Pan Pacific London’s recent debut in the British Capital was one of most spectacular openings the Singapore hotel group has ever done, thanks to an offering that is luxurious, enticing, relaxing and contemporary. James Wilkinson checks in.

When the Pan Pacific London was first announced it was always going to be one of Britain’s most exciting new luxury projects thanks to its location at One Bishopsgate, a 2-minute walk from Liverpool Street Station, and becoming Pan Pacific Hotels Group’s first property in Europe.

The Pan Pacific properties across the globe have been known for their Singaporean hospitality, contemporary design and fantastic food and beverage and you can find that on an elevated experience at this fantastic new hotel.

Headlining the property, designed by Yabu Pushelberg, are the 237 luxurious guest rooms, including 42 suites and a signature Pan Pacific Suite, the Ginger Lily bar, Straits Kitchen restaurant, luxurious day spa and epic 18.5-metre indoor infinity pool that’s fast become one of the most spectacular in London.

To find out more about this exciting new 237-room property, Wayfarer Host and Editor-In-Chief, James Wilkinson, spoke exclusively to Pan Pacific London General Manager, Anne Golden.

Anne, what makes Pan Pacific London one of the British Capital’s best new luxury hotels?

Our people and their unwavering commitment to kindness, inclusiveness and the warmest welcome. Our hotel is beautiful, with gorgeous designs by Yabu Pushelberg and a calm muted palette serve as a perfect backdrop for our ethos of “service from the heart”.

What makes the hotel so unique?

We bring a little slice of Singapore to London through our service culture, cuisine, design and service touch points. One example of this is that on your day of departure, as a guest, you are welcome to keep using the hotel facilities until such time as you need to leave to go home.

We don’t just look after your bags after your noon check-out, we look after YOU as well. At Pan Pacific London you never stop being our guest. We like to think that this contributes to our exceptionally high repeat guest ratio. We love welcoming back so many familiar faces.

Tell us about the stylish rooms and suites on offer at Pan Pacific London.

Our rooms are the facilitator of the residential guest experience. Small touches such as indulgent bathrobes ( so many guests ask to take them home), underfloor heating in the bathroom and luxurious king size beds make staying at Pan Pacific London a relaxing experience.

However, the guests tell us that their favourite thing is to keep the curtains open and fall asleep amongst the twinkling lights of the City and its landmarks. The panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows afford a mesmerising view of the cityscape and create a magical environment in which to drift off to sleep.

You have some fantastic bars, restaurants and cafes on offer. Tell us about them.

Food evokes nostalgia and Executive Chef Fabrice Lasnon and Head Chef Jun Yung Ng have created a menu that will transport you to South East Asia to sample all of its rich flavours and colour.

There are heritage dishes such as Hainanese Chicken rice (a top favourite) and my personal favourite – the lobster nonya Laksa which is heaven in a bowl. The Sunday Roast at Straits Kitchen is unique and so popular, a South East Asian version of this wonderful British tradition.

We have three bars which each offer unique experiences, Straits Bar pays homage to the traditional flavours of the region creating beautiful mocktails and cocktails with yuzu and spices.

Ginger Lily is nestled next to The Orchid Lounge on the ground floor and is home to over 150 mouth-watering rums which are made into refreshing rum cocktails.

The last of the three bars, Silverleaf, is an award-winning cocktail experience, named in the Worlds 50 best bars a mere 9 months after opening, the team have curated a mesmerising menu and stewardship-style service culture which has won many plaudits.

Silverleaf has a secret bar within a bar, Alba, where guests can enjoy an intimate cocktail experience or a tasting with our resident experts, the Pineapple Miso should not be missed!

Shiok! Our Patisserie opened in June and is home to mouth-watering patisserie and great coffee.

The Pacific Ballroom situated underneath the Plaza has a beautiful private glass entrance on the Plaza with a glass lift and escalator, designed so that you may arrive at your event in style.

Finally, the Orchid Lounge serves one of the best afternoon teas in London curated by our Pastry team led by Cherish Finden, the latest; a Lunar New Year experience is delicious, creative and the stories that inspired the collection are so engaging.

Anne, what is the hotel’s x-factor?

Without a doubt it is our people. The warmth of our welcome and the care and attention that each member of the team shows to our guests is mentioned time and again in our reviews.

What I am most proud of is the genuine level of detail that goes into ensuring that everyone leaves feeling rejuvenated and respected. When little things are missed our service recovery is genuine, the team respect each other and that shines through in the respect and warmth they show our guests.

What are some of your favourite things to do in the area?

A walk to the River Thames (10 minutes away) and on the way back a visit to Brick Lane for a curry, my favourite restaurant feels like walking back into the 1970’s and is so nostalgic and reassuringly consistent in quality and service.

The street food near Brick Lane is so good – the Greek kebabs are fabulous. I also love the gelato at Eataly, the Jamaican Patties are amazing (Jamaica Patty Co.) in Liverpool Street and Spitalfields market takes some beating for atmosphere and lucky finds.

GETTING TO LONDON

The best way of getting to London in comfort and style.

Malaysia Airlines’ brilliant Business Class cabin features one of the best seats in the air

WAYFARER flew to London via Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines, one of the top carriers in Asia.

Malaysia Airlines offers double daily flights to London from Kuala Lumpur and in business class, you can expect amazing hospitality, comfortable and spacious seats and top-quality inflight dining headlined by the airline’s legendary satay skewers.

It’s an exciting time for Malaysia Airlines at present, with the oneworld carrier continuing to rebuild its global network alongside launching new routes including Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo Haneda.

Malaysia Airlines has also rolled out new initiatives, such as a free side trip stopover to one of seven different destinations in Malaysia and has upped the ante when it comes to dining and comfort in Business Class.

To find out the latest at the carrier, Wayfarer Host and Editor-In-Chief James Wilkinson spoke exclusively on camera to Malaysia Airlines’ Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, Yin May Lau, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport earlier this week (Dec 13).