Ever since I adopted Charlotte, who has adapted rather naturally to my social life and become quite the food and travel connoisseur, I am always on the lookout for hotels that are dog-friendly, or even more so, go the extra mile to make the experience as welcoming as possible to four-legged extended members of the family.
Paws at Pan Pacific London
As a pet-loving hotel, Pan Pacific London understands the importance of pets to guests, and welcome canine companions and feline friends to enjoy a little refined luxury in the City. Well-behaved pets on a lead or in a pet carrier are allowed to explore the hotel in designated areas, with the exception of the Wellbeing floor, meeting rooms, and during Afternoon Tea service in The Orchid Lounge. Guide dogs are welcome in all areas.
Upon arrival, we were provided with a “Paws Pack” guide, which featured their pet policy, pet-friendly places in the local area, and a curated pet menu. Their in-house dining menu has been specially curated by Anna Webb, a dog behaviourist and nutritionist, who is passionate about species-appropriate meals. Their Pet Menu has been created using fresh natural ingredients and formulated using species-appropriate ingredients, and mixed single source proteins, in line with Anna’s studies at the College of Integrated Veterinary Therapies. For breakfast, Charlotte enjoyed scrambled organic eggs on sausages, whilst for dinner she had sushi style lamb hot pot which consisted of thinly sliced lamb served with mashed carrots and parsnip with a chicken bone broth. Needless to say, Charlotte hungrily devoured both her meals and made sure that nothing went to waste.
The Room
We stayed in one of their Executive Rooms located on the 15th Floor; the vast floor-to-ceiling windows allowing natural light to flood through, giving a warm and bright setting to revel in whilst enjoying stunning city views from the comforts of our king-sized bed. I was also a fan of their expansive marble bathroom with underfloor heating which featured a separate toilet, walk-in shower and bathtub, topped off by the super soft bathrobes and luxurious Diptyque bathroom amenities.
A cosy pet bed and bowls were also provided in our room for Charlotte, as well as a dog toy to take home and add to her growing collection.
The Food
We had dinner at Straits Kitchen, one of their seven food and beverage outlets, where we sampled their new A La Carte menu created by Head Chef Jun Yung Ng which highlights South-East Asia’s rich food culture. As we love a bit of variety, we were recommended the Straits Kitchen Platter which consisted of Morel golden cups, chilli prawns, aromatic duck rolls, and assam tamarind crispy black cod. Whilst the Straits Chilli Crab is always a winner, this time we went for the Ruby Brandy XO Sarawak Lada Hitam Crab, another one of Chef Jun’s Signatures; live crab with spices finished off at the table with flaming Chinese Brandy, served with fried pandan mantous. We ordered some extra rice on the side to soak up more of the delicious sauce from the crab dish; the scallop, egg and XO sauce fried rice, as well a portion of choy sum with ginger and garlic, to count towards our 5-a-day. For dessert we shared the ‘Apple’ made from apple compote, caramel sponge, and cinnamon crumble – certainly one of the tastiest apples that I have eaten. We also tried a couple of their Asian-inspired Signature Cocktails which looked as good as they tasted; Red Lantern and Lucky Tiger.
Charlotte was also provided with her own dog bed and bowl next to our table, where she was allowed to enjoy her dinner with us.
Breakfast was served in the same dining area where we both went for the ‘Inclusive Breakfast’ which included a sumptuous cold and hot buffet, as well as a choice of vegan dish such as stuffed avocado with creamy truffle vegan cheese and waffles with blueberries and chantilly cream.
The Wellbeing Floor
We had a little morning dip in their infinity pool which stretches 18.5m, with sweeping panoramas over Bishopsgate Plaza, before enjoying some R&R lazing on their luxurious loungers. The changing rooms come equipped with 14 lockers for storage, washroom facilities and showers containing Diptyque luxury bathroom amenities; each male and female changing room also has separate Sauna and Steam rooms, offering guests the ultimate heat experience. There are also two treatment rooms as well as a cutting-edge gym which boasts high-performance cardio and strength equipment to offer a truly interactive space that works for both body and mind.
A word of thanks to Pan Pacific London for hosting us over the weekend; I look forward to returning soon to indulge in the new afternoon tea collection, or perhaps a lazy weekend roast with Charlotte.
- My experience at Pan Pacific London was complimentary – views and photos are my own.
