New look for Grosvenor House

Plans are under way for a major face-lift of London's Le Méridien Grosvenor House hotel.

Still undecided, however, is what will become of the former Michelin-starred restaurant, Cheznico at Ninety Park Lane, which closed in July. The restaurant had been part of the hotel for 10 years and held three Michelin stars until chef and restaurateur Nico Ladenis retired three years ago.

A spokeswoman for Le Méridien said that the space, which is being used in the meantime for banqueting, will return to hotel use.

The first phase of the redevelopment of the 448-bedroom hotel will include the public areas of the hotel, but the group has yet to fix a timescale for the project.

Last year, Nomura International bought the Le Méridien chain from Compass. Nomura promised an investment of £90m at the Grosvenor House to improve function rooms and add a further 243 bedrooms and 80 apartments.

Le Méridien may put its "Art and Tech" bedrooms into the hotel. Last September it announced global plans to open 5,000 bedrooms with electronically controlled beds and plasma-screen televisions.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 8-14 August 2002