Hotel

The BT Tower Is Being Turned into a Hotel

MCR Hotels has bought the iconic tower for £275m

The BT Tower will remain a London landmark after MCR Hotels and BT Group agreed to a £275 million sale as part of BT’s cost-cutting measures, including downsizing the number of offices they have. Standing at 189 meters high, what was once the tallest building in London will soon also be an upscale hotel, operated by US-based company, MCR Hotels, which owns over 150 properties.

Located in Fitzrovia, the British Telecommunications Tower is a Grade II-listed building. When the tower first opened in 1965, it played a central role in communication networks around the city, though since mobile technology has evolved, BT now no longer relies on the tower to carry microwave signals across London and the UK. For the first six years, parts of the tower were even open to the public, and it famously had a revolving restaurant at the top. Recently it’s only been open to the public for one day a year as part of London’s Open House Festival. Though there is no exact date for when the hotel will open – BT has said it’ll take years to empty the site of all its technology – it’s not too early to get excited about what it’ll be like to sleep over in the tower.

In regards to the sale, CEO and owner of MCR Hotels, Tyler Morse, said, “We are proud to preserve this beloved building and will work to develop proposals to tell its story as an iconic hotel, opening its doors for generations to enjoy.”

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THE HOXTON, LLOYD

The Hoxton, Lloyd Amsterdam, Oostelijke Handelskade, Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Hoxton has a brand new spot in Amsterdam, having taken over the iconic Lloyd hotel and restored it in to a new 136 bedroom beauty in the Eastern Docklands. The building is an Accidentally-Wes-Anderson stunner with an amazing history, having been a shipping company headquarters, and a shelter for Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in the Second World War, amongst many other things. Many original features of the building remain with colourful tiled walls and floors and the central clock tower that now houses one very unique ‘Tower’ bedroom. You can expect the usual Hoxton great design across the whole property, plus lively public spaces such as Breman Brasserie (see above) and Barbue, a cocktail bar created in partnership with drinks legend Tato Giovanni.

MAISON DELANO PARIS

Maison Delano Paris, Rue d'Anjou, Paris, France

Maison Delano is a very luxurious new five-star luxury hotel in an 18th century mansion in the swanky 8th Arrondissement. There’s 56 classically-styled suites, plus a restaurant from Michelin-starred Spanish chef Dani Garcia.

THE HOXTON, POBLENOU

The Hoxton, Poblenou, Avinguda Diagonal, Barcelona, Spain

A beaut new outpost of The Hoxton located in the Poblenou neighbourhood of Barcelona. As well as the superbly designed, spacious bedrooms, there’s a rooftop pool and restaurant (Tope), plus Four Corners Detroit-style pizza, and bikes to rent. Poblenou is a relaxed yet buzzing neighbourhood situated a little away from the centre – so you’re free from the tourist hoards that clog up downtown Barca, but still just a quick cycle or taxi away.

MAMA SHELTER LA DEFENSE

Mama Shelter La Defense hotel is located out in Paris’ business district, and although it may feel like you’re in the suburbs, La Defense is super accessible, only a 15-minute metro ride to the centre. Mama Shelter injects a heavy dose of fun and personality into a relatively serious La Defense. The hotel’s playful and colourful branding is instantly recognisable and a welcomed contrast to its surrounding neighbours – think plenty of neon signs, bold interiors and a cheeky personality. This runs throughout the whole hotel, from the minute you step into reception right up to where you lay your head. Like at the sister sites, you’ll even have the classic cartoon masks hanging by your bed. Their TVs come loaded with some of the latest films and even x-rated vids – ooh la la. And if you’re looking for an extra couple of hours in the room, (perhaps you’ve painted the town a little too hard the night before) you can opt for a 3pm checkout. There are two restaurants housed in the hotel. Up top is the Mama Penthouse, which has panoramic views of Paris, and a new retro diner located on the ground floor, which is an Instagram dream with pastel pink decor, planet lights, jukeboxes and leather booths.

