Corinthia Hotel London offers culture and history from the heart of London. Its grand interiors are a nod to the heritage of the building’s location near Whitehall, Trafalgar Square and the River Thames. Hotel manager Renaud Gregoire talks to Elite Traveler TV about the building’s design, history and location.
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Corinthia Hotel London opened in 2011, giving new lease to a building that had spent the previous half century as part of the government’s Ministry of Defence. The hotel is just minutes away from popular London locations such as Westminster, Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden. Hotel manager Renaud Gregoire says: “We are next to Parliament, Whitehall and Downing Street so we are in the power base of London.”
The central London site previously saw life as a luxury hotel back in 1885. The Hôtel Métropole, as it was called then, hosted high-society events such as lavish balls and the famous ‘Midnight Follies’ cabaret shows.
Gregoire says the architects and designers found original features from the old hotel when they were renovating Corinthia Hotel London for launch. “They discovered some original features from the beginning [in 1885]. And they started to restore the grandeur of the hotel as it was with an element of 21st century in mind,” he says.
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Visual beauty is at the forefront of the hotel’s identity. Corinthia Hotel London is full of art as you walk through its different spaces and rooms. Reception has a bronze art piece representing the nearby River Thames while the lobby has a one-of-a-kind chandelier made by a French designer. Other areas exhibit works by British artists. Gregoire says: “It was very important that there was an integration of art within the hotel.”
This emphasis extends to the hotel’s staff who Gregoire wants to consider as artists in their own right. “We always talk about craftsmanship. We all want our employees and workforce to be craftsmen so they’re the best in their field,” he says.
Click on the video below to see a tour of Corinthia Hotel London’s Royal Penthouse Suite.
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