Robert De Niro
Lexie Moreland
UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Westminster City Council has approved the planning bid for the construction of The Wellington Hotel, a luxury boutique in Covent Garden. As reported, other developments in the works for real estate developer Capco included a planned revamp to the areas near the entrances to Covent Garden and a project with Ira Drukier and actor Robert De Niro, owners of the Greenwich Hotel in New York.
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The hotel project under De Niro, BD Hotels and Capital & Counties Properties plc will see the development of an 83-room luxury boutique hotel.
The Wellington Hotel site is comprised of a whole block, which includes Wellington Street, Tavistock Street, Burleigh Street and Exeter Street in Covent Garden. The hotel will span six adjacent buildings, three of which are Grade II listed.
The Wellington Hotel will feature luxury spa facilities, two restaurants, a deli/café, a members’ club and a central courtyard conservatory.
This is the first international hotel build for De Niro, Drukier and Richard Born, who run The Greenwich Hotel in New York.
“My partners and I are pleased with the unanimous consent of Westminster City Council for The Wellington Hotel project in Covent Garden.” De Niro said. “We would like to thank them for putting their trust in our vision. We now look forward to starting the construction and to the completion of the hotel, of which we will all be proud.”
Recently, Capco has been working to give the area a more upscale edge. Luxury beauty brands including Chanel, Burberry and Dior have moved into the neighborhood, while the newest residents include Charlotte Tilbury and Nars. Capco’s total investment in the area since 2009 has totaled 540 million pounds, or $780 million. There are 170 retail and restaurant units with 43 residential units. Rents in the area vary, with Capco asking for 600 pounds, or $865, a square foot, according to sources. This year, the area will see the revitalization of Floral Street, near the Covent Garden tube station, and the addition of the Kings Court, which will connect Floral Street to King Street and Carriage Hall, a glass-covered atrium that will be converted into a retail space.
