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THE BEAR NECESSITIES
The new Teddy Bear Butler service with afternoon tea at the redesigned London Marriott Park Lane keeps kids and parents sweet whether you are travelling to the city for business or leisure
W
ith the lines between business and leisure travel becoming increasingly blurred and ‘workcations’ incorporating family time rising in popularity, hotels are adapting. At London Marriott Park Lane, which has been a favourite with GCC travellers for many years, thanks to its prime location, high quality accommodation and warm hospitality, the guest experience team has introduced a family friendly concept guaranteed to keep the kids happy – and therefore, their parents too. The hotel has launched a Teddy Bear Butler service in partnership with world-renowned toy emporium Hamleys, offering young guests the chance to handpick their own British bear and then share a splendid picnic with their furry friend in their room or suite. We were invited to try the experience with our 11-yearold daughter and nine-year-old son and it went down a treat. Here’s how it works.
ABOVE: A decadent picnic for young guests and their Hamleys bears MARCH 2022
THE ARRIVAL
London Marriott Park Lane is very well located in the heart of the city’s West End – opposite Marble Arch and
Hyde Park and on the corner of London’s most visited retail strip, Oxford Street. This is one of many reasons that Gulf business travellers and their families choose the property as their base when visiting. Its personalised service, coupled with its residential ambiance, also appeal. As you step into the lobby of this Grade II listed property, leaving behind London’s busy shopping streets, there is an air of calm and sophistication, but it’s welcoming too, and you feel as if you have entered your own private residence. Staff are friendly and eager to please. At check-in, welcome drinks were provided to all the family – Champagne for the adults, juice for the kids. At this point, our children were offered a Teddy Bear Menu featuring 11 themed bears. Our daughter opted for the ballerina-style Princess, while our son went for a great British favourite – the Beefeater, of Tower of London fame. We were then shown to our suite.
THE SUITE
We stayed in a generously sized one-bedroom Marble Arch Suite, one of the property’s family suites, which are priced from £1,520 (US$2,058) a night. Recently refurbished, the décor was modern but cosy. The suite featured a large bedroom with en-suite bathroom featuring a walk-in shower, bathtub, Japanese-style toilet with a heated set, and plenty of luxurious amenities, plus robes and slippers, as well as ample wardrobe space with a mini bar and tea/ coffee-making facilities; a hallway with a separate guest toilet; and a large lounge with dining table and chairs, sofa
WONDERHATCH
WORDS GEMMA GREENWOOD
