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Oh please, please, please tell me this is true!
A normally very reliable source has reported that an IHG property in the center of the City of London which has remained closed since the pandemic first brought life to a screeching halt, will reopen early next year. It won’t, however, be reopening under its old name. Instead, it will reopen as a new Hyatt Regency.
Head for Points has reported that the Crowne Plaza London – The City will finally reopen its doors on 1 March 2022 as the reflagged Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars.
There’s no reason to think that this news may not be true – the property has been closed since March 2020, it shows as “permanently closed” on Google, and no longer appears on the IHG website when you search for London properties – so considering this was one of IHG’s more highly regarded properties in London, this would be a great move by Hyatt
TripAdvisor reviews* for the Crowne Plaza London – The City rank the property higher than InterContinental Park Lane (reviewed here), the MayFair (Radisson’s top London property), the London Marriott Grosvenor Square, and the London Marriott County Hall – all of which are very popular properties in the miles and points world – so there should be a lot for Hyatt fans to look forward to when the property.
*Yes, I know that TripAdvisor reviews are often fake or written by people who appear to be too stupid to remember to breathe, but in this case, reviews from other sources (like Google, Expedia, and IHG) appear to back up the TA reviews.
The property is located in the heart of the City of London (London’s financial district) and while that may make it a little quiet on weekends, it also makes it very well located for visiting sights like St Paul’s Cathedral and Shakespeare’s Globe (a short walk across the Thames).
For guests wishing to explore other parts of London, Blackfriars underground station (subway) is next door and just three stops away from the very heart of London (Westminster), and the overground line at the same station can be used to get to other key parts of the city as well as to London Gatwick Airport (especially useful if you’re trying out the new JetBlue transatlantic service).
It will be interesting to see where the Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars will fit into the World of Hyatt program. Of the current central London properties, the Hyatt Regency – The Churchill and the Great Scotland Yard both sit in Category 6 and cost between 21,000 and 29,000 points per night while the Andaz Liverpool Street sits as a Category 5 property and costs between 17,000 and 23,000 points per night so it’s likely that the newcomer will slot in at a similar level and not at the level of the Hyatt Place London City East (Category 3) which slightly further out of the center of town.
Note: I contacted Hyatt for a comment and this is what I was told: “We are certainly interested in increasing Hyatt’s brand representation in London and we are actively pursuing opportunities to do so. That said, it is our practice only to discuss transactions or potential deals once an agreement has been reached.” Make of that what you will.
Bottom Line
We’ve had a report that says that what was once the Crowne Plaza London – The City will reopen its doors as the Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars on 1 March 2022 and while we have yet to have official confirmation of this from Hyatt, there’s no reason to suppose that this news (which should be music to the ears of Hyatt fans) isn’t correct.
Fortuitously, it looks like I will be flying into London towards the end of February next year so if the property’s reopening date doesn’t get pushed back, I should be able to visit the property and report back on what will hopefully be a great addition to Hyatt’s portfolio – stay tuned!
