It’s been an incredibly difficult last nine months for hotels in the UK capital, with many forced to close during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, and then again more recently due to Tier 4 restrictions.
Those that have been able to operate have had to deal with social distancing and enhanced cleaning measures, alongside customer demand at a fraction of normal levels.
New openings have been pushed back, and some properties that were brave enough to start trading found themselves having to close their doors shortly afterwards, as was the case with the Nobu Portman Square.
But as we enter 2021, there is optimism with the pending rollout of vaccines, and there is likely to be a spurt of new openings in the spring, as delayed projects finally come online. Here we take a look at some of the new hotels which did manage to open in 2020, and those set to be unveiled in 2021 and beyond.
Given the current situation, details listed below are subject to change.
New hotel openings in 2020
Hart Shoreditch Hotel London, Curio Collection by Hilton
Curio by Hilton added its fourth London property in February 2020, with the opening of a new hotel in the capital’s Shoreditch district.
The 126-room Hart Shoreditch is located on Great Eastern Street close to Old Street station, and takes its name from the building’s previous occupants, The Harts, who were cabinetmakers in the 1800s.
Facilities include rooms featuring “a muted, elegant colour palette with copper mirror accents, deep green leather detailing and simplistic, modern furnishings”, as well as fitness centre, Barboun restaurant offering an Eastern Mediterranean menu and a grab and go deli, and Tavla bar for light bites and barrel-aged cocktails.
For a recent Tried and Tested review of the hotel, see:
Hotel review: Hart Shoreditch Hotel London, Curio Collection by Hilton
Residence Inn London Tower Bridge
Marriott opened the third London property under its extended stay Residence Inn brand at the start of 2020. The Residence Inn London Tower Bridge on Bermondsey Street offers 101 apartment-style suites, including two-bedroom options.
Rooms offer kitchens with full-size appliances, smart TVs, desks, USB charging points and living room areas.
Breakfast is complimentary, while guests have access to a small market with snacks and drinks, as well as a grocery service at reception, with a shopping list of items delivered to their room. There is also an onsite self-service laundry room and 24-hour gym.
Cheval Gloucester Park
Luxury serviced apartment brand Cheval Collection reopened the Cheval Gloucester Park in February 2020, following a multi-million pound refurbishment.
The 98-key Kensington property has a mix of one-, two- and three-bed apartments, as well as three 232-sqm, five-bedroom penthouses on the upper floors.
The interior of the building was completely gutted and rebuilt by architecture firm 3D Reid. Agency 1508 led the redesign, creating a marble-floored entrance leading to a living room and reading areas.
Apartments are in forest green and navy blue with gold accents. They feature Lee Broom pendant lights, Porta Romana lamps, Gubbi chairs, Hermes fabrics, timber floors, Nespresso machines, Miele kitchen appliances, and underfloor heating in the marbled bathrooms.
The refurbishment works have also added a 12-seat cinema room and large gym.
Nhow London
NH Hotel Group opened the first UK property under its Nhow brand at the start of 2020.
The contemporary four-star Nhow London is located between the City, Islington and Shoreditch, in the 250 City Road development designed by Foster and Partners.
The 190-room hotel features a restaurant/pub, bar, gym, networking spaces and three meeting spaces accommodating up to 50 people.
Themed ‘London Reloaded’, the interiors have been designed by architect James Soane, combining “British icons with unconventional contemporary elements”. These include a Big Ben rocket sculpture in the lobby and a wood installation around an LED fireplace.
Ruby Lucy
“Lean luxury” brand Ruby Hotels opened the first of three London properties in January 2020, located close to Waterloo station.
Ruby Lucy offers 76 rooms ranging from 13-15sqm Nest rooms up to 23-28sqm Loft rooms. Facilities include a bar and dining area, communal work station and a library.
Soundproofed rooms features Marshall guitar amps, which guests can use either with their own guitar or one borrowed from reception.
Two further Ruby hotels are currently under development in the capital – Ruby Stella in Clerkenwell (scheduled to open in 2022), and Ruby Zoe in Notting Hill (slated to open in 2023).
Four our Tried and Tested review of Ruby Lucy, see:
Hub by Premier Inn London West Brompton
Premier Inn opened its ninth Hub by Premier Inn property in London in January 2020, located next to West Brompton station.
The 89-room Hub by Premier Inn London West Brompton is situated on Lillie Road, opposite the Earls Court development site, and with access to the District Underground Line and the London Overground Line at West Brompton station.
