Inside the over-the-top hotel opening beside Buckingham Palace

A NEW hotel is getting ready to shake up London’s already-competitive luxury lodging scene.

When the Peninsula London opens later this year, it will be stocked with extravagant amenities. Every room will have a Dyson hairdryer, state-of-the art phone chargers, a walk-in closet with a vanity, and a separate “valet box” – a way to leave items for staff without opening the door, ensuring guest privacy. For a luxurious soak in the tub, the bathrooms lined with honey-onyx marble are outfitted with mood lighting, music switches and do-not-disturb buttons within reach.

Famed architect Peter Marino designed the interior of the 190-room property. Rooms start at 51 square metres, making them among the largest standard accommodations available in London. Rates have yet to be announced, but a night’s stay in a comparable five-star property, the Raffles London at the OWO, start at £1,100 (S$1,787).

Two elevators to the ballroom can transport cars, helpful for carmakers who want to show off their latest models. Staff members will be outfitted in wardrobes influenced by the styles of the 1960s. The uniforms have been designed by British designer Jenny Packham, who is one of Kate Middleton’s go-to designers.

The hotel’s Grosvenor Place location makes it a next-door neighbour of Buckingham Palace. Several rooms have views of palace gardens, as well as Wellington Arch. The property is particularly well-situated for the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, when the world’s attention will be on that London neighbourhood.

The hotel’s rooftop restaurant, Brooklands, will be led by Claude Bosi, who also runs an eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant in London. It will cater to fans of aviation and motoring who might enjoy a panoramic view. The menu will highlight European cuisine and British products. There will be a rotating display of original classic racing cars from the Brooklands racetrack and museum at the bar, and the main dining room will be decorated with a model of the Concorde airliner. The ground-floor restaurant, Canton Blue, will offer Chinese specialities, including dim sum, and a tea room.

The Peninsula will also be equipped with a fleet of a dozen bespoke cars, anchored by the brand’s signature green Rolls-Royces, including a restored 1935 Phantom. Guests will have free access to rides in the cars for 20 minutes as part of their stay, and can pay for extra time.

The property also houses 25 apartments with the Peninsula brand – a must-have component at many new hotels these days. Residents will have access to a private entrance, a 25 m swimming pool, a screening room, and hotel services including dining and housekeeping.

Clement Kwok, chief executive of Peninsula owner Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, said about 70 per cent of the apartments have been sold. One of those apartments, a penthouse, was reportedly purchased by Citadel Securities chief executive Ken Griffin for £100 million.

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“We don’t comment on the identity of buyers,” Kwok said. A representative for Citadel did not respond to a request for comment. BLOOMBERG