The Athenaeum is a family-owned[1] five-star hotel overlooking Green Park in Piccadilly, London.
| The Athenaeum | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location within Central London | |
| General information | |
| Location | 116 Piccadilly London, England W1J 7BJ |
| Coordinates | 51°30′17″N 0°8′51″W / 51.50472°N 0.14750°W |
| Opening | 1973 |
| Owner | Sir Richard Sutton Estates |
| Management | Ralph Trustees Limited |
| Design and construction | |
| Developer | Rank Organisation |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 162 |
| Number of restaurants | 1 |
| Parking | none |
| Website | |
| Athenaeumhotel.com | |
History
editThe site
editHope House was built at 116 Piccadilly in 1849–1850 by Henry Pelham-Clinton, the 6th Duke of Newcastle. The name Athenaeum first appears around 1864 when the house was bought by the Junior Athenaeum Club.
Current building
editThe site was redeveloped in 1937, with the construction of an art deco apartment block, the Athenaeum Court.[2]
Hotel conversion
editIn 1971, The Rank Organisation purchased the Athenaeum Court, gutting and rebuilding it and reopening it as The Athenaeum Hotel in 1973. Through Rank's direct links to Hollywood the hotel attracted guests including Steven Spielberg, Marlon Brando, Harrison Ford, Lauren Bacall, Liza Minnelli and Warren Beatty. Rank encouraged the stars of its films (including Elizabeth Taylor) to take up residence at the hotel whilst working on projects in England. The Hollywood Reporter observed that there were more movie stars to be seen in London's Athenaeum than in the Polo Lounge of the Beverly Hills Hotel.
For over twenty years Sally Bulloch was the Executive Manager.[3][a]
The current General Manager Joanne Taylor Stagg took over in 2019 [4]
In 1992, the Athenaeum was purchased by Ralph Trustees Limited, a family-run business who also own The Grove in Hertfordshire and the Runnymede Hotel & Spa near Windsor.
Location
editThe Athenaeum's postcode is W1J 7BJ, in Mayfair. The nearest tube station is Green Park.[5]
Kid's Concierge
editThe Hotel has a dedicated Kid's Concierge service which takes care of children's needs and helps families to plan itineraries. The Athenaeum also provides age-appropriate toys to children upon arrival.[6]
Awards
editThe hotel has 5 red stars and 2 red rosettes from the AA.[7]
The website travelandleisure.com put the Athenaeum in its list of the 500 best hotels in the world in 2008.[8]
Afternoon Tea at the Athenaeum has received an Award of Excellence from the UK Tea Guild for Top London Afternoon Tea 2008.[9]
References
editFootnotes
- ^ She was a child actress and her brother was Jeremy Bulloch best known for his portrayal of Boba Fett in the Star Wars original trilogy.
Citations
- ^ "Sir Richard Sutton Estates acquires the Athenaeum Hotel, Mayfair". 7 September 2015.
- ^ "History page of hotel website". Athenaeum Hotel. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
- ^ "Sally Bulloch's obituary". London: Telegraph. 21 April 2008. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
- ^ "Joanne Taylor-Stagg to join the Athenaeum". 13 December 2018.
- ^ "Hotel location". Athenaeum Hotel's website. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
- ^ Murphy, Jennifer. "Family-Friendly Luxury Hotels". Forbes.
- ^ "Profile Page on AA website". AA. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
- ^ "T+L 500 Winner 2008". travelandleisure.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
- ^ "Top London Afternoon Tea 2008". UK Tea Guild. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
External links
edit- The Athenaeum website Archived 5 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine