In the heart of London’s Theatreland is the re-emergence of a type of home that hasn’t been seen in the area for 100 years. They are apartments with benefits.
Residents of the newly developed 66 Marconi House on the Strand will enjoy the many perks of its neighbouring hotel: as well as having access to the five-star hotel’s facilities, which include four restaurants, a lounge bar, spa, fitness suite, and sky bar, residents can also arrange premium room service.
“You can go out and leave your flat like a tip, and come back in the evening to find it completely serviced, like you’re in a hotel, which is something that London living demands, I think,” says Galliard Group Sales Director David Galman.
The developers say shared services mean that staff from the hotel can do bed turn down, and if requested they can prepare new flower arrangements, like at the Madarin Oriental in Hyde Park. Direct access to the hotel restaurant is another boon, they say.
Frogmore and Galliard Homes are the developers of what were once the first broadcasting studios into the luxury Marconi House and ME hotel. The buildings echoes their original use in 1902, when it was the Gaiety Theatre and restaurant, with a hotel on the upper floors.
The modern take on luxury living spaces that share the benefits of a hotel has already been tried and tested in London – at the apex of the luxury market at 1 Hyde Park Corner residences in Knightsbridge.
But while a penthouse in 1 Hyde Park Corner cost £140 million, the entry price for a penthouse at Marconi House starts from a more competitive £3 million.
According to Galman, the integrated apartment and hotels are a growing phenomenon in the Far East and in New York.
But unlike their foreign counterparts, these apartments are enveloped in a grade II listed Edwardian façade, fully restored by Foster and Partners, protecting the spacious modern luxury found inside.
The adjacent ME hotel is minimalist, yet has similar elements that connect the two buildings – from the minute details, like having similar veined marble in both spaces, to the skin of the building, which corresponds in height and scale.
“It is the first hotel in which everything, from the shell of the building to the bathroom fittings, has been designed by Foster + Partners,” state the architects.
This marriage of old and new was not an easy task, according to the architects. The interior was completely gutted, with the small ornate rooms transformed into long lateral spaces.
Only recently has the Strand – with a reputation for theatres and offices - begun to grow as a residential area. But, with the location offering so much of what people want from a central London location, it is only set to grow in popularity, argues Galman.
“I think if you live here, you could see a different show, and go to a different restaurant every night, for probably a month. You can walk to work in certain cases, which is a massive advantage; people do want to do that.”
But Galman points out that the concept of integrated luxury hotels and apartments isn’t actually a new one to the Strand - rather, one that has just got lost over time.
In the Edwardian era, the Savoy Court on the Strand was the first in Britain to provide serviced apartments, with access to the Savoy’s legendary hotel services.
For further information contact Galliard Homes:
Tel: 020 7620 1500
www.marconihouseapartments.com
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