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The Connaught (hotel)
Encyclopedia
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, central 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...
, is a five star luxury hotel
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in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
.
The hotel first opened in 1815 as the Prince of Saxe Coburg Hotel, an offshoot of a hotel opened by Alexander Grillon in Albemarle Street
Albemarle Street
Albemarle Street is a street in Mayfair in central London, off Piccadilly. It has historic associations with Lord Byron, whose publisher John Murray was based here, and Oscar Wilde, a member of the Albemarle Club, where an insult he received led to his suing for libel and to his eventual imprisonment...
, Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, and was originally a pair of Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
houses in Charles Street
Charles Street
Charles Street is the name of a north-south street in the city center of Boston, Massachusetts. It begins in the north at Leverett Circle, where it intersects Cambridge Street and Storrow Drive, and gives its name to the Charles/MGH station of the MBTA. It then heads south and forms the primary...
, near Grosvenor Square
Grosvenor Square
Grosvenor Square is a large garden square in the exclusive Mayfair district of London, England. It is the centrepiece of the Mayfair property of the Duke of Westminster, and takes its name from their surname, "Grosvenor".-History:...
. The Duke of Westminster
Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster KG, PC, JP , styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845 and Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869 and known as the 3rd Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an English landowner, politician and racehorse owner.He inherited the estate of...
decided to redevelop the area, and the street was changed, becoming Carlos Place. In 1892 Scorrier, the owner, applied to rebuild the hotel although work did not start until two years later, when the original houses were demolished.
In 1897, the Coburg Hotel duly reopened. In 1917, during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the decision was made to change the name to the "Connaught". The name chosen was taken from the title of Queen Victoria’s 3rd son, Prince Arthur
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the shared British and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family who served as the Governor General of Canada, the 10th since Canadian Confederation.Born the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and...
, the first Duke of Connaught.
In 1935, Rudolph Richard, a young Swiss hotelier, became general manager of the Connaught and ran the hotel almost as an English
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...
private house, with the highest standards of comfort and service. In 1956, the Connaught was acquired by the Savoy Group, owners of Claridge's
Claridge's
Claridge's is a luxury hotel in Mayfair, central London. It is located at the corner of Brook Street and Davies Street.-History:Claridge's is a traditional grand hotel. Its extensive and old connections with royalty have led to it being referred to as an "extension to Buckingham Palace"...
, The Berkeley
The Berkeley
The Berkeley is a five star deluxe hotel, located in Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, London. It is managed by Maybourne Hotel Group, who also manage Claridge's and The Connaught in Mayfair, London.-Description:...
and the Savoy Hotel
Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a hotel located on the Strand, in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the hotel opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by...
in London. In 2005, the Savoy Group, including the Connaught, was sold to Quinlan Private, which sold off the Savoy Hotel
Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a hotel located on the Strand, in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the hotel opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by...
and Savoy Theatre
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre located in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre opened on 10 October 1881 and was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte on the site of the old Savoy Palace as a showcase for the popular series of comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan,...
and renamed the group Maybourne Hotel Group
Maybourne Hotel Group
Maybourne Hotel Group is a British luxury hotel operator. It was formed on January 24, 2005 by Quinlan Private, after it had sold The Savoy. Maybourne Hotel group owns and manages The Berkeley, Claridge's and The Connaught. Derek Quinlan is the firm's controlling shareholder....
.
In March 2007, the Connaught closed its doors for a £70 million restoration programme, described as a "contemporary interpretation"
rather than re-creation. Guy Oliver was the lead designer of the restoration, refurbishment and redecoration of the old hotel, completing a total of 88 rooms and suites (including The Prince's Lodge, The Eagles Lodge and The Sutherland and Somerset Suites) as well as the restoration and redecoration of the main staircase, new lifts, conceirge and public areas, L'Espelette Restaurant and The Georgian and Regency Rooms. Immediately after this work was completed he designed a further 31 rooms and suites in the new addition to the hotel, a terrace penthouse, all of the public spaces and function rooms - including the Ballroom, Maple,Oak and Silver Rooms. The Maybourne Hotel Group
Maybourne Hotel Group
Maybourne Hotel Group is a British luxury hotel operator. It was formed on January 24, 2005 by Quinlan Private, after it had sold The Savoy. Maybourne Hotel group owns and manages The Berkeley, Claridge's and The Connaught. Derek Quinlan is the firm's controlling shareholder....
has stated that they intend to preserve the traditional values for which the hotel is famous. This interpretation has seen the departure of chef Angela Hartnett
Angela Hartnett
Angela Hartnett MBE is an English Chef. A protégé of Gordon Ramsay who was made famous by her appearances on British television, she was Chef-Patron at The Connaught in London...
to be replaced by French chef Hélène Darroze.
The hotel reopened in December 2007, with a fraction of the usual number of rooms available, and a new phase of development continued throughout 2008. The final phase is near to completion and the hotel now boasts its own swimming pool and Asian inspired spa managed in conjunction with Aman Resorts. Other changes include a new Espelette Restaurant, with a covered terrace, the Connaught Bar, designed by David Collins and the stylish Coburg Bar run by Bar Manager Mark Jenner.