Anthea Gerrie enjoys the elegant modernist lines of London’s Holiday Inn Regent’s Park
Hidden behind the busy end of Fitzrovia, that happening tranche of London W1 with all the cool dining options, the Holiday Inn Regent’s Park stands in a leafy oasis just minutes from three Tube lines and seconds from the neighborhood’s main drag, Great Portland Street.
Opening as a flagship of the Forte hotel empire in 1972, this handsome Brutalist-meets-Modernist building was transformed into a Holiday Inn two decades later and looks as fresh today as the year it was built. It’s all about natural materials, from the herringbone brick patio lending colour to textured concrete walls, all set off by the green of the iconic logo which defined hospitality half a century ago and a plethora of exotic planting. It makes for a welcoming entrance to a hotel offering unexpected peace and quiet despite sitting close to Euston Road, Great Portland Street and Regents Park stations.
A recent £1m refurbishment has created the open, multi-functional lobby space today’s hotel guests expect, with a sweeping cut-out curved ceiling reinforcing the mid-century design vibe echoed in colourful splayed-leg armchairs and a sea of pale pine panelling. The first floor is a huge, engaging space in which to eat, drink, hang out with a computer or simply people-watch.
Guest rooms – 339 of them, although this particular Holiday Inn feels more like a boutique hotel – are equipped with absolutely everything needed, from the comfy bed to the stylish black and white-tiled bathroom to the work desk with lamp and armchair and coffee table for comfortable viewing of the large-screen TV, perhaps with a self-catered cuppa from the in-room coffee machine and one of the chocolates included in executive rooms. Executive room guests get bathrobes, slippers, fridge, iron and ironing board and the all-important choice of pillows which can make or break a good night’s kip.
Dining options include everything from a grab and go cafe where food and drink, including Starbucks coffee, is available 24/7 to a first-floor restaurant with surprisingly sophisticated menu options to the wide range of family fare – pizza, pasta, burgers, nachos and salads in a hotel where kids famously eat, as well as stay, free.
We enjoyed Japanese duck and vegetable dumplings and a plate of crispy fried calamari with aioli before diving into crispy chicken schnitzel served with fries and a refreshing rocket and Parmesan salad.
Dessert was not needed, but too good to resist were the warm triple chocolate brownie with clotted cream ice-cream and honeycomb cheesecake with toffee sauce. Vegetarians are decently catered for here too with everything from a beetroot and quinoa burger to a summer vegetable risotto.
Buses bring Oxford and Regent Street within a five-minute ride, although Oxford Circus is just 15 minutes’ stroll away down under-appreciated Great Portland Street, lined with many good restaurants as well as dress and kitchen showrooms. Turn right instead of left, cross Euston Road and you’re immediately in Regent’s Park, for which the hotel is named – home to London Zoo, London’s most beautiful rose garden and the engaging Frieze sculpture trail which is a highlight of autumn as the roses start to fade.
Tell Me More About Holiday Inn Regent’s Park
Holiday Inn Regent’s Park, Carburton Street London W1W 5EE
T: 0371 942 9111
Rooms at the Holiday Inn Regent’s Park from £205