HOTEL WALLACE

Hotel Wallace is part of the Orso group, founded by Anouk and Louis Solanet, a young cool couple that own a collective of seven Parisian boutique hotels and have plans to open more. Orso Group has a great ethos, using locally made, good produce throughout all its sites. It also has its own Orso guide, showcasing the 100 best neighbourhood spots less than 15 minutes away from the hotel, to check out during your trip – very handy if you want to live like a local! Hotel Wallace has a prime location in the 15th arrondissement, around a 25-minute walk to the Eiffel Tower. The building had a major makeover back in 2021, and, with the help of well-known interior gurus Hauvette & Madani, it was transformed into the riviera-inspired retro-chic hotel it is today. Think tasselled lamp shades, striped curtains, slick lacquered wooden headboards and terrazzo features throughout, with mod cons in the rooms and their own-brand Colomba skincare in the bathroom. There’s even a Scandi hot tub on the terrace for you to soak in after a day of sightseeing and then you can head down to the Wallace bar for nightcap.

THE BEAUMONT HOTEL

8 Balderton St, Brown Hart Gardens, London W1K 6TF
OPENING HOURS
  • Monday: Open 24 hours
  • Tuesday: Open 24 hours
  • Wednesday: Open 24 hours
  • Thursday: Open 24 hours
  • Friday: Open 24 hours
  • Saturday: Open 24 hours
  • Sunday: Open 24 hours

To take a trip to The Beaumont hotel is to step into a calm, Art Deco retreat away from the chaos of nearby Oxford Street. Styled after the grand hotels of the 1920s, The Beaumont’s interiors definitely fit the bill, with its walnut-panelled walls, marble furnishings and sleek rooms. Besides actually staying at the hotel, The Beaumont houses a pretty special selection of bars and restaurants. The Colony Grill Room is an old-school NYC-style restaurant with a timeless menu, Le Magritte Bar & Terrace pays homage to the American bars that were very popular in London and Paris during the 1920s and Gatsby’s Room serves as more of a daytime venue, with an all-day menu that includes breakfast and afternoon tea.

ONE HUNDRED SHOREDITCH

One hotel closes, another one opens. One Hundred Shoreditch, from the Lore Group (who are also behind Sea Containers and Pulitzer Amsterdam) has moved into the site once occupied by the Ace Hotel. The property boasts 258 bedrooms and a whopping six restaurants and bars, including seafood restaurant and wine bar Goddard & Gibbs; destination cocktail bar Seed Library from Ryan Chetiyawardana aka Mr Lyan, which’ll shake up new takes on classic serves; a lobby bar; a coffee shop; and a roof terrace with panoramic views over the city.

NOBU HOTEL SHOREDITCH

10-50 Willow St, London EC2A 4BH
OPENING HOURS
  • Monday: Open 24 hours
  • Tuesday: Open 24 hours
  • Wednesday: Open 24 hours
  • Thursday: Open 24 hours
  • Friday: Open 24 hours
  • Saturday: Open 24 hours
  • Sunday: Open 24 hours

With 164 guest rooms and suites, the world-renowned Nobu restaurant, NAMI bar, alfresco terrace and a tranquil spa and gym, Nobu Hotel has a lot to offer the short stay visitor, making more than jut a base to throw your bags in and head out again. Given its position in Shoreditch and near to the City, it is a great option location wise and with so much to explore right on the doorstep, there’s plenty of fun to be found outside as well as inside Nobu. The Yuhi bedrooms are a blend of Shoreditch loft and Japanese Ryokan with warm wood tones, brushed gold accents, dark parquet floors, a custom-designed ceiling and wallpaper by Shoreditch based-artist Richard Harding, and huge king beds. You can dine on Nobu signatures like black cod miso and wagyu beef at the restaurant and then you can zen out at the hotel spa. A real touch of luxury in the heart of East London.

CHILTERN FIREHOUSE

Chiltern Firehouse, the hotel and restaurant owned by Andre Balazs (the man behind Chateau Marmont and New York’s Mercer), is a popular celeb haunt – remember when every man and his dog was papped falling out of the restaurant circa 2014? It does however live up to the hype. The 5-star hotel, housed in a Grade II-listed former fire station, features 26 luxury suites, a secret smoking lounge and a restaurant overseen by Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes. The food (dishes include crab doughnuts, fried chicken with ranch, and chargrilled Iberico pork with poblano chilli) is great, the cocktail menu is bang on trend and the place looks amazing too.

