Everything you need to know about a stay at 45 Park Lane, one of London’s premiere art hotels, a perfect spot for the upscale male business traveler.

STAY

45 Park Lane is a great place to stay for the elegant male business traveler. It’s decor and aesthetic is streamlined, pared down from parent company The Dorchester Collection’s typically opulent trappings with a modest Art Deco design. Though it looks large from the outside, the hotel is actually quite intimate, with just 45 rooms and suites (all of which offer views of Hyde Park—meaning, there are no “bad” rooms) that feature luxurious and contemporary interiors by New York based designer, Thierry Despont, and which provide a club-like feel. The crown jewel of this five-star hotel is its spectacular Penthouse Suite thanks to a sleek, glass wrap-around terrace that offers panoramic views across London; sleek marble bathrooms with a shower that allows you to look out over the park while you’re sudsing up; integrated technology; and own private elevator.

PLAY

The hotel has a solid reputation for engaging culture enthusiasts because it hosts rotating art exhibitions and gallery residences, providing a platform for emerging artists alongside its collection of established artworks. Its upcoming exhibition, for example, is a collaboration with After Nyne gallery, a showcase which brings together a diverse range of artists such as Mark Beattie, Vesna Milinkovic and Gillian Hyland, alongside Richard Hoey and Zandra Stratford. Previous collections have included a collaboration between royal artist Christian Furr and Godfather of Rock Photography Gered Mankowitz, as well as an exhibition from former Hollywood handler Jin-Woo Presena. 

The hotel also offers a small fitness facility (perfect for a private training session) and use of Brompton Bicycles in case you want to tool around London in style; there’s also Bar 45, a sleek boite for a shaken (not stirred) nightcap martini.

DINE

45 Park Lane is home to Wolfgang Puck’s first European venture, CUT at 45 Park Lane. Puck is a master of his trade, and CUT has become a legendary part of his brand thanks to its extravagant cuts of Japanese and Australian Wagyu, prime dry and wet aged beef, its extensive and interesting wine list of predominantly American wines and its over-the-top desserts. The decor here suits its sensational menu. There is a striking central staircase that leads to a mezzanine featuring Bar 45, a resident’s Library, and high tech Media Room offering private dining. This iconic steakhouse mirrors the award-winning original CUT in Beverly Hills and, like its SoCal counterpart, offers a wide range of non-meat items for the healthy or less carnivorous among us with items including succulent pan-roasted lobster, sautéed and roasted whole fresh fish. Please make sure to pause from Instagramming your food to take a snap of the gigantic Louis XIII bottle dominating the room as well as the class A pieces of art adorning the walls in Damien Hirst’s Diamond Dust Psalms series. Our hot tip: try the sticky toffee medjool date cake, made with apricot gel and honeycomb ice cream. It’s divine.

The hotel is also launching CUTcakes & Tea, a totally American take on traditional English afternoon tea. ‘CUTcakes & Tea’ will feature a variety of American staples with a CUT twist including cola cake with caramel corn, chocolate-orange burger macaroons, peanut butter and jelly Twinkies and s’mores with chocolate crumble alongside black truffle grilled cheese and fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits and honey-jalapeno jam. In addition to traditional tea and champagne the drinks menu will also include a range of house-made iced teas, special tea cocktails and an American craft beer menu.  CUTcakes & Tea at 45 Park Lane will begin on July 4 and will be served in CUT Monday to Saturday at 2:30 and 3:30pm, priced from $74 USD per person.

RELAX

Sadly, there’s no spa at 45 Park Lane, but really, with such a male-dominated hotel, is it necessary? Just across the street is The Dorchester, where you’ll have unlimited use of its facilities. That said, the hotel does offer something extra with its amazing bath menu. The staff will light candles, pour essential oils and herbs into your tub, prepare you a tea and give you a purple rubber ducky to make your bath time invigorating, relaxing, restoring or sensual, in equal parts.