Although I’m generally a decent sleeper, I recently went through a phase of terrible sleep that was really starting to get me down. I’m talking endless tossing and turning and clock-watching before eventually drifting off, only to wake up what felt like 10 minutes later to the loud blare of my alarm. Fuelled by caffeine, I muddled through my days, battling brain fog and wishing for a 3pm nap – only for the same thing to happen again the following night.
So when I was invited to try the Pan Pacific London’s Sensory Sleep Experience, I didn’t need much convincing. It sounded like the perfect chance to get out of my sleep rut, switch off properly and focus on rest for 24 hours. Here’s how I got on.
A serene retreat in the City
Though situated in the heart of the City, the glossy skyscraper hotel feels worlds away from the hustle and bustle of central London from the moment you step inside. The large, light-filled lobby, with its neutral tones, leafy potted plants and curved wood, sets the tone for a space that feels effortlessly calm and serene. My shoulders dropped and my heart rate slowed almost instantly.
The five-star – Singaporean brand Pan Pacific’s first European outpost – boasts 237 rooms and suites across 41 storeys, along with an entire floor devoted to wellness (more on that later), a Singaporean restaurant, Straits Kitchen, and Ginger Lily, a chic cocktail bar, where expert bartenders shake and stir classics alongside creative concoctions inspired by Southeast Asian flavours. Given the nature of my stay, I’d be sticking to the mocktails, though.
The ultimate sleep reset
In a bid to help sleep-deprived guests – from jet-lagged travellers and overworked professionals to those, like me, who simply need a reset – catch up on their slumber, the hotel has created a Sensory Sleep Experience with a host of features designed to “ensure a truly blissful night’s sleep”.
Waiting in my room, a sprawling suite on the 17th floor with wrapround windows dishing up views of the Gherkin and Walkie Talkie, was a carefully curated sleep set-up. I’m talking a luxury Hypnos mattress and an Ooler Sleep System, which can heat or cool the mattress anywhere between 13C and 46C to regulate your temperature overnight (especially handy if you have a bedfellow) along with a weighted blanket and remote-controlled blackout blinds.
There’s also a pillow menu (choose from feather, microfibre, foam and buckwheat), aromatherapy oils to spritz on your sheets, sleep meditation playlists and chamomile tea served with snooze-inducing snacks to enjoy before lights out.
In contrast to the concrete city beyond, the interiors are muted and soothing, with soft, grey furnishings, wooden walls and warm, low lighting to create a cocoon-like atmosphere. The generous marble bathroom, complete with a mosaic-tiled shower, sink-in tub, heated floors and Diptyque toiletries, is also made for de-stressing and unwinding.
I couldn’t wait to dive into bed that night, but first I slipped on my fluffy robe and slippers and headed to the hotel’s much-lauded spa to kick-start the wind-down process.
Skyline swims and muscle-melting massages
The Pan Pacific is a hotel with many five-star frills, but its wellness floor is the jewel in the crown. Located on the fourth floor, it feels like a tranquil oasis above the city, with an 18.5m infinity pool (a rarity in central London) with glass panes looking out over Bishopsgate Plaza and the double-decker buses trundling along below. Flanked by sink-in daybeds, plush chairs and yet more greenery, I took a gentle dip before curling up in my towel and almost drifting off.
There are sauna and steam facilities in the changing rooms, but I headed straight to one of the treatment rooms for a 60-minute City Detox Prevention & Balance Detoxifying facial, which delivers a reinvigorating refresh via a deep facial cleanse, mask and tension-relieving neck and shoulder massage. Bliss.
If you fancy working up a sweat (I considered it for all of two minutes before hotfooting it back to my room to melt into the cloud-like bed), the ridiculously well kitted out gym won’t disappoint. It’s home to state-of-the-art equipment including a TechnoGym D-Wall, a high-tech digital training system designed to analyse your performance and offer personalised insights. There’s also a mindful studio for yoga and meditation sessions.
A Singaporean feast before lights out
Before my much-needed beauty sleep, it was time for dinner and thankfully, I didn’t have to venture far. Straits Kitchen, the hotel’s Southeast Asian eatery, was just a lift ride away.
The dining room, a contemporary space with yet more expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, has a laidback but lively energy, with the clatter of plates and the hum of diners chatting under low lighting and soft music. The menu features crowd-pleasing fusion dishes like Cornish crab pappardelle with a laksa emulsion, miso-roasted aubergine and sticky soy short ribs, while the service is attentive but not overbearing. Portion sizes were also spot on – satisfying, but not so heavy that they’d disrupt my eagerly-anticipated early night.
Seven hours of uninterrupted slumber
Well-fed and ready for bed, I sauntered back to the room to find turndown service was complete and the space had been prepared for a restful night. The blackout blinds were down, snooze-inducing chamomile tea waited by the bed and my PJs and slippers were neatly laid out.
I slipped beneath the sheets and woke up seven hours later – only getting up once in the night for a wee before drifting off again in moments, a small miracle by my usual standards. In the morning, I felt refreshed, as though a weight had been lifted – I'd finally slept. I suspect it was the combination of a brand-new sleep environment and the perfect conditions: total darkness, silence (the room is surprisingly well insulated, despite the urban setting), the dreamy bed-setup and just the right temperature. My ultra relaxing day lolling about in the spa and good food probably helped, too.
The final verdict
After a 10/10 breakfast in Straits Kitchen (the continental buffet is immense, with a selection of exciting Singaporean dishes alongside classics on the menu), I reluctantly packed my bags, checked out and headed home feeling thoroughly pampered and well-rested. I felt like my body had hit reset and I was ready to get back to real life, determined to keep my sleep on track going forward.
Deluxe rooms at the Pan Pacific start from £395, with optional extras including the Ooler Sleep System for £150 and the Mela Weighted Blanket for £50. Book now
