The 189-room Swissôtel The Howard in London, near Covent Garden, is to close on 30 September 2011.

The hotel’s owner, real estate investment trust Land Securities, has plans to redevelop the site as part of the Arundel Great Court project, which will include residential and commercial space and a new hotel.

The hotel has been managed by Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts since 2001 and will continue to operate as normal until it closes; efforts will be made to transfer as many staff as possible to other Swissôtel properties worldwide, or to hotels under its sister brands, Fairmont and Raffles.

It won’t be goodbye forever to London though, as Swissôtel is reportedly looking for another site in the city. 

www.hvs.com