Healthcare Venues believes the Park Plaza London Waterloo aligns to the metric applied to our AMBER assessment status.
General Positioning
The Park Plaza London Waterloo was opened in 2017 and is an unrated purpose-built contemporary hotel and positioned for the business and leisure markets with facilities to support international, national and regional healthcare meetings and has experience in holding corporate healthcare company internal sales and training meetings.
The hotel is a 10-minute walk from Waterloo under and over ground stations which provide public transport links to the International airports of London Heathrow and Gatwick in 45 minutes or alternatively by car in just over an hour. The hotel does not have its own parking spaces however, local parking can be arranged through the hotel.
Six ground floor meeting rooms offer a flexible and dedicated space, all with natural daylight. Park Suites 1 to 4, when combined, can accommodate 52 in classroom style with 5 & 6, two matching rooms, offering an extra 40 in a classroom style.
Park Suites 1 & 2 are of equal size and provide seating for 20 classroom each. The connecting Park Suites 3 & 4 are also of equal size and offer seating for 6 each in a classroom style.
Exclusive use can be obtained, and confidentiality assured when utilising all 1 to 6 Park Suites with 5 & 6 as the plenary with the option of using Park Suites 1-4 rooms as breakout / workshops or catering areas or alternatively with Blakes restaurant as the location for lunch.
Styling throughout the property is modern chic but with touches that are boutique in style but should not influence bookers in to considering the hotel as one not considered appropriate to hold healthcare meetings.
Sales and Marketing
The Park Plaza London Waterloo draws on its location and meetings facilities to attract the business traveller and meetings market and those wishing to use the hotel as a base for a leisure stay.
Using the Park Plaza corporate styling, the hotels website homepage uses images of a Studio bedroom, the Florentine Restaurant, a meeting room and two leisure images of central London to attract a mix of business and leisure guests. With the language used in descriptions, the website offers a mainly business focus to its offering and does not try to elevate facilities to suggest a luxury product.
The hotels website offers guests a “Video Tour” that offers an insight into the hotel. Professionally presented, it is a realistic reflection of the hotels modern and contemporary business and meetings styling, occasionally boutique décor, and facilities, which, in our opinion, is in line with a business level 4-star property, considered appropriate for healthcare sector meetings and events.
The sales and marketing brochure provides a balanced offering, naturally reflecting on all facilities such as its location to leisure activities and attractions in the area, on the detail for meeting organisers and it’s in house Florentine Restaurant. Any leisure aspects referenced, in our opinion, should not detract from the core business positioning of the venue.
External popular leisure travel websites support the hotels 4-star rating and typically concentrate on its central London location including access to nearby underground stations and hotels facilities, including the spa and fitness area.
The hotel does not have its own social media or business pages such as Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn, but do link to the Park Plaza Group pages that have brand pages providing a platform for business and leisure posts. The hotel does have its own Facebook page which is aimed at the leisure market with images from previous events held at the hotel.
The Park Plaza brand can be reliably considered a brand for business, without the risks associated with some high end or luxury hotel groups.
Location and Setting
The Park Plaza Waterloo is located in the heart of London and a 10-minute walk from the major rail and London Rail Underground station of Waterloo which provides access to the International airports of London Heathrow and Gatwick in 45 minutes or just over an hour away by car. London City Airport is 40 minutes away by public transport or by car and for those driving, although the hotel does not have its own parking, local valet parking and parking can be arranged through the hotel. Ample drop off parking is available outside the hotel and coaches can park outside the hotel for max. 15min allowing pick up and drop off.
The hotel is just a short walk from Guys and St Thomas’s hospital and 42 minutes from Excel, London’s largest congress centre in London, and home to International Healthcare Congresses such as EULAR and ESC.
The hotel was purpose built with an exterior that has corporate styling with small white and light brown panels and a ground floor of glass panelling. The Interior of the hotel presents a dark, contemporary product positioned for business rather than one aimed at the luxury market.
Fit for Purpose
The Park Plaza Waterloo London is a venue for both business meetings and travellers wishing to use the hotel as a base for leisure stays.
The hotel’s location in the heart of London, which is within a short distance of major public transport links, makes for a strong option when considering venues in the area to hold business meetings and the hotel has experience of internal sales and training meetings.
