LONDON – The lobby of the Lancaster Hotel is always a beehive of activity - a constant buzz of excitement fills the air here.

But these days, there’s also a buzz on the hotel’s roof, thanks to the addition of beehives which produce a golden liquid used by Chef Nongyao Thoopchoi’s to enhance the sweet Thai culinary treats she and her six all-female kitchen staff create in the hotel’s legendary restaurant, Nipa – the best Thai eatery outside Bangkok in our opinion.

The only thing sweeter than the sweet chili sauce-drenched dishes Thoopchoi and her all-Thai staff create at Nipa is Toopchoi herself.

A veteran of the Lancaster kitchen since 1995, Thoopchoi mastered the delicate art of Thai cooking – and it is indeed an art – at an early age in her mother’s kitchen. Now she mothers her young staff as they prepare dishes infused with some intense flavours and which are made with only the freshest ingredients, including the hotel’s rooftop honey.

The beehives are a byproduct of the Lancaster’s industry-leading environmental policy, which includes a commitment to decrease energy consumption by 3 per cent throughout the property; reduce greenhouse gasses; conserve natural resources; reduce landfill; increase recycling efforts; and produce natural, healthy food right on property.

“It (Lancaster’s environmental efforts) is a very good policy for staff and guests,” beams the lovely moon-faced Thoopchoi. “Natural honey is now very easy to find – right above my head.”

Honey finds its way into some of Thoopchoi’s most popular dishes but more importantly for Chef, she can now guarantee her dinner guests that one ingredient she uses is the freshest possible.

“In Thailand we only use fresh ingredients and being in a large city like London means we can find fresh ingredients most of the time at the local markets,” says Chef in her spotless kitchen located on the first floor of the Lancaster.

The kitchen is always busy and the waiting list for seats in the dining room is, as always, very long – reservations are a must at Nipa (call 020 7551 6039).

Chef and her staff are buzzing around the kitchen putting the final touches on signature hot and spicy dishes like Tom Yam Kai (spicy chicken soup with lemongrass, chilies and lemon juice), Kaeng Pa Kai (chicken in a light red curry), Pla Nueng Ma Nao (steamed fish in a spicy lemon sauce) and Pla Rad Prig (deep fried sea bass topped with chili sauce). The wonderful thing about Nipa is that while there is a variety of hot and spicy dishes, Chef balances her menu with a range of sweet and mild plates designed to suit all appetites.

Nipa is not the only restaurant in the Lancaster which uses the rooftop honey. The Island Restaurant and Bar, a stylish contemporary room with a million-dollar view of Hyde Park through floor-to-ceiling windows, is also where the honey is put to good use and you can bet its served with the Lancaster’s traditional high tea.

Because of the London landmark’s Hyde Park address and its close proximity to Paddington rail station and major tourist stops like Marble Arch and the shopping attractions along nearby Oxford Street, the Lancaster is one of the most desirable properties in the city.
And, thanks to its role in the first Italian Job film (starring Michael Cane and Noel Coward), movie tourists have always had a sweet spot for the Bayswater area hotel located at bustling Lancaster Terrace.

As the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games gets closer, hotels are being spruced up for the big event and the Lancaster is leading the way. Plans are already under way to upgrade the already comfortable 416 rooms and the hotel’s public spaces, which have enjoyed one facelift already in recent years, will get another before the Games begin.

Although the hotel is located in one of the busiest intersections in London, double glazed windows on all the air conditioned rooms keeps the noise out and your setting is as tranquil as a small back road English cottage.
Attention to detail is another Lancaster tradition and staff makes sure pillows are fluffed and the marble bathrooms are well stocked with the trendiest of beauty products.

Size matters when it comes to London hotel rooms and the Lancaster’s are well above average. The modern conveniences of our fast-paced world – high speed internet and flat screen TVs – are now standard equipment at the Lancaster, which offers many special rates throughout the year.
Even Trip Advisor, the critical online hotel portal which invites and posts  “independent” reviews from guests about hotels around the world, gives the Lancaster an “excellent” rating.

And why not? The Lancaster, after all, is one of London’s sweet surprises.

INFORMATION On the Lancaster: www.lancasterlondon.com On Nipa: www.niparestaurant.co.uk