In conversation with Lee Kelly, General Manager, 45 Park Lane London – Dorchester Collection (Exclusive Interview)

How has London’s luxury hotel sector rebounded post-pandemic? Are there any challenges still persisting? 

The pandemic had a profound impact on London and the wider hospitality market but it has been remarkable to see how the industry has worked together, focused on our communities and our teams and emerged stronger, more united. This being said, there are common challenges in recruitment across hospitality at the moment, which we are not immune to. However, thanks to the company’s commitment to colleague welfare, we are fortunate to have an incredibly loyal team across the entire Dorchester Collection. This has resulted in good staff retention and means we are a draw to people looking for roles in hospitality. 

What has been your approach to ensuring consumer service standards are consistent?

45 Park Lane follows a boutique hotel model – we are a luxury boutique hotel on Park Lane, which is core to our service philosophy – and every guest is ensured a truly personalised experience with our host team acting as their dedicated butlers throughout their stay. Our guests also benefit from really getting to know the team during their time with us, which means we have a very loyal guest following who come back time and time again to see familiar faces. 

Which are nowadays your predominant feed markets? Has the consumer behaviour changed? (ex length of stay, type of accommodation etc)

People are so excited to be travelling again so we are benefitting from that. Despite travel from North America rebounding a little later, post pandemic, we’re seeing a particular increase in visitors from that market at the moment. 45 Park Lane has a residential feel so a lot of our guests do tend to conduct business when staying with us or enjoy leisure stays on a longer basis. Our well-appointed suite offering and rooms boasting views over Hyde Park has meant the hotel has been a firm favourite over the years to our many loyal guests and we continue to see exceptional repeat demand.

What has been the evolution of rates and what are your expectations for 2023?

London is seeing record demand at the moment and it’s wonderful to see all of our friends travelling back to our city. The hospitality sector feels as if it is booming too. Naturally there is talk of uncertainty for 2023 but we are confident in our product and our service delivery and we expect our business to continue to thrive. We are well positioned as a luxury boutique hotel on Park Lane to benefit from global travel. 

How important are the F&B and wellness / wellbeing offerings? What are the USP’s of 45 Park Lane? 

Wellbeing in luxury hotels is incredibly important. There is such exceptional choice in London and we have to offer the very best to our guests. We launched The Spa at 45 Park Lane just last year and it is a truly beautiful, 10,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art wellness space for our guests to enjoy. CUT at 45 Park Lane continues to be one of the most popular steak restaurants in London and our executive chef, Elliott Grover, has made it one of the first Wolfgang Puck restaurants to introduce a variety of fish dishes to the menu, now being rolled out across the company. 2023 is going to be an exciting year for us as we look forward to enhancing our food and beverage offering even further. I can’t reveal anything at the moment but watch this space.  

45 Park Lane has always been rooted in the arts with seasonal / temporary exhibits. 

We have always prided ourselves in being firmly rooted in the arts at 45 Park Lane. Our 35 exhibitions that we have hosted since opening have featured a real variety of exceptional talent, from up and coming artists through to big names of the art world. At the moment we are so honoured to be featuring the wonderful David Bailey’s Vision and Sound exhibition, which has really driven interest in the property. 2023 will see a more interactive experience playing out across our exhibition programme. 

What motivates you in your everyday work?  

I have been in hospitality since graduating in 1998 so have spent over 25 years in hotels and it’s a business that I just love. Meeting people, working with such incredibly talented teams, seeing them thrive and getting to know our guests is something that continues to inspire me. Hospitality is such a wonderfully dynamic business and I love the fact that every day is different.

Which are your favourite off-the-beaten track tips for those exploring London?  

London is such a diverse city and having a background in Food and Beverage, I just love the restaurant scene. I particularly enjoy exploring the outskirts of London and all the smaller neighbourhoods where there is an abundance of amazing restaurants and cosy bars. I grew up in the Lake District so I am a country boy at heart. What’s great about London as a city is that there is also so much green space and a favourite of mine for weekend walks is Richmond Park.

45 Park Lane is owned and operated by the Dorchester Collection

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