One Aldwych on the edge of London’s Covent Garden is set to fully reopen in June following a multimillion-pound, four-month refurbishment.
The hotel’s lobby bar and Indigo restaurant have already reopened, with the new look guestrooms and suites set to open from the middle of next month.
Tom Strother and Steven Saunders of Fabled Studio have overseen the transformation of the lobby bar and Indigo restaurant, which now has a colour scheme that matches its name.
The bar now features black and white marble inlay floor, wrought ironwork screens and newsprint block-embossed tabletops, as well as a new cocktail menu designed by beverage manager Pedro Paulo, with a global ‘spirit of adventure’ theme.
Fabled Studio has also transformed the public spaces. Working with the original architects, Jestico + Whiles, the hotel’s entrance has been reconfigured, with bronze greeter desks and a new reception.
Robert Angell has overseen the guestrooms and suites, which have been given a pared-back, elegant redesign focusing on ‘Britishness’, with all furniture British made and designed. The total bedroom count has been reduced to 102.
Simon Hirst, who originally oversaw the opening of One Aldwych as general manager and is now managing director, having returned last year to oversee the renovation, said: “When we reopen, people will find the hotel with its original soul intact – but it will be more polished, more detailed – and very elegant. All the key members of staff who were here before, will be returning. We are incredibly inspired by the changes and we can’t wait to open our doors and welcome everyone back.”
The refurbishment will be the most significant since the hotel opened in 1998, headed by Gordon Campbell Gray, who stepped down in 2010. Privately owned by the Kansagra family, One Aldwych is located within an iconic Edwardian building on the corner of the Strand. It was originally designed by Anglo-French architects Mewès and Davis for the Morning Post newspaper.