The night was young but Park Plaza awaited us, reaching out its warm welcoming hand in the distance, just a stones throw away. The air was chilled but a rampant energy coursed through our veins, as we arrived as one, armed with suitcases to make the most of our stay in Lambeth North, Waterloo. The wind whipped our hair into a clouded ball of mess, but like children we ran into the night, scraping the pavement with the heavy clonk of our stiletto heels. I was dressed in a fifties ballgown, emblazoned with flowers that danced with delight and wonder, while my hair was tucked into a flower crown, in an attempt to withhold the tempestuous winds of change. L was more casual than I, a beautiful blouse tucked into her favourite jeans, but her heels danced alongside mine as we sashayed into a new world of endless possibilities that awaited us inside our room for the night, 110, we were a number among many. As we checked in we surveyed our surroundings with casual interest; the decor was traditional but had a modern edge, with neon lighting installations and totemic figurines whose eyes glinted gleefully in the dim lighting of Park Plaza’s hotel.
London Is So Beautiful At Night, As The Sun Goes Back Into Its Peaceful Slumber And The Moon Rises Up Again
Our stomachs rumbled with anticipation and desire, craving a taste of the sensuous delights that awaited us in Florentine, Park Plaza’s Mediterranean inspired restaurant that had been whispering sweet nothings into our eager ears all day. We saw, we came and we conquered as our eyes roved through Florentine with ample delight, admiring the rustic decor juxtaposed with the live singer, who strummed his guitar ever so gently, as the harmonic chords of his vocal tones wafted through the bar and into the dining area, breathing magic into the food that would be gracing our tables any minute now. But what we were really here for was to celebrate the power of true friendship; true friends are those who stand beside you even in your darkest moments, who refuse to let you wallow in the black pit of despair and instead offer a salve and balm to your healing wounds. They are the torch that shine through the darkness, that make you smile when the whole world around you falls into disarray and most of all they are the friends who you can grow old with, who are your platonic soulmates for the rest of your days. The power of true friendship pulsated through our reunion at Park Plaza, as we sipped on white wine and mojitos and giggled through the night.
We Sipped On Mojitos As We Giggled Through The Night
Tonight was not about ‘looking for the cute fuckboys at the bar’ or bemoaning the tragedies that had unfolded over the past couple of months. Instead we celebrated the small victories in life and toasted our successes, with positivity in our hearts. The darkness was temporarily locked in its purgatorial state, and instead we galloped into the land of rainbow unicorns, who would douse us with happy sprinkles and sing harmonious melodies until we sank into graceful slumber. We were presented with a feast in our magical happy kingdom; where the gods smiled upon us as we ravenously consumed our food. There was avocado and poached eggs oozing delightfully on sourdough bread, while the smoked burrata wibble wobbled on our plates like a trapeze act, interrupted only by the satisfying pop of the tomatoes that we chewed so delightfully in our mouths. Hand cut chips, crispy and soft melted in our mouths, with a cheese course aplenty, we washed it down with mojito anew. And when it came to dessert we were more than ready, to claim our sweet treats, begging to be rewarded with blueberry cheesecake and a cheeseboard (or two).
We Enjoyed A Range Of Beautiful Salads That Were Vibrant And Colourful
The Yolk Oozed Delectably Over Rustic Sourdough Bread
We Couldn’t Get Enough Of The Delicious Food At Florentine, Park Plaza
We took our time as we ate and drank, relishing the true power of friendship in our home for one night only. As the sky transformed into inky black and the stars twinkled mischievously we turned and sighed. Our stomachs were full with happiness and good food, and we made our way into our hotel room, room 110, second floor on the left. With one swipe of our cards we were in, like stealthy predators we prowled around our room, silenced by the breathtaking beauty that lay in front of us. An en-suite bathroom with fluffy robes and towels, smelling faintly of lemon and hand cream. A ‘Studio’ bedroom, with a Queen Sized bed, crisp white sheets, black headboard, mirrors creating prismatic illusions as we danced in front of our reflections. A sofa plump and soft lay in wait of our warm bodies, we could slip and slide if we wanted to but we had promised to behave like adults so we didn’t. Our eyes grew wider as we stepped towards the window, the trains chugging at full speed across the nearby railroad. But it was the lights that swam through the sky, pink, blue and green that took our breath away, as they waltzed playfully through glass buildings, that dominated the London night.
Park Plaza Made Us Closer Than Ever Before
Videos and photos were taken in reckless delight, as we leafed through our pamphlets that chronicled Park Plaza’s wondrous delights. There was a spa downstairs, a sauna and steam room calling out for sore bodies to massage back into action. There was breakfast in the morning, waiting for hungry mouths to feed and for the elite few there was room service, couples who fed each other strawberries in bed, while they licked the cream off each other’s juice stained lips. But we didn’t need men when we had each other, as we talked through the night and watched television for our girly sleepover night. We wore matching PJ’s like we were kids once more, soft cotton bottoms, plain camisole vests, a simple outfit in a luxury room. The night turned into morning and L had sank into a dreamless slumber, but I lay awake too energetic to sleep, watching the trains go home to rest, watching the world grow silent while I was still breathing.
A Panorama Of The City Of London
But the silence wasn’t eerie, it was calming and as the night changed into morning, we bid our room a mournful goodbye, upset that we were unable to get our complimentary breakfast or complimentary spa visit. You see work was calling us and we had somewhere else to be, we tucked the sheets back in and smoothed them over like they were our children. We watched the trains resume its activity, how different London looked without the razzle and dazzle of its infamous lights. The shower was cleansing-like manna- that took away all negativity and the creams that they had provided sank gloriously into our skin. Skin dried, hair washed, make up done and we were gone. I took one last look at the room, shiny and brand new, our home for one night only, our chance to celebrate the power of true friendship. Park Plaza was not just an ordinary hotel, but a magical kingdom where dreams come true. Here you are not judged on who you are or what you look like, everyone is welcome to join the magic circle of unification, where the unicorns welcome you into Florentine, with a flourish of their well manicured hoofs, where the mermaids take you into the spa and soothe all your stresses away and where the gate keepers of the kingdom lend you their royal homes, where the Queen Mermaids and their friends can sink their heads into dreamless slumber. And what a dream it was…
We Were Stunned By Our Beautiful Room And It’s Impressive View Over London
Have You Ever Stayed In A Hotel Which Made You Celebrate The Power Of True Friendship Or Love?
*Disclaimer
Please note we were given complimentary rooms at Park Plaza, Lambeth and A Complimentary Meal At Florentine In Exchange For This Blog Post All Thoughts Are My Own And Are Not Affected By Complimentary Services.
Our Room Was The ‘Studio Room’ Which Offered The Following Amenities:
- Sleeps two guests
- Free Wi-Fi
- City or atrium view
- Movies on demand at surcharge
- Free access to health and fitness centre
- Free access to swimming pool
- Air-conditioning
- Mood lighting
- Laptop-size safe
- Iron and ironing board
- Multimedia connectivity
- EU, UK and US power sockets
- Blackout curtains
- Direct dial telephone
- Luggage rack
- 48-inch LED smart TV
- Work desk
- Lounge chair
- Floor-to-ceiling windows
- Minibar
- Coffee and tea facilities
- Hair dryer
- Shower only
- Relaxing bathroom amenities
- Pullout sofa bed (ideal for families)
Bathrobe and slippers
Looks like you had an amazing stay! I love the look of the food – so vibrant, colourful and fresh 🙂 x
This looks like a great place to stay. Very modern & with everything you need. Brill. x
This made me miss my best friend so much! Glad you enjoyed yourself and your friendship
Sounds like you had a great time. Food sounds great!
There are times when this kind of day/night is exactly what you need. Spending time with that friend that no matter what, it’s going to be great. The hotel looks and sounds fabulous, and the food, my gosh! Simply delightful. All sounds fantastic.
The room looks stunning, but the food, oh my! Delicious. Even better when spent with good company. I’m meeting up with a bestie I haven’t seen for ages tomorrow and I’ve been looking forward to it for ages x
What a lovely hotel and the food looks absolutely divine! The Mojito looks pretty good too! Kaz
Aw this was a lovely post to read. I love how you describe the food. It looks amazing!
I do remember your Instagram stories which was amazing and loved it. Glad you and your friend had an incredible time as he plaza looks lovely
Wow, Park Plaza seems like an amazing place to stay! From the food, to the drinks, to the lovely hotel room, it all looks fab. I’m so glad you had a great girlie time with your friend, I just wish you’d got to stay a bit longer!
Fantastic Post – beautifully written. Ive been to the Plaza before, and had a great night. Cant wait to read more of your posts.
What an amazing time you had. London is a fabulous city and I don’t get to go very often any more although the husband works there every week. The food looked to be in a different league to lots of the hotel food I have experienced and I’m impressed you managed to stay up all night drinking in the view. I’m a complete lightweight these days.
