How about a ‘workation’? The new idea which has been coined by London hotels, encouraging professionals struggling with working from home to use hotel rooms as temporary offices. Hetty Lintell prefers a staycation option, where work and relaxation go hand in hand.
They say ‘a change is as good as a rest’, and that couldn’t have been more pertinent over the last few years, when working from home has become a daily reality, rather than the novelty it once was. Hotels in London have cleverly cottoned on, providing new packages offering ‘working from hotel’ options and staycations for good measure. What better way to reignite your focus for work and love for a city than to do it from a different viewpoint?
It was with this in mind that I packed my suitcase and headed half an hour down the road to The Lanesborough, next to Hyde Park, recently re-opened and one of the masterpiece properties in the Oetker Collection. This was a few months ago, and I was the first guest to walk through the door for over 200 days; the staff were close to tears, an emotional moment, with a lot of excitement. Getting back to work after a long break has never been so welcome.
The hotel is a proper London establishment, and it gleamed from ear to ear as I walked the long entrance corridor, enjoying the gilt-edged interiors and magnificent oil paintings. I was shown to the Lanesborough Club & Spa — one of the most exclusive private members’ fitness and health clubs in town — where I pottered around happily for an hour, before settling with my laptop for a day of work, fuelled by their excellent coffee and some fresh pastries left in the bedroom next to the bottle of complimentary champagne.
The only hotel in London offering round-the-clock, dedicated butler service in every single room and suite, The Lanesborough’s new ‘Staycation Package’ includes their fabulous service, and either dinner at the Lanesborough Grill restaurant, or a spa experience including a couple’s massage. A complimentary upgrade adds to the occasion — and breakfast is of course included too. A massage at the end of the working day took my mind far from the concerns of the day, so I was ready to go back home to the daily grind.
Rooms from £955, Massage from £105. See more at www.oetkercollection.com
