Corinthia London opens in Victorian-era luxury hotel

Corinthia Hotel London, located on Whitehall Place, will be opening its doors as a five-star luxury hotel on 2 April 2011, in time for the Royal Wedding.

The site was first opened as a hotel in 1886, and operated as the The Metropole until it was taken over by the Ministry of Defence in 1936. Later used as offices, the building was purchased in 2008 by Corinthia Hotels, and has since been under refurbishment to turn it back into a hotel.

“After years of meticulous creation and restoration, we are delighted that Corinthia Hotel London is now at its final stage of completion,” said general manager Matthew Dixon.

“The hotel will be a dynamic London landmark where the past meets the future.”

“In April the eyes of the world will be upon London in celebration of the royal wedding, and we look forward to being the newest addition to the city’s iconic landscape.”

Contemporary luxury

The hotel aims to offer “a 5-star experience with a contemporary edge”. It consists of 294 rooms, including 43 luxury suites.

Its 470m2 Royal Suite is said to be the largest in London, and aims to combine hotel “grandeur” with “residential comforts”.

Seven signature suites with views across London are spread over two storeys and are served by their own internal lifts. Each suite is linked to a great figure in British history, including musicians, inventors and writers.

Hotel restaurants

Corinthia Hotel London is also aiming to become a “world-class dining destination”.

Its main restaurant, The Northall, will focus on British artisanal produce with a menu driven by local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients. The wine list will be organic-focused.

In addition, Italian chef Massimo Riccioli, chef patron of La Rosetta in Rome, will be opening a seafood restaurant in the hotel , the Massimo Restaurant and Oyster Bar. The menu will feature daily catches.

Luxury hotel facilities

Other facilities in the hotel include an Espa spa spread over 3300m2 on four floors, and is described as a “next generation” spa with innovative treatments.

The hotel will also include a hair salon with hairdresser David Glavin OBE, which will have a private room with a library of over 25,000 films for VIP clients from the performing arts and film industry to use as a reference for their own hairstyles.

The lobby will also include a Harrods-inspired luxury store.

Family-owned hotel

The new London hotel is the eighth in the Corinthia Hotels portfolio, which are funded by the Pisani family of Malta. Other locations includle Budapest, Prague, St. Petersburg, Malta, Lisbon and Tripoli.

The group also plans to open a Corinthia Taormina Golf Resort in Sicily, Italy, due to launch in 2012.