Marriott’s luxury St Regis hotel brand is coming to London in 2023

Marriott has announced that it is bringing its luxury butler-service St Regis brand to London next year.

The St Regis London will open in 2023 and involves a £90 million redevelopment of the Westbury Mayfair Hotel.

The bulk of Marriott’s 30 hotel brands are represented in London, but St Regis has been a notable absence.

(The Ritz-Carlton is also absent from London due to legal issues with a certain hotel on Piccadilly.)

This is not the first ever St Regis in the UK. From 2001 until 2013 Starwood had management of The Lanesborough on Hyde Park Corner, which it grouped with St Regis but didn’t fully rebrand.

St Regis is a unique brand in Marriott’s stable. The chain has a history dating back to the Astor Family and started out in New York in the early 20th Century. The brand claims it is the birthplace of the Bloody Mary cocktail, and offers a signature butler service for guests as well as a champagne sabering ritual every evening.

The new St Regis London

The Westbury Mayfair Hotel is a former Luxury Collection hotel and has been part of the Marriott Bonvoy family for some time. The renovation and rebrand will see it join as one of Marriot’s core, rather than collection, brands.

The hotel is located on the corner of Bond Street and Conduit Street. Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood, Burberry, and Hermes are literally within spitting distance – as is virtually every other luxury brand. The Royal Academy is just round the corner.

The hotel closed last year and auctioned off its fittings. The renovation involves adding an eighth floor as well as rear extension, plus renovations to the facade and main entrance drop off area. The plan is to open with 196 rooms and suites.

The St Regis will retain the Polo Bar, built by the Phipps family, the original Westbury Hotel owners, whilst a signature restaurant, speak-easy bar, fitness centre and spa are also part of the plans. Designs are by Richmond International, which also worked on The Langham, Four Seasons Trinity Square and Fairmont Royal Pavilion (review here). The only image we have so far is below.

What is not clear is how long the St Regis rebrand has been in the pipeline. If it wasn’t already planned when the refurbishment was approved, we could end up with a hotel which doesn’t actually reflect the St Regis brand. When done best – as at St Regis Istanbul (review here) – this means modern luxury with a distinctive art deco touch.

The hotel has been up for sale for some time. It is now almost two years since it was first reported as being on the market. If it meets the rumoured £800 million price tag it will be the most expensive hotel sale in British history, fetching even more than the £750 million paid for The Ritz in early 2020.

It is possible that the St Regis rebrand is part of the sale plan. It would be surprising, after all, if an unbranded hotel with a substantially lower profile than The Ritz was worth more, albeit The Westbury sale includes the Burberry store next door.

We will publish a full article on the history and rituals of St Regis hotels later this week as part of our occasional ‘behind the brand’ series. You will have to wait until next year to check into the London outpost.

---

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (September 2024)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (40,000 bonus Amex points)

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased to up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 80,000 Avios. You will receive 8 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased to up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 40,000 Avios. You will receive 4 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. The card is FREE for your first year. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)