Still More New Hotels for London

by James Ruggia
Last updated: 12:45 PM ET, Thu September 18, 2014

PHOTO: On Oct. 15 The Beaumont will open in Mayfair. (Courtesy of the Beaumont)

"The secret to London's ever-thriving hotel sector," said Maria Charalambous, Millennium Hotel's director of leisure sales and airline partnerships, "is that London remains a thriving metropolis," that must continually move forward.

And moving forward she is; evolving and expanding hotels despite the fact that the city is just two years removed from its Olympic Games, which required an enormous amount of new inventory. When other former Olympic host cities began transforming their glut of rooms in the post-Olympic period into such things as office buildings, London continues to add. Last November, VisitBritain revealed the results of a report by Deloitte, which said that tourism to Britain could grow 53.4 percent by 2025. We all know how much of that tourism will go through London.

Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, top restaurateurs in London, are getting into the hotel business this October, when The Beaumont opens in Mayfair on Oct. 15. Corbin and King are known for such restaurants as The Ivy, The Wolseley, Fisher's, and Colbert. The 73-room hotel takes its inspiration from the Art Deco look of 1920s Manhattan. No doubt the stainless steel sculpture by Antony Gormley in which guests will be able to spend the night will get its share of ink.

PHOTO: Chris Corbin and Jeremy King hope the Beaumont will give them a name in hotels comparable to the name they earned in their restaurants.(Courtesy of The Beaumont)

Millennium's Chelsea Harbour Hotel opened recently with 158 suites each individually designed. The hotel is a new all-suite property that is putting up two luxurious afternoon tea menus this autumn in its Harbour Bar and Terrace or in Chelsea Riverside Brasserie.

The Cliveden House in Berkshire, about 20 minutes from London's Heathrow Airport, gives travelers a new five-star hotel in a former historic estate. The 38-room property is set among nearly 400 acres of National Trust gardens and woodland.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to get out leaving London a day early and spending some time where such luminaries as Queen Victoria, Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill, and George Bernard Shaw stayed. The grounds feature a summerhouse by the Thames (with boathouse and boats), heated pool, spa, and a range of sporting and leisure facilities. The hotel is offering a package from £218 ($364) per person per night, with a three-course dinner in Cliveden's restaurant, André Garrett, traditional English breakfast, use of spa facilities, one-way private transfer in a Mercedes S Class BMW 7 Series to or from the airport and more.

The 256-room Conrad London St. James, located in Westminster, is within walking distance of Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace. Another property from the Hilton Worldwide portfolio will open next summer when the Hilton London Bankside opens in central London.

The Conrad Suite will add a new level of exclusive luxury with its own private lift. The suite connects, if so desired, to eight other suites to create an entire private wing. Conrad London St. James will offer the Conrad Concierge mobile app, which allows guests to customize details of their stay before and during each visit via their smartphone or tablet.

Marriott International has opened the 173-room London EDITION in the Fitzrovia section of central London. The hotel was created from the former Berners Hotel. The historic property underwent a renovation. EDITION is a boutique brand conceived by Ian Schrager in partnership with Marriott International. It combines the personal, intimate and individualized lodging experience that Ian Schrager is known for, with the global reach, operational expertise and scale of Marriott. The original Berners Hotel dates back to 1835. It was comprised of five residential houses and was ultimately converted into a hotel.

Peninsula Hotels is also planning a property in the Belgravia section of the city near Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace. Shangri-La the Shard has opened 56 of its rooms as well as its public spaces such as restaurants. They're still working on the remaining rooms. When it opens later this year, the 174-room Hoxton Hotel in the Holborn section of London will offer a very affordable alternative with rooms priced from £69.

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