After a 19-month closure and an extensive refurbishment costing a reported £80m, the Lanesborough Hotel, overlooking Hyde Park Corner, has finally reopened to the public.
This iconic hotel is widely regarded as the most expensive in the capital, with the super lavish seven-bedroom Royal Suite costing a cool £26k a night. A standard double room will set you back £720 a night. Add in the Royale Breakfast at £65 per person (plus a 15 per cent service charge) and you are looking at about £870 for two B&B. All hotel guests can expect a personal butler service during their stay.
The refurbishment has extended to all areas of the hotel; the 93 guest rooms, including 43 suites, and all public areas. According to Oetker Collection, the Lanesborough’s management company, the renovations will help the hotel “regain its position as London’s finest residence”.
The legendary Alberto Pinto, known for his interior design work on some of the world’s most expensive private houses and super yachts, was the design brains behind the renovation project. He sadly died in 2012 but his company have finished what he started. Alberto’s brief from the hotel’s general manager Geoffrey Gelardi and its owners, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, was to retain the Regency theme of the hotel, but to lighten.
“Guestroom accommodation will be the epitome of elegance, reminiscent of a grand residence,” Oetker Collection said in a statement.
Dining at The Lanesborough in the shape of the Céleste restaurant was always one of the greatest gastronomic pleasures London had to offer. And this experience should now get even better following the multi-million pound refurbishment. Céleste has unveiled an elegant new design, returned to the Regency style in keeping with the rest of the hotel.
The new setting for Céleste is pretty sensational: a richly decorated, Venetian-style dining room naturally illuminated during daylight hours by a domed glass roof and in the evening by spectacular hanging chandeliers. Bas-relief friezes and fluted columns underline the classical grandeur.
But what about the quality of the actual food and wine on offer you might ask. Well, the hotel is not taking any chances here. Its put Eric Frechon, Paris’ most esteemed three Michelin star chef and leading figure at Le Bristol Paris, in charge and has also brought in Eric’s protégé, Florian Favario, as executive chef.
Frank Marrenbach, CEO of Oetker Collection, was delighted with the extensive refurbishment: He said: “With its strategic location in the heart of London, The Lanesborough, with managing director Geoffrey Gelardi at its helm is a prestigious addition to our portfolio, a major step for our development, and a natural complement to Le Bristol Paris, its sister hotel.
“The renovation honours the building’s architectural heritage as one of London’s most revered Regency landmarks. It embodies the signature style that has become synonymous with The Lanesborough, whilst incorporating the latest in contemporary luxury and technological innovations.”
Time will only tell if the lavish refurbishment proves a successful one but judging on what we have seen, the Lanesborough Hotel has a great chance to reclaim its position as the most luxurious and prestigious hotel London has to offer.
Oetker Collection has built up a prestigious portfolio of what they like to call ‘masterpiece hotels” with the likes of Le Bristol Paris, Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the South of France and Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden part of its luxury collection.
Address: The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner, London, SW1X 7TA
