Leading London developer Galliard Group has completed the 3.5 year construction of the new Great Scotland Yard Hotel, once the location of the original Scotland Yard Metropolitan Police HQ, later offices for the Ministry of Defence and now a magnificent new 93,000 sqft 5-star hotel, to be owned by Lulu Group International and operated by Hyatt.
In 2013 Galliard Group acquired a 125 year Crown Estate lease on the building which was exchanged for a forward sale of the hotel when completed to Abu Dhabi based LuLu Group International in 2016 for £110 million. Galliard’s construction division has now completed the £75 million construction project to deliver the new hotel, working with world-renowned hospitality design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates.
One of the finest 5-star hotels ever built in London, set to launch later in 2019, the new £110 million seven-storey hotel at 1-5 Great Scotland Yard provides 153 bedrooms and suites; the 11 suites including a spectacular townhouse suite created from part of the original Scotland Yard Police premises.
Hotel features include interior design references to the building’s police and military past through the use of shields, emblems and historic details etched into glass and metalwork. The hotel has a double height vestibule, grand entrance lounge, concierge, main cocktail bar, palm court style lounge, whiskey bar/clubroom, signature restaurant, library, gymnasium, 120 seater main conference room/ballroom, meeting rooms and function/private dining rooms.
Over the last 10 years Galliard Group has built 10 hotels providing 2,061 bedrooms and suites and a range of hospitality and leisure amenities. Working with a range of clients, past hotel projects include new build and refurbishment schemes including the 5-star St James’s Club & Hotel, Staycity Hotels, Premier Inn, 4-star Park Plaza Hotels and the Grade II-Listed Jacobean Harte & Garter Hotel and Spa.
To deliver the Great Scotland Yard Hotel the construction division of Galliard Group, led by CEO Don O Sullivan and MD Robin Hawkins, project managed a team including Head of Galliard Design Lesley Lawson and Galliard Construction Director Darren Maguire, working alongside professional consultants and an international team on site of up to 200 people, from 18 different countries. Galliard was responsible for construction and build, shell and core design, fit out, specification procurement, logistics and M&E. Delivery required Galliard to liaise with a range of stakeholders including Westminster Council, The Crown Estate, TFL, BT, MOLA and Westminster Highways.
The site and buildings at 1-5 Great Scotland Yard have a fascinating history. In Tudor times the location served as an Embassy-style dwelling for the Kings of Scotland when they visited King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I at neighbouring Whitehall Palace: hence the name Great Scotland Yard (meaning: the place of the Scottish Lords).
In 1812 three Georgian townhouses were built at 1-3 Great Scotland Yard, with a yard to the front and gardens occupying the rest of the site. In 1829, Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel selected Great Scotland Yard as the headquarters of the newly founded Metropolitan Police force. The building’s main entrance was at 4 Whitehall Place, but in 1867 a public office was created to the rear, occupying the three townhouses in Great Scotland Yard, giving the headquarters its famous name.
It was here that the famous Plaistow Marshes (1864) and Jack the Ripper (1888) crimes were investigated and Scotland Yard was made famous by novelists including Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In June 1891 the police headquarters moved to a new location, which was named New Scotland Yard.
In 1901 the townhouse at 1 Great Scotland Yard was leased to the armed forces and this saved it from demolition in 1910 when the other townhouses and adjacent gardens were replaced by the current Edwardian building at 3-5 Great Scotland Yard which served as the British Army Recruitment Office and Royal Military Police headquarters. It was from this HQ that Lord Kitchener famously told WWI recruits “Your Country Needs You” and there were cells in the basement for Army deserters. In 1982 a refurbishment introduced a new atrium and the building later became the Ministry of Defence Library until 2004.
Galliard Group has now converted the Grade II listed Georgian townhouse and grand Edwardian building into one of London’s finest hotels. The elegant facades have been restored, behind which luxurious interiors with a bespoke specification provide exquisite private and public entertaining spaces which pay tribute to the rich history of Great Scotland Yard, alongside hotel rooms and suites of exceptional quality.
To deliver the outstanding specification Galliard has sourced over 200 different custom-made materials, fixtures and fittings from locations including Italy, Vietnam, China, Japan and Turkey using the finest finishes including different marbles, stone, crystal, wood and leathers. Artisans from six different countries were sourced to create many of the hand crafted special finishes including wall paneling, bespoke flooring and ceiling mouldings.
