More than a decade after the plans were first approved, one of London’s most guarded addresses is finally letting outsiders in.
Travellers will soon be able to relish the comfort of a new top-notch luxury hotel in the heart of the British capital this autumn, with the opening of the Waldorf Astoria London – Admiralty Arch. The long-awaited 18,580-square-metre property marks the brand’s debut in London, “blending Edwardian grandeur with modern comfort”.
The hotel could hardly be more perfectly situated, occupying Admiralty Arch at the opposite end of The Mall from Buckingham Palace, moments away from Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, and minutes from the Royal Opera House. For the first time in its history, the building will welcome overnight hotel guests following a restoration as remarkable as the structure itself: a Grade I-listed monument that has stood at the ceremonial heart of London for over a century.
King Edward VII commissioned the arch in memory of his mother, Queen Victoria, from Sir Aston Webb, the architect who also designed the façade of Buckingham Palace. Completed in 1910, the building served as government offices, including, for a time, the headquarters of the Royal Navy, for more than 100 years before being vacated in 2011.
Guests will be able to choose from 114 rooms, suites and residences, designed to reflect the building’s historic architecture and with names paying tribute to Britain’s History and naval heritage. These include the Nelson Suite, honouring Lord Nelson, hero of the Battle of Trafalgar; the St James’ Residence; and the Victory Residence, named after HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship. Residential and signature suites alone account for more than half of the accommodation space.
Fine-dining fans will be delighted to find two Michelin-starred chefs under one roof: Clare Smyth MBE and Daniel Boulud, whose restaurants together hold seven Michelin stars between them.
Set within the former home of the First Sea Lord, Smyth will open Coreus, a fine-dining concept celebrating Britain’s coastal heritage through sustainably sourced seafood, British produce and seasonal ingredients. The only British woman whose restaurants currently hold four Michelin stars, she will also introduce an intimate Whiskey & Seaweed bar. Boulud, meanwhile, returns to London with Café Boulud, an all-day rooftop restaurant spanning breakfast through to dinner, with sweeping views across St James’s Park and Buckingham Palace.
Gala dinners, weddings and other glamorous events will be celebrated in the roughly 329-square-metre ballroom, presided over by a nine-metre antique Murano chandelier restored in Rome. Guests will descend the building’s original oval staircase to reach it.
A luxurious spa will also be on hand for those in need of unwinding, featuring a sauna, a steam room and a hydrotherapy pool.
“Waldorf Astoria London – Admiralty Arch represents a rare convergence of history, place and possibility,” said Dino Michael, senior vice president and category head, Hilton Luxury Brands. He added that opening a building of such cultural and national significance to overnight guests for the first time is “both a privilege and a responsibility”.
Sir Winston Churchill once had offices in the building during his time as First Lord of the Admiralty, and Ian Fleming, the naval intelligence officer who would later create James Bond, also worked there during the Second World War, drawing on the experience for his novels.
The transformation of Admiralty Arch has been developed by the building’s owners, the Reuben Brothers, in partnership with Hilton. Reservations are now open ahead of the hotel’s autumn debut.