It is the first London Hub by Premier Inn property outside of zone 1, joining the recently opened Hub by Premier Inn London City Bank (for a review click here), and other locations including Tower Bridge, Spitalfields, Westminster, Goodge Street and Kings Cross.
Yotel London
Yotel opened its first central London property in August 2020, located on Clerkenwell Road, under half a mile from both Farringdon and Barbican stations.
The 212-room hotel offers “cabins” equipped with the brand’s signature Smart Bed which converts into a sofa, as well as Smart TVs, free wifi and USB charging ports. Room categories range from solos to doubles, triples and a VIP Suite.
All-day restaurant, bar and work space Komyuniti seats up to 120 across booths, sofas and social tables, and the property also has two meeting spaces, a gym, and a Grab and Go snack station.
Citadines Islington London
Ascott’s fifth London property under the Citadines aparthotel brand opened in September 2020, within the Islington Square new development off Upper Street.
The property offers 81 studios and 27 one-bedroom apartments, all offering a fully equipped kitchen, separate sleeping area or room, private bathroom, living area, and flat screen TV with Chromecast.
For our recent review of this hotel, see:
Hampton by Hilton London Ealing
Hilton opened its latest Hampton property in London in September 2020, situated around half a mile from Ealing Broadway station, which is currently being upgraded and expanded as part of the Crossrail project.
The hotel replaces two 1960s office buildings and offers 181 rooms, as well as a bar and restaurant fronting onto “a generous boulevard-style public realm”.
According to designer Dexter Moren Associates (DMA), the nine-storey hotel “is unified using a reconstituted stone frame incorporating an infill of three colours of zinc ‘fish tail’ shingles”.
The designer also said that the new development is “car free”, with a hard standing previously used for car parking space having been used to create the new boulevard, “with refined paving and additional trees”.
Bermonds Locke
Design-focused serviced apartment brand Locke opened its third London property in September 2020, located in Bermondsey around a mile from London Bridge station.
Bermonds Locke features 143 studio apartments, all with kitchens and living space, as well as a fitness centre, co-working space, and Shaman coffee shop.
The property is also home to the new Dairy Bermondsey restaurant by Irish chef Robin Gill, which has moved from its previous home in Clapham.
Shaman also offers coffee and grab and go items, as well as wine, cocktails and pre-packed ‘recipe boxes’ allowing guests to prepare meals in their apartments.
Bermonds Locke has worked with London-based interiors architecture studio Holloway Li to create “a living experience out of re-purposed construction materials in both the public areas and private apartments”.
3 Sloane Gardens
Luxury home accommodation firm Under The Doormat opened a boutique aparthotel on London’s Sloane Gardens in October 2020.
The renovated 3 Sloane Gardens features nine luxury apartments with kitchens, offering “a number of services traditionally offered by hotels such as a ‘live-in’ service manager, reception and luxury linens and toiletries”.
Under The Doormat has signed a five-year management agreement with property manager, investor and developer Cadogan. The group manages over 300 luxury properties in London, including individual family homes and apartments.
Henry's Townhouse
Henry’s Townhouse opened in Marylebone in December 2020, housed within a Grade II listed building once owned by Jane Austen’s brother Henry.
The boutique property is located on Upper Berkley Street and offers seven bedrooms with interiors designed by Russell Sage Studio.
The property can be booked exclusively for group and corporate bookings, from £4,950 for up to 14 people including breakfast, minibar use, evening aperitifs and “tea and treats every afternoon”. Room amenities include Dyson hairdryers and bathroom products from Swedish organic range LA Bruket.
The property’s common areas include a Pantry Kitchen “with sharing table for breakfast, private dining and parties”, which can also be converted into a meeting room, as well as Jane Austen’s Reading Room, a cocktail ‘snug’, and an outdoor terrace.
Premier Inn Southwark
Premier Inn opened a new London flagship hotel in December 2020, located in London’s Southwark district
The property is sutuated between Ufford Street and The Cut in Southwark, around 100 metres from Southwark underground station and a five-minute walk from Waterloo station.
The 274-bedroom consists of two hotel buildings connected via a glass bridge. Bar and Block restaurant, Whitbread’s all-day dining steakhouse, is on the ground floor with outdoor seating. The development also has a new public park and courtyard.
