The new Café Royal hotel occupies three historic buildings in the Grade II listed southern Quadrant block of Regent Street, just off Piccadilly Circus. The leasehold included planning and listed building consents for the refurbishment and partial redevelopment of these existing buildings, subject to the retention of a number of rooms of special interest. Working with restoration specialists Donald Insall Associates, a much less intrusive approach to the existing fabric was developed, and a new strategy which works closely with the existing architecture to integrate new and old using a reinterpretation of historic materials, decorative features, and color palettes in the new areas.
Combining three separate structures owned by the Crown Estate posed particular challenges in the organization of the new hotel. The irregular footprint, coupled with the need to retain historic rooms in their entirety, complicated the arrangement of public spaces, guestrooms, and the basement spa. Heavy traffic on Regent Street and Underground lines running near or underneath the property also complicated the project.
The finished building retains the pedestrian entrance on Regent Street and adds a second entrance off Air Street to accommodate vehicular drop-off, with public spaces for the hotel —bars, restaurants, and a café— arranged across the ground, first, and second floors. 160 guestrooms and five luxury suites occupy the five floors above. Two basement levels house a state-of-the-art spa centered around an 18m swimming pool inspired by classical baths.
A wide range of materials has been used in the new hotel to align with the function of rooms and complement the building’s history. For example, like the historic lobby, the ground floor café also uses Giallo Sienna marble, although applied in a different language. Next door to the café, the Art Deco Ten Room has been reinstated with its original mezzanine to house the hotel’s main restaurant. Completing the ground floor, a series of oak-lined spaces connect the historic lobby and the fully restored Grill Room.