16 hotel openings in the UK for 2018
A guide to the most hotelicious UK hotel openings in 2018, from boot factories and landmarks reborn as boutique hotels, to floating hotels and party house hotels, in locations including Edinburgh, Bristol, Cambridge and London.
Kettner's Townhouse London, Soho
The newest kid on the Soho House block marks a new chapter in the history of Soho's French restaurant Kettner's. Once the haunt of many-a-famous figure including Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie and Oscar Wilde, the restaurant was originally established more than 150 years ago by Auguste Kettner, rumoured to have been a chef of Napolean III, and was one of the first in London to serve French cuisine. Interiors have been sympathetically renovated to restore and enhance many listed features, plus 33 rooms have been added. The hotel is situated in the heart of Soho, a stone's throw away from sister property Dean Street Townhouse.
Opening January 2018 (kettnerstownhouse.com)
Artist Residence, Bristol
This former Grade I-listed, derelict boot factory in Stokes Croft, an area of the city often referred to as often referred to as ‘Bristol's cultural quarter’ because of its bohemian nature, is undergoing a serious transformation to become a 27-bed boutique hotel with a restaurant and bar (aptly named The Boot Factory). Justin and Charlotte Salisbury, who founded the quirky boutique hotel group Artist Residence – which also has properties in London, Brighton and Penzance – are refurbishing the 19th-century building’s original architectural features, and bringing it back to glory after it was severely vandalised by squatters.
Opening November 2018 (artistresidence.co.uk)
New Road Hotel, Whitechapel, London
Herein lies the project of three brothers who decided to build New Road Hotel on the site of an old textile factory – where their father used to work. The 80-room hotel promises heritage design with an edgy flair; a suitable fit for its East London surroundings and the area’s history in the garment industry. Expect plenty of exposed brickwork, open lobby spaces flooded with light, and incredible views of London’s skyline. Bedrooms will focus on comfort and cosiness, whereas loft rooms will have hot tubs overlooking London. The hotel will be fronted by Marco Pierre White's restaurant, Chophouse.
Opening January 2018 (newroadhotel.co.uk)
• The best hotels in East London
University Arms, Cambridge
After an £80m two-year redevelopment, Cambridge’s original city hotel opens this autumn and promises to match the place’s heart and style – ambitious, beautiful and full of life – in its designs. Interiors by Martin Brudnizki and architecture by John Simpson, the latter of which has worked on Buckingham and Kensington Palaces, will reflect the area’s quintessentially English character and the literary and academic spirit of Cambridge. The hotel will comprise 192 rooms and suites, a destination restaurant and bar called Parker’s Tavern and a library.
Opening summer 2018 (universityarms.com)
• The best hotels in Cambridge
White City House, London
Soho House's next project this year will open inside the former BBC Television Centre in White City, one of the city’s most legendary buildings also known as ‘the doughnut’ for its shape. The group is going back to its boutique routes and will offer 45 rooms (some overlooking the Television Centre forecourt) within the building’s original Grade II listed central ring. As well as a Cowshed spa and the group's trademark rooftop pool, guests can look forward to three floors of club space and a cinema.
Opening 2018 (televisioncentre.com)
• The best boutique hotels in London
Fingal Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh
A quirky new addition to the Scottish capital’s hotel scene comes in the form of a luxury floating hotel, berthed at The Shore, and set to open in spring. This major investment by the Royal Yacht Britannia, the former royal yacht of Queen Elizabeth II and one of Edinburgh’s biggest tourist attractions, will house 23 plush, balconied cabins and duplex apartments, decorated in swish geometric design redolent of the Roaring Twenties. A presidential suite will run the full length of the the first floor and boast its own private verandah.
Opening spring 2018 (royalyachtbritannia.co.uk)
• Plans unveiled for Royal Yacht Britannia luxury hotel
Vintry & Mercer, City of London
The sister to The Ampersand Hotel in Kensington will be nestled among The City of London's livery halls, guilds and narrow streets. Vintry was the centre for London wine merchants; Mercer was for noble textile sellers. As such, the interiors take their inspiration from the hotel’s local heritage. Throughout the 92 rooms and suites décor is a blend of bespoke fabrics, from velvet curtains to leather door handles, and details such as historic navigation maps and palm leaf wall coverings. Hidden beneath the hotel is DND, a secret cocktail bar reminiscent of a clandestine New York speakeasy.