HENRY'S TOWNHOUSE

Jane Austen’s brother Henry used to own a townhouse on Upper Berkeley Street and now the Grade II listed building has been turned into a boutique hotel named after him. Henry’s Townhouse has seven bedrooms, all with Georgian-inspired interiors courtesy of Russell Sage Studio and modern amenities like Nespresso coffee machines, flat-screen TVs, Dyson hairdryers and LA Bruket toiletries. Plus there’s a sharing table in the pantry kitchen where breakfast and private dinners are served as well as a cocktail snug, an outdoor terrace and a sitting room that pays homage to Jane Austen. The rooms are available to book individually or if you’re having a very fancy party (and you’ve got the dollar) you can hire the whole place for 14 people.

THE ZETTER TOWNHOUSE

When a 13-bedroom Georgian townhouse hotel meets an award-winning cocktail lounge, magic happens. And that magic is known as The Zetter Townhouse. It’s luxurious, quirky and very, very British (think red, white and blue everything) with big comfy beds, Egyptian cotton linen and REN products in each room. Their cocktail lounge is pretty spesh too, paying homage to the neighbourhood’s distilling heritage with old cocktail classics as well as homemade cordials and infusions.

BANKSIDE HOTEL

On the cusp of south London, just over from Blackfriars Bridge, is the Bankside Hotel which opened up in 2019. Art and design is a huge focus at Bankside; the industrial-chic interiors pay homage to the history of the area whilst still remaining inviting, and the lobby is home to a curated collection of multi-disciplinary art put together by designer Dayna Lee. The hotel has 161 rooms ranging from a modest double to their biggest suite, and they come with Grown Alchemist bathroom products, remote-controlled blackout blinds, Chromecast, and a Nespresso coffee machine. Sadly there isn’t a spa to relax and unwind in, but you can enjoy a 24 hour gym in case you get the urge to throw kettlebells around in the middle of the night.

THE DIXON

If you were spending a couple of nights on this part of Tooley Street back in the day, you’d probably be in quite a bit of trouble as it used to be home to a magistrates’ court. Now you won’t find yourself in the dock (unless you’re drinking in the Courtroom Bar) as the space has been transformed into The Dixon hotel. As well as the aforementioned bar, the hotel is home to the very Insta friendly Provisioners restaurant and 193 swish bedrooms with original Edwardian features, grey timber furniture, king size beds and Murdock London toiletries. And once you step outside, you’ve got the best of SE1 right on your doorstep.

THE STANDARD

The London outpost of the US hotel group is housed in the former Camden Town Hall Annex in King’s Cross. The Standard features 266 rooms from snug hideaways to terraced suites with outdoor tubs – imagine the views from there. They’ve also added three storeys to the top of the building, only accessible by their iconic exterior red pill lift, where you’ll find Decimo, a Spanish-inspired restaurant headed by Michelin-starred chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias. There are more eating and drinking options on the ground floor with restaurant Isla and bar Double Standard. There’s a real 70’s California vibe going on inside, with lots of mahogany, plush leather and pops of colour. This place is highly Instagrammable and a hot new addition to London.

THE NED

The Soho House group transformed the old Midland Bank in the City, designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, into The Ned, a mighty luxury hotel. It’s a nod to 1920s glamour – think crystal chandeliers, marble columns and frilly lampshades, with many of the building’s original features still intact. The 250 bedrooms range from intimate crash pads to large-scale suites and it’s also home to eight restaurants (including Cecconi’s, Malibu Kitchen, and Electric Bar & diner), a rooftop bar, two pools and a spa. It’s as boujee as they come.

KINGSLAND LOCKE

If you’re after somewhere that offers more that just a bed, head for one of these 124 apartments in the heart of Dalston with interiors just as vibrant as the neighbourhood itself. Staying at Kingsland Locke also means having run of their social spaces, including a co-working lounge, coffee shop, workout studio and microbrewery. Drinks from German Kraft Brewery and Jim & tonic, and food from Le Bab? Check us in. The whole place is inspired by the local surroundings and we bet you feel like a proper Londoner after settling down here.

HILTON BANKSIDE

The Hilton Bankside is a million miles away from what you’d usually associate with the Hilton hotel chain. Set in what used to be the fragrance factory of Stevenson & Howell’s Standard Works, and with the Tate Modern, Haywood Gallery and hip new restaurants and bars as its neighbours, the hotel really makes a statement with its impressive design. The rooms are plush – the king deluxe suite features a bed you could get lost in and a separate living space with a sofa, arm chair and TV, and a huge walk-in rainforest shower. The Bankside also has a 17-metre heated swimming pool, a gym, and in-house restaurant OXBO Bankside, which serves up modern British grub.

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