‘English feel' for park lane hilton

By Dominic Walsh

Hilton International has completed a £20m-plus refurbishment of its flagship London Hilton on Park Lane, a project lasting two-and-a-half years.

General manager Rudi Jagersbacher said the aim of the project had been to create "a softer, more English feel" for the five-star property, as well as installing the most up-to-date technology available.

During the course of the refurbishment, all 447 bedrooms and public areas have been transformed and there has been extensive rewiring, renewal of systems and external re-glazing.

The final phase of the programme has seen the refurbishment of floors six to 13, four of which have been upgraded from standard to de luxe level, with the addition of twin telephone lines.

Six floors have been designated non-smoking, and from November the six floors designed for the top end of the market and business travellers will have in-room fax machines. The two presidential suites will offer a personal butler service from January.

All banqueting, conference and leisure facilities have also been upgraded, the 1,250-seat ballroom having been redecorated in neo-classical style with a fully-integrated system for lighting and TV cameras.

This refurbishment is just the latest phase of a continuous programme of upgrading at the hotel, with investment running at more than £5m a year. Further plans for 1996 include improvements to the Windows restaurant, the business centre and clubroom and a number of banqueting rooms.

But, according to Mr Jagersbacher, the changes over the past few years have not been restricted to physical ones. Standards of service have also been redefined, leading to the recognition of the hotel as an Investor in People.

In the kitchens, too, there have been changes over the past couple of years, with the appointment of David Chambers from the nearby Méridien as executive chef and Jacques Rolancy from L'Auberge des Templiers in Montargis, France, as chef de cuisine at the hotel's Windows restaurant. The aim is to achieve Michelin-star standard.

Mr Jagersbacher said the changes had put the London Hilton in an ideal position to exploit the rejuvenated London hotel market, where business has been running at the best levels since the late 1980s.

• The Beirut Hilton is to open for business in June 1998, some 24 years after the troubles in Lebanon prevented it from ever operating.

The new-look 485-bedroom property, which will be operated by Hilton under management contract, has been expanded and upgraded from the original.