Opening Spring 2018 (vintryandmercer.com)
• The best luxury hotels in London
The Langley, Buckinghamshire
This Buckinghamshire country manor is set amidst acres of formal gardens and parklands in the former estate of the third Duke of Marlborough. The boutique hotel will have 41 exquisite rooms and suites divided across the main house and The Brew House, a Grade II-listed 18th-century outbuilding. Much like its sister, The Wellesley Knightsbridge, original features will be preserved where possible, including Baroque fireplaces and ornate doorways. The Langley Spa will feature an indoor and outdoor pool, thermal area and eight treatment rooms.
Opening summer 2018 (thelangley.com)
• The best hotels in Buckinghamshire
The Academy, Bloomsbury, London
Throwing open its doors this spring is The Academy, a cluster of five impressive Georgian houses situated in the heart of Bloomsbury. The boutique hotel will house 50 elegant guest rooms across its townhouses, blending modern and antique features that nod to the lives and loves of the Bloomsbury Set who lived and worked in the area in the early 20th century. The bar will be re-housed on the ground floor, leading through to a conservatory and beautiful garden courtyard.
Opening spring 2018 (theacademyhotel.co.uk)
• The best hotels in Bloomsbury
Monkey Island Estate, Berkshire
This hotel is a centuries-old retreat in Bray-on-Thames with an intriguing history spanning 800 years, and was once popular with visiting monarchs, artists and famous performers. On its own island, the hotel is surrounded by beautiful gardens and can only be accessed by footbridge or boat. Inside, the 27 bedrooms and three deluxe suites will be designed by the people behind The Gainsborough Bath Spa, The Carlyle in New York and the Dorchester in London.
Opening spring 2018 (ytlhotels.com)
• The best hotels in Berkshire
The Dixon, Southwark, London
This new Marriott Autograph Collection hotel is inspired by its surroundings in the up-and-coming Tower Bridge Conservation Area, and is squarely aimed at millennials. Inside, expect lots of exposed brickwork, British-designed furniture, pieces by local artists, and a decorative palette of copper tables and teal furnishings. The property was formerly a Magistrates' Court and police station, and its renovation will include regeneration of its original features, including its courthouse. The hotel’s cultural programme will aim to support the local art scene.
Opening September 2018 (thedixon.co.uk)
• The best restaurants in London hotels
The Edinburgh Grand, Scotland
From the makers of Old Town Chambers and Merchiston Residence comes a new set of luxury serviced apartments in the former National Bank of Scotland building. The 50 five-star pads come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from Grand Studios to the three-bedroom, rooftop Penthouse with its staggering 360-degree panoramic view. Features have been restored where possible but with modern additions such as a sleek new bar, coffeehouse and a nightclub.
Opening spring 2018 (lateralcity.com)
• The best hotels in Edinburgh
Bankside, South Bank, London
The ranks of trendy design hotels in the vibrant South Bank area of London are set to swell following the opening of Bankside, a 'design-forward' property close to Blackfriars Bridge. With both the Tate Modern and the Hayward Gallery for neighbours, the hotel has certainly picked a competitive area in which to flex its creative muscle. It will mainly do this via collaborative work and meeting areas, a large 'white cube' gallery space, and a decorative style established around bespoke furnishings and local arts and crafts.
Opening summer 2018 (banksidehotel.com)
• Inside Bankside hotel, London
Market Street Hotel, Edinburgh
The Carlton Hotel Collection's latest venture in Scotland brings a slice of design to Edinburgh's Old Town. The site has been vacant for 50 years but will be transformed into 98-room property, with an exclusive top floor 'Champagne city residence'. Panoramic views across the Waverly Valley from here will be spectacular. Exteriors, clad in Scottish stone, will guard rooms with high ceilings and features that blend the old and the new.
Opening autumn 2018 (carlton.nl)
• The best design hotels in London
L'oscar, Holborn, London
A Grade II-listed Baptist church is being rebirthed by L'oscar International Hotels as a luxury 39-bedroom hotel in Holborn. The £24m boost will include interiors designed by French architect and designer Jaques Garcia (creator of The NoMad Hotel in New York), and Michelin-starred chef Tony Fleming at the helm of the restaurant as executive chef. This 110-year-old treasure will be fantastically restored and re-imagined in all its Baroque glory, with high-ceilinged rooms, large windows and a wealth of original detail.
Opening spring 2018 (loscar.com)
• The best spa hotels in Scotland
The Fife Arms, Scotland
The Fife Arms in Braemar is being brought back to its former splendour as a first-class hotel, by Iwan and Manuela Wirth, co-Presidents of Hauser & Wirth, an internationally acclaimed art gallery devoted to contemporary art, which has opened in places as diverse as Los Angeles and Somerset. They hope to merge their love of art and design with the history and heritage of the building, which will offer 46 bedrooms and a restaurant serving local produce.
Opening 2018 (thefifearms.com)