we were soon pulled back to our regal residence, and couldn't resist a few glasses of fizz, while sunk in the soft seats of its seductive bar.

InterContinental London Park Lane is a hotel of dreams. A no-expense-spared night here will leave you feeling worthy of celebrity status. No less than you deserve, of course.


answer - Theo Randall

good luck