Plans submitted for ‘sensitive refurbishment' at Hilton Park Lane

The London Hilton on Park Lane could be set for its first major makeover since it opened in 1963, after plans were submitted to Westminster City Council.

The 453-bedroom property was the very first Hilton to open in the UK and with 28 storeys it was once London's highest building. More than 50 years on it is still one of the 50 tallest structures in the capital.

Billionaire property tycoons the Livingstone brothers, who bought the hotel in 2001, plan to "refresh" the Y-shaped tower building to "reduce visual impact". The plans by Hopkins Architects detail a "sensitive refurbishment of the hotel, retaining the existing building with no additional height".

If approved, a new landscaped area at the base of the concrete-framed hotel will be introduced along with a garden to the rear, to transform the views from Pitt's Head Mews, Hertford Street and Derby Street.

Proposals also include the creation of 28 flats at the top of the building, offering views over Hyde Park, which are expected to sell for around £7m each. When the hotel was originally completed, it was at a cost of £8m.

A new four-storey block will house a further 29 serviced flats and the hotel's ballroom will be expanded. The hotel will have to be partially closed for up to two years while work is carried out. Hopkins said it would use high quality materials sympathetic to the original character of the building.

A spokesperson for Hilton Worldwide said: "Throughout the hotel's history, there has been a continuous investment programme. We have agreed with the hotel owner that now is the right time to bring forward the next phase of plans for a renovation of this flagship London property and a planning application has now been submitted."

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