Edwardian Hotels London Group owned by Indian-origin hotelier Jasminder Singh today announced a 300-million-pound development project in the heart of London.
The group celebrated the "bottoming out" of what has been described as London's deepest hotel basement, in Leicester Square yesterday as a start of the mega project, which will include two cinemas, spa, bars, restaurants and a 350-room hotel once completed in 2019.
Edwardian Hotels London also placed a time capsule in the basement area, containing blue prints, newspapers, and CGIs of the development, as diggers reached the lowest point of more than 30 metres below ground level.
"The look and feel of the hotel is an important factor in attracting people. The modern four-sided island site will ensure accessibility for the public to the various bars, cinemas and the hotel itself. We want to offer a destination, so that when people come to visit this property, they find everything they need here," explained Rob Steul, creative director at Edwardian Hotels London.
Singh launched his hospitality business in the UK in 1977 and now owns and operates 11 Radisson Blu Edwardian London hotels in London and Manchester, the May Fair Hotel and a collection of restaurants and bar brands across London.
The latest development in Leicester Square is planned as a luxury lifestyle hotel complex.
"At Edwardian Hotels London we have a great heritage of improving existing properties and we have always wanted to develop our own site. This is an exciting hotel development in a cultural and entertainment hub of the capital.
"It is our aim to continue to invest in Leicester Square, and complement the surrounding West End area, attracting both Londoners and tourists alike to the area," said Iype Abraham, commercial development director at Edwardian Hotels London.
The group has tied up with project engineers Arup and project developers McGee for the new hotel-cum-cinema complex.
Neil Hooton,associate directorat Arup, said:"Building such an ambitious project in a highly-populated and iconic area is an exciting challenge. The structure of the building makes smart use of the space and allows for a huge variety of facilities to feature right in the heart of London.
"Reaching the bottom of this landmark basement excavation is a key milestone, and we look forward to now laying the building foundations and beginning the build back up to ground and beyond."
Brian McGee, managing director at McGee, added: "We are used to working across a wide range of sectors and projects, ensuring that innovative solutions are used to get the job done to an incredibly high standard.
"This project stands out not only due to the sheer scale of operating above and below ground, but also because of the ambition to include such a variety of facilities.
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