News

Construction On The World's Most Depressing Hotel Set To Begin In Bloomsbury

Ian Chalk Architect's Subterranean Hotel

Plans to build Britain's first underground hotel have been given the go-ahead. Developers will now get to work constructing a 166-key windowless hotel 50 feet below the streets of Bloomsbury. It will offer Japanese-style budget “pod” accommodation and have no restaurant or bar, and will have a three-night limit.

The decision to forge ahead with the subterranean hotel angered some councillors in the West End who claim guests will be treated like “a bunch of troglodytes,” according to the Telegraph.

The new hotel will be on the site of a former NCP car park underneath the St. Giles hotel on Great Russell Street. The developers have described it as “innovative” and say it makes the best use of limited space in central London.

Camden Council originally raised concerns about the air quality five storeys down, but after an appeal, the project prevailed. One councillor who voted for the project conceded that some people would choose not to sleep in an underground room, but the benefits of an accessible location and proximity to visitor attractions would outweigh the lack of a view. [Telegraph]

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's London Newsletters
Related Stories

Avison Young Had Assets Frozen By Bank Over Unpaid Taxes

More Hotel Owners In Need Of Cash Are Getting It From The Big Brands

Equinix Bets Big On Slough Data Centres: The London Deal Sheet

Redevco Buys 560K SF Jaguar Land Rover Logistics Hub In UK IOS Push

Hilton's Q2 Results Barely Beat Wall Street's Expectations

Unite Looks To Reshape Student Portfolio After £417M First-Half Loss

The World Cup Filled Stadiums. Hotel Rooms Were A Different Story

Arada Pushes Forward £2.5B Docklands Scheme: The London Deal Sheet

The Crown Estate Unveils Nearly 170K SF Of West End Redevelopment

John Malone-Backed MHL Makes Its Biggest Deal In 10 Years

Risk-Averse Market Means This Retrofit Success Could Be A One-Off

JD.Com Buys £147M London HQ: The London Deal Sheet