London's calling on one of luxury's biggest brands.
Reservations are now live for Waldorf Astoria London – Admiralty Arch, the luxury hotel and residences carved out of one of the UK capital's most recognizable landmarks.
Positioned on The Mall opposite Buckingham Palace in St James's, the restored Grade I listed monument is slated to welcome overnight guests for the first time in its history this fall. Following the revival of the oh-so-iconic Waldorf Astoria New York last year, the project marks a defining milestone for Waldorf Astoria (and parent company Hilton and its Hilton Honors loyalty network) in the UK and represents one of London's most ambitious restoration efforts to date. The building's owners, the Reuben Brothers, developed the hotel in partnership with Hilton.
Spanning 200,000 square feet at the ceremonial heart of London, Admiralty Arch has long been synonymous with national pageantry and state occasions. King Edward VII commissioned the building in memory of Queen Victoria, and Sir Aston Webb (the architect behind the Buckingham Palace façade) designed it as a gateway to the capital.
The hotel will feature 114 rooms, suites, and residences, with expansive residential and signature suites occupying more than half of the accommodation space. The names nod to the building's naval heritage, including the Nelson Suite, St James's Residence, and Victory Residence, the last named after HMS Victory.
Dining will be a must-mention for advisors selling the property. The hotel debuts two restaurants from chefs Clare Smyth MBE and Daniel Boulud, whose restaurants together hold eight Michelin stars. Set within the former home of the First Sea Lord, Smyth's Coreus will center on sustainably sourced seafood and British produce, with the intimate Whiskey & Seaweed bar inspired by her potato and roe dish. Boulud's rooftop Café Boulud marks his return to London with an all-day format and sweeping views across St James's Park and Buckingham Palace.
Beyond the restaurants, the property offers a 3,540-square-foot ballroom anchored by a nine-meter antique Murano chandelier restored in Rome, a spa with hydrotherapy pool and couples' treatment rooms, and state-of-the-art fitness facilities. Guests reach the ballroom by descending the building's original oval staircase.
"Waldorf Astoria London – Admiralty Arch represents a rare convergence of history, place and possibility," Dino Michael, senior vice president and category head of Hilton luxury brands, said in a prepared statement. "To open a building of such cultural and national significance to overnight guests for the first time is both a privilege and a responsibility. It reflects our vision for Waldorf Astoria as a brand that inhabits the world's most meaningful destinations, where heritage is not preserved as a backdrop, but reinterpreted as a living, contemporary experience for today's luxury travelers."
"We can't wait to reawaken Admiralty Arch, transforming a national monument into a destination that feels unmistakably London: historic in stature, contemporary in spirit," added Guillaume Marly, the hotel's general manager. "It will be a place that is both timeless and entirely of the moment."
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