Nobu Hotel London Portman Square
Nobu’s second London property had originally been due to open in July 2020, but this was pushed back to December due to Covid-19. The opening did go ahead, but the hotel was forced to close a few weeks later, and now simply carries the message “reopening 2021” on its website.
Housed with the former Radisson Blu Portman Hotel, the property offers 249 rooms (down from 272 as the Radisson Blu), as well as a 600-capacity ballroom, gym, wellness facilities, a bar and outdoor terrace.
The opening also saw the group’s existing Nobu Berkeley Street restaurant close after 15 years of operation, moving into the Portman Square property.
The Mayfair Townhouse
Another property to open briefly before temporarily closing its doors on December 16, 2020, The Mayfair Townhouse is housed within a set of listed Georgian buildings formerly home to the Hilton London Green Park.
Located on Half Moon Street close to Green Park Underground Station, the 172-room property has been gutted and refurbished, with features including a Penthouse suite and Garden suite, as well as The Dandy Bar, gym, and “versatile event spaces”.
Coming in 2021 (we hope)
Nomad London
The Nomad Hotel brand had been due to open its first London property in December 2020, but the group’s Instagram page now notes an opening date of February this year.
Housed within the grade II listed former Bow Street Magistrates’ Court and Police Station on Bow Street close to Covent Garden Underground Station, the 92-room Nomad London will feature a number of food and beverage outlets including all day dining Nomad Restaurant housed within an atrium “reminiscent of an Edwardian Greenhouse”.
Side Hustle will offer a shared plates menu “inspired by chef Ian Coogan’s Mexican heritage paired with Europe’s best agave-based spirits”, while Common Decency is an “East London style craft cocktail bar complimented by elements of West End London’s establishments”.
The Londoner
If all goes to plan Edwardian Hotels should finally open its “super boutique” hotel The Londoner in April 2021.
Business Traveller has regularly reported on the progress of the hotel, which was initially set to open in summer 2020. The Londoner will be located on the southwest corner of Leicester Square, forming part of the redeveloped Odeon West End site which will also feature a cinema, spa, restaurants and bars.
The Woods Bagot-designed building will occupy 16 storeys and feature 350 rooms, suites and a tower penthouse, all with floor-to-ceiling windows, curated artworks and the latest technology.
The property will also have six dining venues, including a ground-floor tavern and a contemporary Japanese lounge bar with rooftop terrace, while subterranean levels will house a ballroom with capacity for 864 guests, seven meeting rooms, two private screening rooms, a wellness space, and leisure facilities including a swimming pool and gym, hair and nail salon, and barber shop.
Pan Pacific London
The long-awaited debut of the Pan Pacific Hotels brand in Europe is now scheduled for this year.
Business Traveller reported on plans for a London property under the luxury brand as far back as 2014, and the hotel had been scheduled to open in late 2020, before being pushed back to this spring.
The 237-room hotel will be located within the mixed use One Bishopsgate Plaza development close to Liverpool Street station, and will mark the brand’s entry into Europe.
The hotel’s interior’s will be designed by Yabu Pushelberg, responsible for projects including the Four Seasons Toronto, W New York Times Square and the St Regis San Francisco.
Facilities will include an 18th floor Signature Suite, an indoor pool, spa and fitness centre, and a ballroom accommodating up to 370 guests.
Mondrian Shoreditch London
Accor and partner SBE have signed an agreement to bring the Mondrian brand back to the UK capital this year.
The deal will see existing hotel and members’ club The Curtain rebranded as the Mondrian Shoreditch London, following “an update and restyling of the hotel”.
The switch is expected to take effect in spring 2021, and The Curtain Members’ Club will continue to operate alongside the rebranded hotel.
The move will mark the return of Mondrian to London – it had previously operated a hotel within the Sea Containers building on the South Bank, but this was rebranded in early 2019.
The 120-room Mondrian Shoreditch London will feature the first UK restaurant by Spanish Michelin-starred chef Dani Garcia, and will also see the return of the brand’s rooftop Rumpus Room to the capital.
The Beaumont
Not strictly speaking a new hotel, but The Beaumont hotel in London’s Mayfair is to undergo extension and refurbishment works before reopening later this year.
The hotel said it was taking advantage of uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 to remain closed over the coming months to allow for the works to take place.
Located on Brown Hart Gardens close to Oxford Street and Grosvenor Square, The Beaumont originally opened in 2014 as the first hotel by restaurateurs Corbin and King. The property has since been sold to the Barclay Brothers, and Corbin and King is no longer involved in its management.
