Why it’s good for business
The Wyndham Grand at Chelsea Harbour – a hotel which used to be the Conrad
until it switched brands last June – is one of those hotels that make you
feel as though you are not staying in London at all. Chelsea’s villagey
atmosphere means it feels remarkably quiet, while the marina setting makes
it feel more like Sydney. Only the sight of Battersea power station on the
opposite bank of the Thames and the City skyline in the distance remind you
that you are in fact in the heart of London.
The hotel’s Chelsea address makes it handy for those who want to balance
closeness to Heathrow, some 14 miles to the west (there are planes flying
over all the time), with ease of access to the West End and City – not
forgetting all that shopping on the doorstep in King’s Road, perfect for
looking for a present for the other half.
If your business is tennis, and Wimbledon in particular, it's an obvious
choice. Martina Navratilova had just spent the duration of Wimbledon here. A
collection of her tennis-inspired artwork was on display in the hotel's Long
Gallery.
The room
The Wyndham Grand is an all-suite property. The six penthouse suites have
spectacular views – looking along the Thames and down over the marina – but
the bedroom areas are in need of some tweaking unless you like a bit of
chintz. The sitting rooms – with leather Chesterfields, Samsung flat screen
televisions and watercolours – are better. A revamp is pencilled in for next
year.
The 160 or so standard suites are more contemporary. There is lots of dark
furniture but this is cheered up by neutral-toned carpets, golden walls and
blood red curtains. The beds are huge, comfortable and come with Egyptian
cotton sheets stacks of pillows and cushions. The Samsung screens are flat
and all have CD players but not DVDs.
The large bathrooms are marble and granite with modern fittings although
there’s none of this wet-room lark you find in some young upstart hotels.
Toiletries come in his (Vitru - blue bottles) and hers (Monu – white
bottles) varieties.
A place to meet
Conferencing and meetings are big business at the Wyndham Grand. It is
particularly popular for meetings at the senior executive level. “The suites
are a definite selling point,” said the hotel’s conference director. “There
are no questions on who is going to get an upgrade.”
There are 14 meeting rooms, taking up to a maximum of 200. The Henley and
Harbour rooms, which have natural daylight and easy access to the harbour
during breaks, are popular. The larger Drake's room is often used for
product launches thanks to its flexible layout.
Your own suite also makes a good spot for a meeting because each has two rooms
– a lounge and a bedroom which can be closed off with a door. The suites
even have a guest toilet for visitors.
