As corporate event professionals who pride ourselves on knowing the latest places to hold events, as a group of attendees at our event this month at Great Scotland Yard Hotel we had all committed a crime – we had not explored this hotel before!
The hotel is located a short walk from Embankment station so a prime location for events and also for social lives. The hotel has a fascinating history from being Great Scotland Yard for the police, a signup office for army recruits during WWI and WWII and also the offices for the Ministry of Defence before being a hotel. Throughout the hotel there are small nods to the history of the building from police memorabilia in the reception, showcasing art pieces produced by prisoners to support their rehabilitation and the use of colours throughout relating to the history.
We kicked off our event with champagne in the lobby which has a really cosy and homely feel, after lots of chat and introductions to three new members, we split into two groups for a showcase of the spaces within the hotel. Their main event space within the hotel is Grace & Favour which is a self-contained space on an entire floor within the hotel. The space is super flexible with an apartment-style vibe with a built-in bar, areas for networking / creative gatherings with lounge furniture as well as an area for presentations – the LCD screen is incredible. You could use this event space for workshops, team buildings, presentations, dinners, drinks receptions or a screening etc – we told you it was flexible!
A wow moment is always something we crave for memorable events and there was a wow moment during our evening when a secret door opened and we entered the incredible whiskey bar – the ceiling is made of whiskey bottles! The space is super cool for a drinks reception or an intimate dinner, the space can accommodate up to 45 people. It is also open to the public so we recommend you check this out once it opens in the coming months.
The Parlour is where the hotel serves its afternoon tea – and soon they will be launching an afternoon tea for your dogs – this space is a beautiful room with a nod to India in the decoration of the room. A drinks reception would work really well in this space. The hotel has just opened its flagship restaurant with Michelin starred chef Niklas Ekstedt who brings wood-fired Nordic cooking to the UK. The smells from the restaurant were incredible and we can’t wait to return to sample the menu. We highly recommend you add this restaurant to your list if you need to book tables for your guests at a London restaurant.
If you are looking for something extra special and exclusive for a small group, the hotel has a private townhouse located next to the hotel which can be hired exclusively with accommodation for your VIPs, a private dining experience for a small group or if you need a space for interviews/filming this would be the perfect fit.
The hotel has 152 bedrooms with a number of suites, the rooms have all been decorated to the highest standard with all the mod-cons that you expect from a 5-star hotel. We were super impressed with the hotel’s sustainability efforts and credentials from how they control the air-con and lighting in the bedrooms, how they recycle throughout the hotel and much more.
We finished off the evening in the bar which is stunning and a place where the hours would slip by just as easily as the drinks go down. We enjoyed a few more glasses of champagne, a selection of canapés and lots of chats.
It was a fabulous evening and we can’t wait to recommend the hotel to our stakeholders for an event. If you would like to explore the options at the hotel for events, we recommend you reach out to Pierre Mazurier, let him know we sent you his way.