Facilities
Delegates enter the mainly glass fronted building from the ground floor and into an open, modern and contemporary lobby area with dark tiled flooring and vibrantly coloured seating and LED lighting. The long reception desk stands opposite the main entrance and double doors lead from the lobby to the meeting space. A large seating area sits between the lobby and the Florentine Restaurant which has its own public entrance. Also, with its own public entrance on street level, is the ‘Illy’ café, which is used as a location for informal business meetings.
The styling from the lobby area is continued throughout the public spaces and guests receive a vibrant ambience which is enhanced by the upbeat background music.
Meetings: Six ground floor meeting rooms offer a flexible and dedicated space, all with natural daylight. Park Suites 1 to 4, when combined, can accommodate 52 in classroom style with 5 & 6, two matching rooms, offering an extra 40 in a classroom style.
Park Suites 1 & 2 are of equal size and provide seating for 20 classroom each. The connecting Park Suites 3 & 4 are also of equal size and offer seating for 6 each in a classroom style.
Exclusive use can be obtained, and confidentiality assured when utilising all 1 to 6 Park Suites with 5 & 6 as the plenary with the option of using Park Suites 1-4 rooms as breakout / workshops or catering areas or alternatively with Blakes restaurant as the location for lunch.
Located of the hotel lobby on the ground floor, Blakes is the main hotel restaurant providing 84 seats for a privatised buffet lunch.
Bedrooms: 494 guestrooms are split into four categories; Superior (189), Studio (301), Executive and one-bedroom Suites.
Superior rooms are Park Plaza’s “standard” rooms and come with atrium or city views, from higher floors, and provide guests with a flat screen TV, air conditioning and tea/coffee facilities with a work desk, laptop safe and iron/ironing board.
Studio rooms come with added amenities of bath robe and slippers, complimentary minibar and sleeper sofa however, these Studio rooms would, in our opinion, also be appropriate for allocation to HCPs, as the added amenities can be removed.
All rooms are decorated in the same design with dark carpet and wood effect floors with white bedding and walls. There are no pictures to provide any additional decoration however, some coloured lighting creates a contemporary feel but does not suggest a luxury product.
Bathrooms have light beige floor and light walls that provide a clean and light feel. All bathrooms have walk in shower with coloured shower panels and come with Elemis toiletries which is Park Plaza standard.
Executive rooms and suites would represent a significant upgrade and therefore their allocation to HCP’s should be avoided.
Restaurant: Located off the hotel lobby, in the centre of the hotel on the ground floor, Blakes is the hotel restaurant providing 84 seats for buffet breakfast or lunches. The stylish décor with black tiled flooring with light brown tables and leather chairs and coloured lighting provide a sense of style and in our opinion, is an acceptable location for HCP lunches and dinners.
Florentine is the hotel’s a la carte restaurant and is located internally, opposite Blakes and has street side position. Breakfast, lunch and dinner service are offered here to hotel guests and the public, all a la carte. The décor follows that of Blakes with added pictures of iconic British actors.
Bar: The Florentine Bar is in a separate area between the restaurant and the café. Here DJs play background, more atmospheric music than a concert style performance however, live music is played Saturday and Sunday but any programme involving HCPs would not have the bar included in any proposals.
Leisure: Overnight guests of the hotel have complimentary access to the Mandara Spa (a Park Plaza brand) and fitness gym which provides machines and some free weights. There is a small pool with a sauna and steam room and pre-booked treatments are provided by two rooms to but are chargeable. These facilities will not be included in any proposal for meetings and events that involved external HCPs.
Service
The hotel does provide Concierge Services to assist with luggage and travel arrangements, but there is no sign that the venue attempts to use service and a guest to staff ratio to leverage luxury impressions. Levels are therefore consistent with a venue suitable for healthcare meetings and events.
Park Plaza is part of the Radisson Hotel Group which offers a Radisson Rewards Points membership programme offers meetings and professionals. Points for each booking which lead to complimentary hotel stays and upgrades - this is consistent to other hotel brands and should not be a deciding factor when booking this hotel for a healthcare meeting.
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