US tycoon plans UK's first six-star hotel

A US property magnate has unveiled plans to turn a grade-II listed office building in the City of London into the UK's first "six-star" hotel.

Stan Thomas wants to spend £150m converting 10 Trinity Square into a 131-bedroom hotel with spa and 30 apartments.

Thomas Enterprises bought the site, located behind the Tower of London, in September 2006 from insurance firm Willis for £100m. It has now applied to the City Corporation for planning permission covert it into a hotel.

Rob Steul, principal at architect firm Woods Bagot, designer of the proposed scheme, said: "Our vision for 10 Trinity is to create the finest hotel in London and restore one of its most important Grade II-listed buildings. There is no other site like this in the capital.

"The proposed new extensions blend the listed building with a modern glass-domed extension in the courtyard. This immense 30-metre diameter central space will become the new heart of the building, and rival the scale of the Great Court of the British Museum."

Number10 Trinity Square was built between 1915 and 1922 and was originally the headquarters of the Port of London Authority. The building hosted the inaugural reception of the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1946.

In February 2002, it was nearly sold for £60m to Development Securities with view to developing a hotel under the Apex brand, but the deal fell through.

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By Daniel Thomas

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