Developers are to turn seven historic Covent Garden buildings into a hotel, after getting approval from Westminster planners last night.
The scheme, brought forward by a joint venture between Dutch pension firm APG and London Central Portfolio, will involve part-demolishing, part-refurbishing the Wellington Block at 25-31 Wellington Street, WC2, and adding three floors to create a 189-bedroom hotel.
The developers, whose joint venture is branded the Portfolio Club, said the scheme would include a bistro, rooftop bar, pool, gym and glazed atrium. It has been designed by Falconer Chester Hall and interior designer Bergman Design House.
Alastair Shephard, a partner at Falconer Chester Hall, said the scheme would “blend modern interventions and historic assets” – of the seven buildings on the site, one is a former rectory and four are Grade II-listed.
Planning permission had been granted twice before for a hotel development on the site – in 2016 for an 83-bedroom scheme and in 2019 for 146 bedrooms – when the site was owned by Capco.
APG and LCP bought the site in 2020 for £76.5m to create its second hospitality offering in central London under its banner the Other House, which is set to open its first site in South Kensington this spring.
Robert Rigby, Westminster’s chairman of planning, challenged the plans in the meeting, asking if developers could add a green wall to the scheme, but planning officers said no.
However, the committee approved the scheme unanimously, and said updated proposals were an improvement on the 2019 and 2016 approved projects.
Responding to the approval, Naomi Heaton, chief executive and founder of the Other House, said: “Our Covent Garden site embodies everything we want to achieve – sensitively restoring a historic space in prime central London and transforming it into something that truly caters for the modern, global traveller and the local community.”
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