Investment of more than USD130 million will restyle historic building to contemporary grandeur.

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will open Rosewood London in October 2013, overseeing a more than USD130 million (GBP85 million) renovation to transform a 1914 Edwardian, Grade II-listed building on High Holborn.  The hotel will add a world-class property that blends English heritage with contemporary sophistication to the Rosewood collection, whose properties include The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel in New York and Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek® in Dallas.

Rosewood London, housed in the original headquarters of the Pearl Assurance Company, will offer 262 guestrooms and 44 suites.  The accommodations will convey the feel of a stylish London residence, created by renowned, New York-based Tony Chi and Associates, which has also overseen the design of public areas and event spaces.

A rich composition of materials, including lacquer, textured wood veneers and prismatic mirrors, will lend understated glamour to the interiors.  Original features of the Edwardian Belle Époque building, such as the original carriageway entrance to the arrival courtyard and the grand Pavonazzo marble staircase rising over seven storeys within the property, will be retained.

Guests will experience the only hotel grand courtyard arrival in the capital via the wrought iron-gated carriageway entrance to a central courtyard with stonework reminiscent of an Italian Renaissance palazzo.  As a listed building, the façade and the interiors’ dark mahogany and rare marble will be carefully preserved while restored original marble columns in the lobby will be complemented by new stone and mosaic flooring.  

The Manor House Suite, located in a private wing of the hotel, will have the flexibility for a configuration of six bedrooms and 6,318 square feet (587 square meters) of living space.  The Manor House Suite will be accessed by private elevator and also via its own street entrance; it will even have its own postcode.  The newly created Garden House Suite will feature a garden terrace overlooking the London skyline while the luxurious Chancery House Suite will be elegantly arranged over two floors.

Well-known for his work on some of London’s most popular restaurants such as Scott’s, 34 and Le Caprice, Martin Brudnizki has designed the restaurant with an outdoor terrace as well as the hotel’s warmly welcoming bar.

The hotel will feature 11 event spaces, including a ballroom which will accommodate up to 435 guests and separate meetings and special events rooms for groups of 10 to 85.  Several, including the Chairman’s Boardroom and the Soane Boardroom, will showcase original architectural features such as the carefully preserved French walnut and Cuban mahogany-panelled fireplaces.  A show kitchen will be featured in one of two private dining rooms.

Recreational facilities will include Sense® spa, Rosewood’s signature spa brand, and a fitness suite.  

The hotel’s central location on High Holborn will be a perfect choice for travelers coming to the capital on business or pleasure:  the City is close by while shopping areas and tourist attractions such as Covent Garden, the Royal Opera House, West End theatres, Hatton Garden, museums and galleries are all just a short walk away.

“Rosewood London will be a milestone addition to our portfolio, not only as it is in a major European capital, but because the legacy of the historic building itself is a true representation of our A Sense of Place® philosophy,” says Radha Arora, president of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.  “We are delighted to introduce once again a classic and one-of-a-kind hotel to our Rosewood guests.”

Rosewood London will play a key role in Rosewood Hotels & Resorts’ strategic global expansion plan which includes Rosewood Abu Dhabi opening August 2013 and Rosewood Beijing in Autumn 2013.

Matthias Roeke has been named managing director of Rosewood London.  Mr. Roeke brings 20 years hotel management experience to his role including positions at luxury hotels in his native Germany, Hong Kong, China, India, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and South Africa.