10/3/2017 Exclusive: Inside The New Luxury Hotel In 's

 / Lifestyle / #DeLuxe OCT 3, 2017 @ 10:14 AM 32  Exclusive: Inside The New Luxury Hotel In London's Admiralty Arch

Doug Gollan, CONTRIBUTOR FULL BIO 

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Built as a monument to the British Navy and a memorial to , Admiralty Arch is one of London's most notable landmarks. Gateway to The Mall, it straddles the processional route that leads to . Every time a Head of State visits the UK and goes to meet The Queen, they drive through the arch. Every time there is a Royal wedding or funeral, they drive through the Arch. For Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953, her procession came through Admiralty Arch on the way from to Buckingham Palace (pictured below).

In 2020, fully restored to its former grandeur, it will open as a 100-room luxury hotel. In an exclusive preview for Forbes.com, below are interior shots of The Mountbatten Suites, by the interior decorator David Mlinaric (the , , Victoria and Albert Museum and private clients such as Lord Rothschild and Mick Jagger). While usually, suites are the last part of the construction, in this case, the developer wanted to get to know the building and understand any challenges it might throw up.

Former residents of the building include Winston Churchill (before becoming Prime Minister and moving to Downing Street) and Lord Mountbatten and his father. Future James Bond creator Ian Fleming worked as personal assistant to the Director of the Naval Intelligence Division at Admiralty Arch. While there, Fleming went on missions throughout Europe, Africa and the Americas and coordinating Allied forces special operations. He also liaised with Bletchley Park, which broke the secret codes of the Nazis. During the Cold War, Admiralty Arch appeared in two spy films, The Ipcress File and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.

The project to create a hotel, rooftop bar, restaurants, spa, private club and residences is the vision of Rafael Serrano, the CEO of Prime Investors Capital, which also owns London’s Bulgari Hotel.

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“The intention behind the interior design is to answer, and where needed for the new purpose, to enhance Sir ’s distinguished, Edwardian, classical architecture and in so doing, to present a series of traditional, English rooms. The decorations are more colorful and more in keeping with late 20th century and early 21st century taste. The furnishings are a mixture of antique and contemporary for reasons of styling and comfort. In this way, it will be quite unlike any other London hotel,” Mlinaric said in a statement.

Below are some historic photos and “first look” interior shots as well as the spectacular view guests will have when they check-in in a couple years.

Getty Images Hulton Archive

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Getty Images

Prime Investors Capital

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Prime Investors Capital

Prime Investors Capital

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Prime Investors Capital

Prime Investors Capital

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Prime Investors Capital

Prime Investors Capital

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Prime Investors Capital

Prime Investors Capital

Doug Gollan is Editor-in-Chief of DG Amazing Experiences, a weekly e-newsletter for private jet owners and Private Jet Card Comparisons, a buyer's guide comparing over 100 jet card programs.

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