The Lanesborough
Encyclopedia
The Lanesborough is a 5-star hotel
on Hyde Park Corner
, Knightsbridge
, central London
, England. Operated by the American Starwood Hotels
corporation, it is reputedly the most expensive hotel in London, the highest rate being up to £14,000 per night for the "The Lanesborough Suite". A 24-hour private butler
is available to each guest. The Lanesborough has accommodated visiting royalty, eminent politicians and entertainers. Opposite are Hyde Park
and Apsley House
, the former home of the Duke of Wellington
. The hotel is next to Hyde Park Corner tube station
and has several restaurants and bars - each with their own unique style.
St George's Hospital
was opened in the original Lanesborough House in 1733. By the 1800s the hospital was falling into disrepair. Lanesborough House was demolished to make way for a new 350-bed facility. Building began in 1827 under architect William Wilkins
. The new hospital was operational by 1844, serving continuously as a hospital until transferred to Tooting
, south London
in the 1970s, leaving the Hyde Park Corner premises vacant in 1980. Rosewood Hotels and Resorts refurbished and re-opened the building as a hotel in 1991. Ten years later the management contract passed to Starwood's St Regis operation as its first and only hotel in England.
In 2009, The Lanesborough announced the launch of ‘Apsleys – a Heinz Beck Restaurant’. This is Chef Heinz Beck’s first restaurant outside Italy. Beck has been the recipient of numerous awards for outstanding achievement throughout a long and prestigious career. He was awarded three-Michelin stars for his cuisine at La Pergola in Rome, Italy. ‘Apsleys – a Heinz Beck Restaurant’ began service on September 7, 2009, and was awarded its first Michelin star on 20 January 2010. This is the current fastest time for a new London restaurant to get one, in fewer than 5 months.
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in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
on Hyde Park Corner
Hyde Park Corner
Hyde Park Corner is a place in London, at the south-east corner of Hyde Park. It is a major intersection where Park Lane, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, Grosvenor Place and Constitution Hill converge...
, Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, 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...
, England. Operated by the American Starwood Hotels
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is a hospitality ownership and management organization, headquartered in White Plains, New York. One of the world's largest hotel companies, it owns, operates, franchises and manages hotels, resorts, spas, residences, and vacation ownership properties...
corporation, it is reputedly the most expensive hotel in London, the highest rate being up to £14,000 per night for the "The Lanesborough Suite". A 24-hour private butler
Butler
A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
is available to each guest. The Lanesborough has accommodated visiting royalty, eminent politicians and entertainers. Opposite are Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
and Apsley House
Apsley House
Apsley House, also known as Number One, London, is the former London residence of the Dukes of Wellington. It stands alone at Hyde Park Corner, on the south-east corner of Hyde Park, facing south towards the busy traffic interchange and Wellington Arch...
, the former home of the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
. The hotel is next to Hyde Park Corner tube station
Hyde Park Corner tube station
Hyde Park Corner is a London Underground station near Hyde Park Corner in Hyde Park. It is in Travelcard Zone 1, between Knightsbridge and Green Park on the Piccadilly Line.-History:...
and has several restaurants and bars - each with their own unique style.
History
St George's Hospital
Founded in 1733, St George’s Hospital is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals. It shares its main hospital site in Tooting, England with the St George's, University of London which trains NHS staff and carries out advanced medical research....
was opened in the original Lanesborough House in 1733. By the 1800s the hospital was falling into disrepair. Lanesborough House was demolished to make way for a new 350-bed facility. Building began in 1827 under architect William Wilkins
William Wilkins (architect)
William Wilkins RA was an English architect, classical scholar and archaeologist. He designed the National Gallery and University College in London, and buildings for several Cambridge colleges.-Life:...
. The new hospital was operational by 1844, serving continuously as a hospital until transferred to Tooting
Tooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, south 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...
in the 1970s, leaving the Hyde Park Corner premises vacant in 1980. Rosewood Hotels and Resorts refurbished and re-opened the building as a hotel in 1991. Ten years later the management contract passed to Starwood's St Regis operation as its first and only hotel in England.
In 2009, The Lanesborough announced the launch of ‘Apsleys – a Heinz Beck Restaurant’. This is Chef Heinz Beck’s first restaurant outside Italy. Beck has been the recipient of numerous awards for outstanding achievement throughout a long and prestigious career. He was awarded three-Michelin stars for his cuisine at La Pergola in Rome, Italy. ‘Apsleys – a Heinz Beck Restaurant’ began service on September 7, 2009, and was awarded its first Michelin star on 20 January 2010. This is the current fastest time for a new London restaurant to get one, in fewer than 5 months.
See also
- Earl of LanesboroughEarl of LanesboroughEarl of Lanesborough was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1756 for Humphrey Butler, 2nd Viscount Lanesborough. The Butler family descended from Theophilus Butler, who represented County Cavan and Belturbet in the Irish House of Commons...
. - Kit-Cat ClubKit-Cat ClubThe Kit-Cat Club was an early 18th century English club in London with strong political and literary associations, committed to the furtherance of Whig objectives, meeting at the Trumpet tavern in London, and at Water Oakley in the Berkshire countryside.The first meetings were held at a tavern in...
, now the name of an exclusive women's club that meets at the hotel.
External links
- The Lanesborough, official website
- History of St George's Hospital from St George's, University of LondonSt George's, University of LondonSt George's, University of London is a medical school located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
- About our History from the St George's Healthcare NHS TrustSt George's Healthcare NHS TrustSt George's Healthcare NHS Trust is based in Tooting in the London Borough of Wandsworth, and serves a population of 1.3 million across southwest London...