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First look: Hilton London Wembley

5 Jul 2012 by BusinessTraveller

Business Traveller has been granted a preview look at the new Hilton London Wembley before it opens in mid-July.

The 361-room new-build is located across from Wembley Stadium – which will host several matches during London 2012 – and offers views of the structure from many of its rooms and public spaces.

Standout features include the ninth-floor Sky Bar 9, which overlooks the stadium and has an outdoor terrace. The 150-capacity venue will be reserved for private functions but there is a second bar, Icons, that is open to the public and features prints of famous performers and sportspeople that have appeared at Wembley.

There is also a large artwork covering one of the ground-floor walls that depicts many of the events that have happened there over the years – including the 1948 Olympics, the 1963 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Henry Cooper, the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final and 1985’s Live Aid.

Guestrooms are a mixture of Standard, Deluxe, Executive and Suite categories and start from 26 sqm, with suites measuring 40 sqm-52 sqm. They are decorated in a colour palette of cream, purple, lime green and brown and have workdesks, flatscreen TVs, MP3 players, tea and coffee facilities and bespoke artwork. About a third offer stadium views, while just under a third look on to Wembley Arena.

Room rates will start from £99 plus VAT. Wifi will be chargeable but free to Hilton HHonors gold and diamond members.

Guests staying in Executive rooms and suites will have access to the ninth-floor Executive lounge, which also overlooks the stadium. It offers a buffet breakfast, all-day soft drinks, afternoon tea, and canapés and alcoholic drinks from 6pm to 8pm.

The hotel has a Living Well health club on the second floor with a 12-metre pool, sauna, steam room and whirlpool. There is also a well-sized 24-hour gym with high-tech Precor equipment and views of the stadium through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Other facilities include the Association restaurant on the third floor, which seats 280 people and will serve modern British cuisine. Plates along one wall are positioned to represent the Thames and depict landmarks such as Waterloo Bridge.

General manager Jack Nicholas said: “The whole theme of the hotel is Britannia – we wanted something that was synonymous with Wembley and with England and Britain.” Other features include a large rug with a subtle Union Jack design in the double-height lobby, and a multi-coloured carpet in Icons bar that has been designed to suggest parquet flooring.

The meeting facilities are set across the third and fourth levels and comprise a ballroom accommodating 700 delegates theatre-style, a large pre-function area, ten meeting rooms and a boardroom. Nicholas said conferences and meetings would be “an important part of our business”.

The new property is part of the 34-hectare Wembley City regeneration project, which will include the London Designer Outlet, 26,000 sqm of retail outlet stores, restaurants and a nine-screen cinema, which is due to open in just under 18 months’ time. A new civic centre, apartments and student accommodation are also being built.

Nicholas said: “With the Outlet opening I only see this hotel going from strength to strength. The enquiries we’ve already had have been incredible. I think all the developments here – the cinema, the restaurants and shopping – will be a real draw.”

The hotel is a short walk from Wembley Park underground station, which is 20 minutes from Bond Street and the West End via the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines.

Visit londonwembley.hilton.com for more information.

Report by Michelle Mannion

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