Rosewood London Hotel
| Rosewood London Hotel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | 252 High Holborn, London, England, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°31′02″N 0°7′04″W / 51.51722°N 0.11778°W |
| Opening | 2000 |
| Owner | HPI Chancery Court Ltd. |
| Management | Rosewood Hotels & Resorts |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 7 |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 304 |
| Number of restaurants | 2 |
| Parking | 24 hr Valet Parking |
| Website | |
Rosewood London Hotel, formerly Renaissance Chancery Court, is a luxury 5-star hotel in London, England. It is located at 252 High Holborn in the Holborn neighbourhood of the West End. It is located in a 1914 neoclassical building designed by H Percy Monckton which was formerly the headquarters of the Pearl Assurance Company from 1914 to 1989. The principal façades, as well as the interiors of the former East (now The Bar at Rosewood London) and West Banking Halls (now Rosewood Restaurant & Bar) and the Grand Staircase are all protected with Listed Building status.
Rosewood London Hotel is situated in one of the capital city’s most historic locations. High Holborn was originally a Roman road and following the Middle Ages, the area became established as a centre for the legal profession and the city’s most influential and powerful people. This is where, for example, the writer Charles Dickens wrote “Oliver Twist” and “Great Expectations” and many scenes in his novels were set in this historic part of London.
The first phase of the building’s Edwardian Belle Époque design was completed in 1914 by H. Percy Monckton. Construction of 252 High Holborn took place in four stages spanning nearly 50 years. The magnificent street frontage features the central carriageway entrance and dome.
The lavish interiors were fitted out with Cuban mahogany and seven types of marble, including extremely rare types such as Swedish Green and Statuary. One of the building’s most dramatic features, the Renaissance-style Grand Staircase is an architectural tour de force in marble. It ascends from either side of the entrance arch on High Holborn, forming a bridge on the first floor and rising through all the floors under an elliptical dome. Looking upwards, the arcades of Pavonazzo marble frame a view of the cupola that rises to 50.6 metres (166 feet), the maximum permitted height at the time of construction.
Transformation of this historic building from the Pearl Assurance headquarters into a London luxury hotel was carried out under the guidance of English Heritage. From the beginning of the lengthy restoration, the strategy was to follow the original designs wherever possible. Missing details have been carefully replicated and replaced.
The hotel was opened in 2000 managed by Marriott International under its Renaissance Hotels brand as the Renaissance Chancery Court. This relationship ended as of 11th June 2011.[1] The hotel operated as the independent Chancery Court Hotel until closing in July 2013 for renovations leading to a planned reopening in October 2013 as the Rosewood London Hotel, a part of Dallas, Texas-based Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.[2]
The hotel was a filming location for The Saint (1997), The Politician's Wife (1995) and the hotel's fine-dining restaurant, Pearl, played host to the finale of Masterchef: The Professionals (2010). The 1883 segment of the 2005 Doctor Who online adventure game, "Attack of the Graske", takes place on High Holborn in front of where the hotel would later be constructed.[3]
References
- ↑ Harmer, Janet (2011). "Marriott to end management of Renaissance London Chancery Court". Caterersearch.com. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
- ↑
- ↑ "Attack of the Graske" at 5:53