22 Jermyn Street
Encyclopedia
22 Jermyn Street is a former luxury hotel
in London
, England
. It is located in St James's in the centre of London's West End, 75 yards from Piccadilly Circus
.
began construction in 1664.The first house was built on the site of 22 Jermyn Street in about 1685 and during the 18th century it was occupied by tradesmen who served the grandees of St James's Square. However, even since 1685 it functioned as a hotel with tradesmen supplementing their incomes by sub-letting the top rooms as residential chambers to the wealthy men-about-town. By 1861 the occupier was an Italian silk merchant, Cesare Salvucci. Around 1876 it was purchased by a military tailor who amongst his lodgers included banker Theodore Rothschild. The current building was built in 1870 for the home of an English gentleman and then came under the ownership of the Togna family from 1915. The building was reopened in 1990 as a formal hotel and the rooms retained their eccentricity with traditional English furnishings. The hotel closed formally on October 1, 2009.
as "London's premier town-house hotel, a bastion of elegance and discretion", and describes its sixth floor as "featuring one of the best-equipped computer centers in London, which guests may use for free." The thirteen suites and five studios are decorated in the traditional English style.
The hotel had a notable newsletter which proved popular with guests and its Restaurant Newsletter had an annual circulation of over 56,000 a year.
In February 2010, famous American film critic Roger Ebert
criticized its impending demolition
. He wrote of his fond experiences at 22 Jermyn Street:
in 1999. Owner Henry Togna was voted one of the World's Best Hoteliers' Entrée in 1998.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located in St James's in the centre of London's West End, 75 yards from Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly...
.
History
Jermyn StreetJermyn Street
Jermyn Street is a street in the City of Westminster, central London, to the south, parallel and adjacent to Piccadilly.It is well known as a street where the shops are almost exclusively aimed at the Gentleman's market and is famous for its resident shirtmakers Jermyn Street is a street in the...
began construction in 1664.The first house was built on the site of 22 Jermyn Street in about 1685 and during the 18th century it was occupied by tradesmen who served the grandees of St James's Square. However, even since 1685 it functioned as a hotel with tradesmen supplementing their incomes by sub-letting the top rooms as residential chambers to the wealthy men-about-town. By 1861 the occupier was an Italian silk merchant, Cesare Salvucci. Around 1876 it was purchased by a military tailor who amongst his lodgers included banker Theodore Rothschild. The current building was built in 1870 for the home of an English gentleman and then came under the ownership of the Togna family from 1915. The building was reopened in 1990 as a formal hotel and the rooms retained their eccentricity with traditional English furnishings. The hotel closed formally on October 1, 2009.
Reception
The hotel has been described by Frommer'sFrommer's
Frommer's is a travel guidebook series and one of the bestselling travel guides in America. The series began in 1957 with the publication of Arthur Frommer's book, Europe on $5 a Day. Frommer's has expanded to include over 350 guidebooks across 14 series, as well as other media including the award...
as "London's premier town-house hotel, a bastion of elegance and discretion", and describes its sixth floor as "featuring one of the best-equipped computer centers in London, which guests may use for free." The thirteen suites and five studios are decorated in the traditional English style.
The hotel had a notable newsletter which proved popular with guests and its Restaurant Newsletter had an annual circulation of over 56,000 a year.
In February 2010, famous American film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
criticized its impending demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
. He wrote of his fond experiences at 22 Jermyn Street:
Awards
Since the hotel opened in 1990 it has won numerous awards, including Where Magazine 'Small Hotel of the Year' in 1993, SLH 'Hotel of the Year' in 1995, Good Hotel Guide 'Cesar Award' in 1996; 'London's Premier Townhouse Hotel'; and the Gault MillauGault Millau
Gault et Millau is one of the most influential French restaurant guides founded by two restaurant critics, Henri Gault and Christian Millau in 1965. Gault Millau is most famous for its rating system, on a scale of 1 to 20. Restaurants below 10 points are almost never listed...
in 1999. Owner Henry Togna was voted one of the World's Best Hoteliers' Entrée in 1998.