Le Méridien Piccadilly to go independent as ‘the Dilly'

Le Méridien Piccadilly in London will drop its Marriott brand in early 2021 and rebrand as independent hotel ‘the Dilly'.

Owner Archer Hotel Capital has decided to operate the property as an independent hotel as the management contract with Marriott International has expired. Axiom Hospitality will manage the Dilly on behalf of Archer.

The 283-bedroom property, which dates to 1908, has already begun renovations, including a new exterior design to the entrance of the hotel, lobby refurbishment and a bedroom redesign.

General manager James Olivier said: "When you explore everything that makes a location the place to be for business or pleasure, or simply to recharge, this is it – London's epicentre, Piccadilly Circus and a meeting point known throughout the world. Our hotel's very name is memorable, playful and ultimately inspired by our address in the centre of London on Piccadilly – we are London.

"The Dilly has a unique and colourful past. It was part of London's Edwardian society and it embraced diversity throughout the 20th century; it also has a special place in the history of the area and Piccadilly in particular. As a newly independent hotel, we are able to bring new life to this heritage building, celebrate its past, preserve its romance and tell its stories to deliver a true London experience to every guest."

Guy Pasley-Tyler, director of portfolio and fund management at Archer Hotel Capital, said: "This is the first hotel in the Archer portfolio to be operated independently and thus the first to develop its own brand. The transition and rebrand of the Dilly will be our renewed focus with immediate improvements, to include a new exterior design to the entrance of the hotel and lobby refurbishment, plus an ongoing bedroom redesign."

Alex Pritchard, director of Axiom Hospitality, added: "We believe the Dilly has the potential to be the place to see and be seen in Piccadilly as it once was. This year has been difficult, but has given us an opportunity to re-focus on why this city is one of the greatest in the world to welcome guests back to. There are over a million small businesses in London and sourcing from them is going to be our top priority.

"We want to find those that can give the Dilly a really special, local feel, which we believe is a new concept for London, whether it be with flowers, guest amenities, food or London-sourced drinks – we are currently searching and at the same time, we want to encourage these independent entrepreneurs to come and find us too."

Archer has a portfolio of 11 hotels in Europe operated by Hilton and Marriott International, with the Dilly its only UK property.