New Hip London Hotel Offering Personal Empowerment Amenities
The Bankside draws inspiration from creative surroundings and packages them into exciting, dynamic guest programs
London’s new Bankside Hotel, a member of the Marriott Autograph Collection, brings a program that will help business travelers get their game on while traveling to London for meetings.
Taking advantage of the raw, chic neighborhood bordering the Thames, StreetGym is a 60-minute outdoor workout led by a veteran of the British military. Guests run, jump and (army) crawl their way around the SE1 district, utilizing the surroundings as ad hoc “gym space” all while learning about the area’s fascinating history as they go.
It’s part of the hotel’s new mind-body program in partnership with Motion to Mind, a London-based wellness service created to empower people to better deal with adversity and the pressures of modern life, Motion to Mind was founded by John Allison MSc MA FRGS following 24-years in the British Army, where he specialized in bomb disposal and weapons intelligence. Having operated extensively in a high threat and high-pressure environment, John brings this experience into his day to day work with clients.
The hotel’s holistic wellness approach offers a new way to maintain resilience and performance, on-the-go with a fusion of physical and mental fitness training, one-on-one coaching and cutting-edge assessment. In addition to StreetGym, Bankside guests can also avail themselves of:
• Resilience Coaching: tackle negative thinking patterns, face stressors head on and take positive action
• Escape the City: a half-day guided trek along the Ridgeway, one of Britain’s oldest roads weaving through the Chiltern Hills, stopping in a much-loved English country pub
• Heart Rate Variability Lifestyle Assessment: three-day assessment offering comprehensive insight into individual physiology.
The independently owned, 161-room property spreads across six stories and makes a statement in a location that is driven by art and architecture. Contemporary design projects define all the spaces, from accommodations to all-day dining in the ArtYard. The designer, Dayna Lee of Los Angeles-based firm Powerstrip Studio, is a former film-set designer and keeps interiors in modest mid-century Scan motifs that let surrounding creative details and placements shine. The neighborhood is home to the Tate Modern and the Hayward Gallery, for those in need of some added nearby inspiration. Otherwise, guests can rely on collaborative work and meeting areas, large “white cube” gallery space, and a panoply of local arts and crafts.
