Hip American hotelier, André Balazs has announced plans to open a new hotel in the UK in London’s Kings Cross.
Balazs, owner of celebrity haunt Chiltern Firehouse, will launch a 270-bedroom luxury hotel in the capital, which will mark his first Standard branded hotel outside of the US. Camden council has now approved the proposal to transform the former 1970’s Camden town hall annexe into a ten-storey high-end hotel, complete with a rooftop bar and restaurant with a terrace.
The hotel plan from Balazs is the latest in the line of big name businesses now occupying the rapidly-changing King’s Cross area, joining Google, Louis Vuitton and restaurateurs D&D London. The hotelier changed the perception of New York’s once seedy Meatpacking District when he opened his Standard Hotel there and now hopes to repeat this success in King’s Cross. The new hotel is likely to take around two years to complete.
Balazs currently has five hotels that make up the Standard portfolio, with each one being known for its vibrant innovations, luxurious bedrooms and features popular with the trendy crowd. Since opening Chiltern Firehouse in 2013, Balazs has enjoyed huge success with his 26-bed hotel and 200-cover restaurant, and his newest hotel is expected to cause a similar stir in the industry.