Brand new London hotels for a happy new year!

Park Plaza Westminster Bridge is a huge new hotel about to open its doors near London's vibrant South Bank

Note: the article below was published in 2010.  We’ve since posted an up-to-date rundown of new London hotels in 2011 with lovely photos.

To bring in the new year, we thought it timely to sum up some new hotel openings coming to London in 2010.  They’re grouped in various categories: the biggest, the most intriguing, the most central and the glitziest.

The biggest

The Park Plaza Westminster Bridge wins our “biggest new hotel” award by a country mile.  Set to house an astonishing 1,021 guest rooms and over 2700m of meeting space, it will add huge capacity to London’s hotel market.

The eagerly-awaited soft opening (with rates starting at £99 per room excl. VAT) takes place in February – watch this space for further details!

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The Park Plaza will enjoy views towards Big Ben

The most intriguing

The Hotel Verta will open soon at London Heliport (Battersea) calling itself an “integrated hotel helicopter solution”.  No, I have no idea what that means either!  It’s being crafted by von Essen Group (behind some of the UK’s most luxurious country house hotels) so expectations are quite high.

Indeed, the pre-launch website boasts that staying at Hotel Verta will be “like enjoying a classic film on the latest technology”.  It looks certain to at least add something very different to the London hotel scene in 2010.

The most central

The much-heralded “W London” is due to open in Leicester Square soon – in the heart of London’s nightlife and cinemas.  It will enjoy a flagship position on some truly priceless real estate on the cusp of Soho.

The W London is being feted as a chic "urban sanctuary" for a hip and savvy clientele, at the very heart of London's nightlife

Its parent company has a reputation for creating sleek, modern hotels with vibrant restaurants and bars and W London will be no exception.

Management says it aims to target jetsetters and trendsetters rather than tourists, but isn’t that what they all say?  It’s set to open in summer 2010.

The glitziest

The most eagerly-anticipated London hotel event of 2010 is the re-opening of the Savoy, already featured several times on this blog.

The Savoy is traditionally one of London’s finest Art Deco hotels and its distinguished history has had an influence on just about all luxury hotels.  It’s also the home of Kaspar the Cat who shall be making a return too!

The hotel has been extensively and expensively renovated (conservative estimate: £100m).  The world will draw a collective gasp when the Savoy’s unique mix of Art Deco and Edwardian is finally unveiled.

The Savoy's cat, Kaspar, is looking forward to his return as a guest on tables of 13

The re-opening date has already been put back several times, so don’t hold your breath.  The latest estimate is the 2^nd quarter of 2010.

However, it’s surely going to be worth the wait.  I’m particularly looking forward to seeing the new entrance and the stunning Riverview suites.

The Savoy’s management intriguingly claims that “all the administration hassles that usually make up a hotel stay will be removed”.

It is certain to shake up London’s ultra-deluxe hotel sector, in which the Lanesborough, Claridge’s and the Dorchester play leading roles.

London Hotels Insight wishes you a Happy New Year and a fabulous 2010!

Note: the above article was published in 2010.  We’ve since posted an up-to-date rundown of new London hotels in 2011 with lovely photos.

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Photo credits: The Savoy (Fairmont Hotels), W Hotels, Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts.

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Tagged as: Hotel Verta, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, The Savoy, W London