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.
