Corinthia Hotel London: A Renewal of Life Through The Vicissitudes

The grand Victorian building of Corinthia Hotel London can be dated back to 1885, and it was built by grand hotel developer of the time Frederick Gordon.The building spent the next fifty years as the worldknown prestigious Hôtel Métropole. Herunique exterior style was borrowed from Parisian apartment blocks and the inside complete with opulent Victorianfurnishings.This 600roomhotel was also hub for social occasions for high society, hosting exquisite balls, parties, banquets and performances. In the debutante season in London, the hotel became a prominent venuewith aristocrats and royalty arriving from all over Europe.The stylistic range which the Hôtel Métropole offered was very much what contemporary fashion demanded at the time: there were the ‘Dutch Room’, the ‘Oak Salon’ and the oriental ‘Chinese Room’.

In the 1920s, after a brief requisitioning by the government during World War One, Hôtel Métropole underwent some modernization, then resumed its role. Later the Government expressed interest in purchasing the building, particularly due to its size and proximity to Whitehall. The hotel was finally sold to the Government in 1936.For the next 70 years it housed administrative offices for the Ministry Of Defence, with many notable figures and events taking place within the building. Churchill wrote of hearing Big Ben strikeon Armistice Day,as he watched from a window as hundreds of Londoners poured on to the streets in celebration. During the war, the building was used as the headquarters forMI9, a significant government organisation which coordinated and executed a large number of prisoner of war escapes across Europe.

In 2007, the building was finally decommissioned and put up for sale by the Crown Estate. In early 2008, Corinthia’s bid for development of the site as a hotel was accepted among 30 competitors. Corinthia London’s plan for a considered restoration accommodating some of the hotel’s historic features was one of the most appealing features behind this coveted win.

The renovationhas preserved and respected many of these original features, including the window frames, columns, ceiling decoration and stair banisters, whilst loyally observing Corinthia brand spirit and installing state of the art technology to ensure that all modern requirements are met and expectations surpassed. The Victorian exterior now houses contemporary interiors, has given birth toa unique temperament for the brand new hotel. There are 294 intricately designed guest accommodations, including 45 luxurious suites. From these suites and their private terraces, Corinthia guests enjoy unmatched views across some of London’s most recognised landmarks, including the Thames, the London Eye and Trafalgar Square.

Though Corinthia Hotel London has only opened for 5 years, this building carries 130 years ofvicissitudes and accumulationsthat no one and nothing could take away. An old building, and a young hotel, their union tells the world of the history and a foreseeable evermore gloriousfuture to come.