As business travel begins to resume, the Hilton London Metropole is maintaining its position as one of Europe’s leading conference and events hotels with a multimillion-dollar refurbishment that will transform and upgrade the guest experience. The renovation is due to be completed by this summer and will provide visitors with a completely new and upgraded stay. No element of the hotel will be left unchanged.
The renovation celebrates the best of the capital, with the new design weaving the city’s storied history into the hotel. Guests will experience engaging touchpoints from London’s rich heritage, its vibrant art, culture, music and diverse food scene throughout.
“London played a pivotal role in the conceptual development of the interior design,” said Neil Andrew, head of hospitality, Perkins & Will. “Alongside the reference within the floor plan to the east and west of the city, modern-day London provides a rich tapestry of cultural inspiration from its various international communities which were brought through into vibrant FF&E and finishes. Due to its location, this particular hotel attracts a largely international demographic of guests, with varying requirements and expectations. We took this into account in the design, for example, providing a wide range of accommodation options, from single rooms to large connectable suites.”
The 1,096 guestrooms and suites have undergone a transformation, designed with a contemporary and bold aesthetic that reflects different London boroughs. The venue’s four restaurants and bars will be relaunched with new drinking and dining concepts, including an all-day British brasserie, serving locally sourced ingredients, and a new suitably relaxed market-style dining outlet, that celebrates London’s street food scene. The refurbishment will also see the opening of a 2,153 sq. ft. (200 sq. m.) fitness studio.
“The hotel is situated beside Paddington Basin, which was historically where all goods would come in and out of London via the canal system,” Andrew explained. “Now, similarly, Paddington is directly connected to Heathrow Airport, which really makes it a ‘jump-off’ point to explore London. The interior design communicates a variety of sights, sounds and flavors to inform guests and inspire them to explore the city.”
Extensive renovations are also being made to the hotel’s 35 event spaces and meeting rooms, including two dedicated hybrid meeting rooms and three ballrooms, which total more than 49,500 sq. ft. (4,600 sq. m.) in size, from the 11,431 sq. ft. (1,062 sq. m.) Richmond Suite to the Kensington Suite, with its open private foyer and space for up to 1,350 guests. Hilton London Metropole also operates Hilton EventReady with CleanStay, which ensures the hotel delivers event experiences that are clean, flexible, safe and socially responsible.
“Hilton London Metropole is a vast conference and leisure hotel, and quite often these spaces can seem unwelcoming. To address this challenge through the design, we deliberately played with mood lighting, artwork and accessories to bring the interiors down to a more human scale, creating intimate spaces within the property where guests will feel comfortable spending time,” Andrew noted.
The hotel has embraced the latest in technology to ensure a seamless stay, from upgraded WiFi to the introduction of Digital Key, which allows Hilton Honors members to check-in and choose their room using their smartphone via the Hilton Honors app.
The new, elevated aesthetic will take guests on an immersive experience through the capital. The architecture, design, restaurants and bars showcase purposeful acknowledgments to East, Central and West London’s heritage as the hotel tells the story of this ancient city with nods to iconic areas including Borough Market, Covent Garden and towns on the Thames.
“This renovation has been years in the making and we have invested a lot of time and planning to get the new positioning and design spot on,” said Remco Norden, Hilton London Metropole’s area general manager. “Despite the challenges the industry has faced in 2020, we believe our hotel has an incredibly bright future and this renovation is our opportunity to invest in it.”
