16 April 2016 – by Amber Rolt
Three international luxury hotel brands are vying to operate Qatari Diar’s redevelopment of the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square, W1.
Cheval Blanc, Starwood Hotels & Resorts St Regis and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts have been shortlisted for the opportunity.
Qatari Diar is planning a five-star 137-bedroom hotel on the site, with plans to be put forward to Westminster City Council next month following a public consultation this week. No decision on the operator will be made until planning is in place.
The three operators are among a pack of luxury hospitality brands looking to enter or expand in the London market currently perusing a handful of prestigious sites (see below). They include The Oberoi, Park Hyatt, Armani Hotels, Aman Resorts, Waldorf Astoria, Dubai-based The Address Hotels and Resorts and Viceroy Hotels.
Cheval Blanc has hotels in Courchevel, the Maldives and Saint-Barthélemy and has ambitious growth plans. Qatari Diar owns a small stake in its parent company, Bernard Arnault’s luxury conglomerate LVMH.
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Starwood’s 100-year-old St Regis brand has long-standing ambitions to enter the London market. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts already has four hotels in the UK, three in London and one in Hampshire.
According to Deloitte, there are approximately 2,500 luxury hotel bedrooms planned in the capital over the next six years, with a total investment value of more than £3bn.
Nick van Marken, head of travel, leisure and hospitality at Deloitte, said: “London’s attraction is underscored by the continued interest on the part of international operators to secure or extend their presence. Some operators are targeting multiple properties under the same brand across the capital, reflecting the inherent demand for the city.”
JLL is advising Qatari Diar.
