American hotel investment group MCR has revealed more details of its plans for a new hotel in central London.
The BT Tower hotel proposals have been eagerly anticipated, as the group seeks to turn a London landmark into a new luxury place to stay. The group says it aims to deliver a 400 room hotel, along with a new visitor attraction in the UK capital.
Reinventing a Landmark on the London Skyline
For decades, the BT Tower has been a distinctive site in the city. Its tall, slim, cylindrical form was originally devised and built to support essential telecoms equipment, and was completed in the 1960s, and until 1980 it was the tallest structure in the city, at 189 metres including the aerials on top of the structure.
While a working piece of the telecoms infrastructure, the tower was built from new as a tourist attraction. There was a viewing gallery for visitors, and a rotating restaurant that guaranteed diners a view right across London as they enjoyed a meal. The 34th floor diner completed a full rotation every 23 minutes.
In 2024, BT announced the sale of the tower to MCR, for a price of GBP275 million. The deal allowed BT to remove the final pieces of redundant telecoms equipment, ahead of handing the property over.
MCR now plans to create hotel room accommodation on floors seven to 23, with many of the hotel’s amenities located in the podium section at the base of the property. The former restaurant floor will be converted to observation and event use, while on the 35th floor, an open air viewing space is planned.
At the time of the acquisition, Tyler Morse, CEO of the MCR group, promised: “We will take our time to carefully develop proposals that respect the London landmark’s rich history and open the building for everyone to enjoy.”
MCR has a track record of taking on landmark projects. Notably, at JFK Airport in New York, it converted the architectural landmark of the TWA Flight Center into a hotel. In New York, it has taken on a makeover of the Gramercy Park Hotel, in partnership with Morse Development. The 197 room property, which closed in 2020, will enjoy a comprehensive refurbishment. The hotel’s standout feature is a major rooftop bar, with views across Gramercy Park.
Joining a Dynamic City Hotel Market
The BT Tower hotel will join a dynamic London hotel market, where visitors always have a broad choice of luxury hotels. After long preparations, the Waldorf Astoria London is about to add to the offering, with its 96 rooms created from former government offices at the end of The Mall. And another nearby landmark, the former In and Out club, will shortly emerge as the Cambridge House hotel, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection.
Hotels in London need to constantly keep pace with the market, and as a result, refurbishment is a constant theme. Currently, refits are under way at the Leonard Hotel, and at the Hyde & Seek, which will be joining Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio when its makeover is complete.