The Dilly
Again not exactly a new property, but worth a mention if only for its “interesting” choice of new name (as commented on by several or our readers).
Le Meridien Piccadilly has left the Marriott portfolio and will be rebranded as The Dilly early next year.
The historic property originally opened as The Piccadilly Hotel in 1908, before being bought by Le Meridien in 1986.
Current owner Archer Hotel Capital said that it had made the decision to operate the hotel as an independent property following the expiration of its management contract with Marriott International. Going forward the hotel will be managed by Axiom Hospitality on behalf of Archer Hotel Capital.
The 283-room hotel – which is currently undergoing renovation works – features an underground swimming pool, a health club and spa with squash courts, seven meeting rooms, and food and beverage outlets including The Terrace.
Westin London City
The 220-room Westin London City will be located on the site of the redeveloped Queensbridge House on the North Bank of the River Thames, opposite the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
Currently listed on Marriott’s website as opening in June 2021, the hotel will feature a riverside bar and restaurant which will open onto a new public walkway with views across to the South Bank, as well as an indoor swimming pool, fitness centre, spa, business centre and 830sqm of events space including four meeting rooms and a Junior Ballroom.
Beaverbrook
Country house hotel Beaverbrook is to open its first outpost in London this year, housed within two Georgian townhouses on Sloane Street.
A partnership with property manager, investor and developer Cadogan – which owns 93 acres of Chelsea and Kensington – will see a 14-suite boutique hotel open in summer 2021 opposite Cadogan Place Gardens.
The suites will be styled and named after “celebrated and well-loved London theatres”, and the property will also feature a 60-cover contemporary Japanese restaurant and bar, the interiors of which will be inspired by 19th century artist Kokusai.
Broadwick Soho
Plans were unveiled last year for the first London hotel designed by Martin Brudnizki.
Scheduled to open in September 2021, the Broadwick Soho is described as “your eccentric godmother’s Soho townhouse”, with Brudnizki taking inspiration “from the gritty glamour, but also eclectic and diverse history of Soho”.
Situated on the corner of Broadwick Street and Berwick Street, the hotel will offer 57 “residential-feeling” rooms including a penthouse and nine suites, with “many rooms offering private balconies overlooking the bustling streets”.
The hotel’s food and beverage concepts will be operated in partnership with Jamie Poulton and chef Ed Baines, founders of Randall and Aubin on nearby Brewer Street.
There will be a street level Italian restaurant with terrace, and a rooftop cocktail bar with wrap around terrace.
Chateau Denmark
Currently scheduled to open in summer 2021, the 55-room and apartment Chateau Denmark will be housed “across 16 characterful buildings in and around Denmark Street”, and will feature design by London-Based Taylor Howes, “invoking a time where punk, rock and gothic meets grandeur and psychedelia”.
The 55 “Session Rooms” will be split across four different designs – ‘Vintage Gothic’, ‘Timeless Grandeur’, ‘Modern Psychedelia’ and ‘Punk Now’.
Signature rooms will feature ‘maxi-bars’, which the hotel describes as “perfect for hosting, ghosting and other illustrious pursuits”.
Running from Charing Cross Road to St Giles High Street, Denmark Street has been associated with British popular music since the 1950s, and is where The Rolling Stones recorded their first album, and where the Sex Pistols once lived.
Further ahead
The Peninsula London
First announced in 2015, London’s first Peninsula hotel is currently scheduled to open in 2022, in the capital’s Belgravia district.
The property will be housed on the site of a former 1960s office block overlooking Hyde Park Corner between Grosvenor Crescent and Halkin Street, and will feature 190 rooms as well as shops, bars, restaurants and a ballroom.
Design features will include a colonnade “linking to an internal ‘Palazzo-style’ courtyard”, and there will also be around 25 residential apartments with a separate spa, reception and entrance.
Park Hyatt London River Thames
Hyatt is set to open its first Hyatt Park property in the UK, located in London’s Nine Elms area on the south bank of the River Thames.
The hotel group has signed an agreement with developers R&F UK to open the 203-room Park Hyatt London River Thames in 2022.
The property will be located within R&F UK’s Nine Elms development, a mixed-use project which will also comprise 2,300 apartments and over 11,150 sqm of commercial space. This will include the company’s One Thames City development, made up of premium residences, hotels, shops, a park and restaurants.
The hotel will have a secure executive wing and event spaces, including a large ballroom, targeting both business and government travellers due to its proximity to the new US embassy.