I didn’t stay up all night drinking aha, I stayed up all night watching telly while my friend was sleeping LOL. I can’t drink too much because of my medication, but I did enjoy a cocktail! Yes the food was amazing, are you planning to stay anywhere exciting this year?
I have traveled a lot, and London is by far my favorite city! I hope to head back someday and check out Park Plaza. It seems like a perfect place to stay! That mojito does look so good, and the salads look incredibly fresh. I’m envious!
Glad you had an amazing time with your friend. The food looks amazing. Great post!
“Instead we celebrated the small victories in life and toasted our successes, with positivity in our hearts.” — I loved this! It sounds like you had a lovely time 🙂
You’ve captured a great perspective of London in your photos. Usually it look so gray and drab. Also, yum! I love salads that have bright splashes of color from all of the delisciois ripe vegetables and fruits in them!
I love the look of the food there! The bright colours make me think it can’t be anything but fresh and healthy 🙂 Great hotel write up!
Love how you have written this post! Sounds like you had so much fun with your friend. I love visiting my friends in London when I can.
Sheesh,I didn’t know what was more spicy,the beautiful dishes or some of the colorful language!!
One of these times,you’re going to have to have a Dr. Pepper and raise a toast to the cheetah!
It sounds like you had a wonderful stay and delicious meal. What a great way to celebrate friendship!
What a wonderful sleepover and sounds like the perfect girlie night. That’s good for the soul and sounds like you had a lot to catch up on x
Wow… Love the way you wrote your experience. Such a beautiful night you spent. And all this food is making me hungry now.
I loved the way you have narrated this, it made me feel like you were on a mini adventure. The hotel looks fab and the food is a gastronomical delight. Such a pity you could not stay longer to enjoy the spa and breakfast.
Looks like a fantastic place to stay. The food and drinks look great and the room sounds like it has everything you would ever need.
those mojitos look delicious! Glad you had a great night!
It looks like you had such a lovely stay! And that food looked delicious.
What a gorgeous hotel! The food looks absolutely stunning too – if I am ever in London I think I will be staying here, exactly my type of stay
What a gorgeous hotel! The food looks absolutely stunning too – if I am ever in London I think I will be staying here, exactly my type of stay!
Looks like you had a lovely stay! That room looks lovely and spacious and the food… YES PLEASE!!
Park plaza hotels are always beautiful. Theres one near me & that’s gorgeous too! Looks like you had a lovely stay! x
Seems like a great place to stay. Having good friendships is great as it is all about quality and not quantity.
I love the clean aesthetic of the room and the food looks so inviting!!! So glad you got to have such a lovely stay with friend!!! True friendship in todays time is truly a blessing X
Girl, your writing is amazing! I felt like I was reading a novel and I was like…. wah! You should defo think of becoming a writer! That food you had a park plaza looks absolutely amazing! so healthy, colorful and tasty! Lucky you! Park Plaza sounds like an amazing hotel! the spa sure was great! I am so glad you had such a great time with your friend and that the experience made you closer! xx corinne
The food! That hotel! So beautiful and it looked like you had so much fun! Will definitely keep this hotel in mind when I finally get to travel to London.
We’ve never been to London before but it’s definitely on the list. Place you stayed looks amazing and the food so delicious, especially the avocado toast.
Right from the first word of your description, I’ve already fallen for Park Plaza. Perfect menu that had your stomachs dying for, fantastic reception and perfect hospitality are just the IT-factor here. And yes, your room was so awesome you surely had a nice stay! Not to foget, London’s view us just terrific!
I love those nights where you just concentrate on friendship and forget about boys! Park Plaza seems like the perfect getaway for a celebrating like that, the food looks delicious too at Florentine. I will have to add this to my list of things to explore in London, X
Oh I love this Ana, so well written as always! I love the idea of celebrating friendship, it is SO important and it looks like you had such a lovely time together!
Ana, that food looks amazing. You always visit the best places! I’m so happy that you had such a great experience with your friend 🙂
Love the clean lines of your bedroom at the Park Plaza hotel. Such a pity you both couldn’t stay for the complementary breakfast and spa treatment. I used to have similar hotel nights with my friends and sister a few years back and its something I must do again. Great you both enjoyed it so.
That sounds like a wonderful evening spent with wonderful friends. This establishment and restaurant looks delicious, I am going to make that rustic toast with egg and avocado 🥑 for breakfast.
I remember following along with you guys on Instagram and the videos were adorable. So much fun to have a girl’s night out (or in) and I can’t think of a better place than a beautiful hotel. Next time you go, you’ll have to definitely get the spa treatment, as I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more than you! x