New hotel complex will feature shops and restaurants
The United States Embassy building in Mayfair is set to be transformed – into yet another luxury hotel in London.
The plans form part of a £1bn renovation of Grosvenor Square.
The renovation will follow a move for the United States diplomats to a new home on the other side of the river down in Nine Elms near Battersea.
The building – one of the most heavily guarded places in London – is a grade II listed modernist block, and will become a five-star hotel with a spa and a ballroom.
According to plans submitted to Westminster Council, the plans include spaces for six shops and five restaurants.
The building’s Qatari owners have said they will remove many of the additional security features added after the September 11 terror attacks in New York. These include barriers and bollards. They say they will help restore Grosvenor Square to its former appearance as an “open, expansive green space for residents and visitors to enjoy”.
According to the Evening Standard, Jerry Holmes, chief development officer for the site’s developers, Qatari Diar said: “We take our responsibility to the local community very seriously and are committed to undertaking an in-depth and thorough engagement with local residents, businesses, amenity societies, heritage bodies, Westminster City Council and other local stakeholders.”
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