Oberoi London
The Oberoi Group is to open a serviced residences property On South Audley Street in London’s Mayfair, marking Oberoi’s debut in Europe.
The 23-residence property is set to open in 2022, and will be housed within a Grade II listed building on the corner of South Audley Street and South Street, close to Hyde Park and The Dorchester hotel.
Few details have been released at this stage, but what is known is that aside from the serviced residences, the property will offer “a small restaurant and refurbished retail space”.
Raffles London
Currently scheduled to open in 2022, Accor’s first Raffles property in the UK capital will be housed within the Old War office building in London’s Whitehall.
The Grade II-listed building was designed to house 1,100 rooms and two miles of corridors, but will be converted into a 125-room Raffles hotel, along with 88 private residences, restaurants “and other amenities”.
Premier Inn Canary Wharf
Premier Inn is set to open a 400-room hotel in London’s Canary Wharf in early 2022.
The hotel will be the group’s biggest city centre hotel, with only its properties at Gatwick, Heathrow Terminal 4 and Heathrow Bath Road having higher room counts.
Whitbread, Premier Inn’s parent company, will take a 30-year lease of the hotel and restaurant, with the development also featuring 66 residential apartments, retail and community space, a roof garden and a ground floor “Whitbread-branded restaurant”.
Amano Covent Garden
Plans have been unveiled for the first London hotel by German-based Amano Group.
Drury House on the corner of Russell Street and Drury Lane is set to be converted into the Amano Covent Garden.
A £49 million hotel development financing agreement between the UK arm of Israeli bank Leumi and Manex Properties Ltd will see the former office building transformed into a 141-room hotel, with a scheduled opening date of 2022.
Citizen M London Olympia
Dutch hotel group Citizen M is to open its fifth London hotel in 2023.
The property will be located in the transformed Olympia London exhibition centre on Hammersmith Road, which is set to open in 2023 following a £1.3 billion regeneration led by Yoo Capital and Deutsche Finance International.
The mixed-use development will also feature a live music venue owned by entertainment company AEG, a 196-room Hyatt Regency property (see below) and conference centres.
Citizen M London Olympia will include 145 rooms, three meeting rooms, and a living room open to the public in the listed historic Apex room. Interiors will be designed by Amsterdam-based partner Concrete and will feature furniture from Vitra, one of Citizen M’s long-term collaborators.
Hyatt Regency London Olympia
Hyatt has announced plans for its second Regency property in London, to be located on the redeveloped Olympia London exhibition centre site along with the Citizen M London Olympia.
The 196-room Hyatt Regency London Olympia will be directly connected to the convention centre and is scheduled to open in 2024. Facilities will include a restaurant and lobby lounge with bar and market area, as well as four meeting rooms.
Hyatt Regency London Olympia will be the fourth hotel under the brand in the UK, joining Hyatt Regency Birmingham, Hyatt Regency Manchester and Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill.
And not forgetting...
There are various London hotel projects which as yet do not have scheduled openings dates, including:
- PPHE Hotel Group has secured funding for the long-awaited Art’otel London Hoxton on the capital’s Old Street. Plans call for a 27-floor property, with five floors of office space, 17 floors of hotel rooms, and five floors dedicated to facilities including a gym, swimming pool, wellness facilities, an art gallery, destination restaurant, bar, and a 24th floor auditorium and event space.
- Mandarin Oriental announced plans for its second London hotel in 2017, located on Hanover Square in the capital’s Mayfair district. The 50-room and 80-residence property had been due to open in 2021, but is not currently detailed on the group’s website list of hotels scheduled to be unveiled this year.
- Rosewood Hotels and Resorts’ second London property is currently under construction within the former US Embassy on Grosvenor Square, with features set to include a 137-room hotel with five restaurants, six retail units, a spa, and a ballroom accommodating up to 1,000 guests. The group’s website currently list the opening date as “TBD”.
- Another PPHE property announced way back in 2015, the Art’otel London Battersea Power Station is still under construction, but when it finally opens will feature 160 rooms as well as roof garden with outdoor pool overlooking the iconic chimneys.
- The 906-room Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum is set to undergo a £1 billion redevelopment, with plans to create ““a world-class hotel and serviced apartment scheme alongside 62 genuinely affordable homes and substantial public realm improvements”. It’s not clear at this stage what brands the hotel and serviced apartments will be marketed under.
