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It’s been a bit of a UK centric day today on Traveling For Miles with confirmation of a new Hyatt Regency for London and the news that Qantas is bringing back the Perth – London route in July and the UK-related news continues here with an announcement from Marriott that it will open its first St. Regis property in the UK next year.
The St. Regis London
Unsurprisingly, the UK’s first St. Regis is going to be in London and the St. Regis London will be taking over a site in Mayfair that’s currently occupied by what’s left of the Westbury Hotel (a Luxury Collection property) near where Bond Street and Conduit Street intersect.
The Westbury has been closed since the pandemic first hit and after it sold off most of its furniture and art in an auction part-way through last year, there were rumors that the building it occupied was to be given a facelift and then sold for a colossal sum of money.
Well, it looks like the facelift is going ahead but that the building is not being sold because the corporations with whom Marriott has signed a new management agreement include the corporation that owns the building that the Westbury occupied.
The works to convert the Westbury into the St. Regis London have already commenced, they’re going to cost in the region of $122m, and are expected to be completed at some unspecified point in 2023.
As well as a new extension to the rear of the property, an 8th floor is being added (so the St. Regis will be noticeably bigger than the Westbury) and when finally open, the new hotel is expected to offer 196 rooms and suites.
At this point in time, further details are thin on the ground but Marriott has said that along with renovations to the façade of the building and the drop-off area outside of the main entrance, the St. Regis London will include a signature restaurant*, a speakeasy jazz bar, a fitness center, and a spa.
*The Westbury was once home to a Michelin-starred restaurant so it’s possible that a similar standard restaurant will be installed in the St. Regis London.
Quick thoughts
I haven’t visited many St. Regis properties (there are only 55 St. Regis properties currently open worldwide and only 6 are in Europe and only 12 are in North America) but all my experiences of the brand have been great so this should be good news for London.
With Marriott moving to dynamic award pricing from next month, it’s unclear how much free night awards at St. Regis London will cost once the property opens its doors next year but as I expect this to be one of Marriott’s more expensive London properties, Bonvoy fans should prepare themselves to have to part with a considerable number of points if they want to avoid paying whatever the going cash rate is.
On a positive note, even though St. Regis is one of Marriott’s top-level brands (alongside the likes of EDITION and Ritz-Carlton), it’s a brand that allows Marriott Bonvoy Platinum and Titanium members (+1 guest sharing a room with the elite member) to enjoy daily complimentary breakfast when it is selected as their “welcome amenity” and considering the cost of dining in a 5* property like the St. Regis, this will be a very useful benefit to have when the London weather makes going elsewhere for breakfast an unattractive alternative.
Overall, I’m excited by this news. I’d be even more excited if I could be sure that I wasn’t going to need a ridiculous number of points just to enjoy a single night at the St. Regis London but I’m still very happy to see a city that I love getting a new luxury property.
Bottom line
Marriott has announced that it will be opening its first St. Regis property in the UK on the site of the old Westbury Hotel in Mayfair. The new St. Regis London will offer 196 rooms and suites and is expected to open at some point in 2023.
Link to Marriott’s St. Regis portfolio
Featured image courtesy of Marriott
