November opening for new London Marriott
Marriott International will open its latest London hotel in November, it said last week.
The hotel, on the corner of Park Lane and Oxford Street, is aiming for five-star accreditation and will be competing with well-established neighbours such as the Dorchester and the Grosvenor House hotel.
The 157-bedroom hotel, formerly residential apartments, is owned by property developer Marylebone Warwick Balfour. It has spent £95m renovating the building.
The hotel will be home to a 76-seat brasserie-style restaurant called 140 Park Lane, headed by executive chef David Ali, formerly sous chef at Marriott's Abu Dhabi Grand hotel.
General manager Theresa Maw said that occupancy for its first month was already projected to be 80% and that the hotel would "definitely" open on 11 November.
Marriott also has plans to open two further hotels in London.
In May 2003 it plans to open a 216-bedroom hotel in Kensington, which will be run under a franchise agreement by Whitbread.
The property, a former Swallow hotel, was bought by Whitbread in 2000 and is undergoing a £60m refurbishment programme.
In 2004 Marriott plans to open a 300-bedroom hotel in Canary Wharf, which will be run by Marriott International.
Robert Gaymer-Jones, vice-president of operations in the UK and Ireland, said: "The London hotel market is still very strong and has picked up considerably in the past few months, mainly from UK business travellers."
by Christina Golding
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 12-18 Septemer 2002
