Hilton loses management of The Biltmore Mayfair LXR hotel – is the LXR brand working?

It’s not been a great week for Hilton in the UK. Not only is Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh The Caledonian leaving the brand (albeit remaining a Hilton via Curio Collection) but The Biltmore Mayfair in London is off too, and very soon.

A note on the Hilton website says that The Biltmore Mayfair, in Grosvenor Square, is leaving with indecent haste on 1st May.

It’s not clear if anyone who booked via Hilton will be allowed to cancel their booking, as they will no longer receive Hilton Honors benefits or earn points or elite night credit.

The message on the Hilton website says:

Please note that as of May 1, The Biltmore Mayfair, LXR Hotels & Resorts will cease to operate as a Hilton hotel. As a result, stays booked past this date will not accrue Honors points. Please contact the hotel directly in case of any questions.

The hotel is owned by Millennium Hotels & Resorts and may revert to independent management. Hilton also lost management of the Millennium Hilton in New York, by World Trade Centre, a couple of years ago. This now trades as Millennium with a big sticker over the word ‘Hilton’ on the outside.

The Biltmore Mayfair opened in September 2019 following a refurbishment of the Millennium Mayfair hotel.

It was the first LXR hotel in Europe and, more importantly, the first where the deal was signed whilst refurbishment work was still ongoing. The only other LXR hotel at the time, in Dubai, was a St Regis where the signs changed literally overnight with no internal changes.

Is the issue the brand or the location?

It’s fair to say that Grosvenor Square is changing a lot. Adjacent to The Biltmore Mayfair is Rosewood’s ‘nearly finished’ uber luxury hotel inside the old American Embassy. Adjacent to that is a new Four Seasons-managed apartment block. Millennium may feel that it can do better than Hilton – frankly, Park Hyatt should jump at this and forget the site in Battersea that is nearly finished.

The LXR brand appears to have a problem. No-one seems too sure about what it is meant to represent, or how it is meant to sit alongside Conrad and Waldorf Astoria. In theory it is for independent hotels who are too ‘grand’ for Hilton’s Curio Collection and which don’t want to adjust to Conrad or Waldorf Astoria brand standards.

I’m not sure if it is simply the LXR name which isn’t working, or that larger hotels don’t adjust well to this sort of model. Curio Collection, full of boutique luxury independent hotels, is probably my favourite Hilton brand and has some lovely sites, but LXR …..

With no Waldorf Astoria or LXR hotels in the UK (once Edinburgh rebrands), it’s looking a bit thin. Obviously we have Waldorf Astoria Admiralty Arch in 2025 but I can see that aiming for the £1,000 per night market. Conrad St James is perfectly pleasant but the location doesn’t work for many. We will have NoMad to fill the gap soon – we’ll have that story tomorrow.

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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (April 2025)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit and debit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

There are two dedicated Hilton Honors debit cards. These are especially attractive when spending abroad due to the 0% or 0.5% FX fee, depending on card.

You also receive FREE Hilton Honors status for as long as you hold the debit cards – Gold status with the Plus card and Silver status with the basic card. This is a great reason to apply even if you rarely use it.

We reviewed the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card here and the Hilton Honors Debit Card here.

You can apply for either card here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 30th April 2025, the annual fee on the basic Hilton Honors debit card is halved from £60 to £30. The sign-up bonus is also easier to earn – you need to spend £1,000 either in the UK or abroad within three months. The usual bonus rule requires you to spend the full £1,000 outside the UK.

NEW: Hilton Honors Plus Debit

10,000 bonus points, Hilton Gold status and NO FX fees Read our full review

NEW: Hilton Honors Debit

2,500 bonus points, Hilton Silver status and 0.5% FX fees Read our full review

There is another way of getting Hilton Honors status, and earning Hilton Honors points, from a payment card.

Holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card.  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

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

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton Honors points is 1:2.

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