Property Week reports that the Odeon Leicester Square – famous for film premieres – is to be demolished and replaced with a 360-bed Radisson hotel.
Expect howls of protest from cinema goers and even tourists upset at a major change to the character of Leicester Square.
Apparently, Westminster City Council has approved plans. The hotel will have eight storeys above ground, as well as bars and restaurants with outside seating. There will be a spa with a 20-metre swimming pool, as well as a banqueting suite below ground.
New Odeon cinema
More significantly, the building will also host a new Odeon cinema and the film premieres that go with it in this prestigious location. It may not look the same, therefore, but may work even better for big occasions.
Radisson already owns the Radisson Blu Edwardian Leicester Square hotel on St Martin’s Street, Leicester Square which agreed to relinquish rights-of-light claims in exchange for more than 20,000 sq ft on the new development site.
Edwardian Group London bought the site in February 2012 from NAMA (Ireland’s National Asset Management Agency) and Tamarin with Real Estate Solutions.