New venues to get excited about in 2023
There are new venue openings galore this year, including many high-profile hotels. It seems you can hardly turn a corner in Mayfair without a new venue opening so expect plenty of luxury options, but also look out for some carefully curated openings with a focus on sustainability & wellbeing and plenty of dedicated event spaces too. Here our round up of the best new venues opening in London 2023.
New Venues 2023
Flipper’s at Exhibition London
When: Opened in November last year, this is a spectacular roller disco palace that incorporates a swish roller skate rink, a live music venue, a delightful American diner (Hot Dogs and Caviar, named after the OG Flippers diner in LA) and a pro-skate shop.
Where: The venue dates back to 1899, in a grade II-listed former power station, right by Westfield, Shepherd’s Bush at Exhibition London.
What: Broadwick Live are behind Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace; the same team behind Printworks. Co-founder Liberty Ross is carrying on the work of her father Ian ‘Flipper’ Ross, who opened the original LA venue – often described as ‘Studio 54 on wheels’ – in 1979.
Events: Flipper’s is available for events, private hire, brand events and filming. The venue is flexible and custom-built to cater to a range of events, from private dinners, award ceremonies, concerts and exclusive hire of the venue, inclusive of roller rink.
Labyrinth Waterloo
When: 2023
Where: part of the development of The Sidings and situated within the former Eurostar terminal at Waterloo station. Part of the seemingly never ending set of tunnels. Not to be confused with The Vaults.
What:
Theatre, bar and restaurant that’s billing itself as the home of immersive experiences.
- Theatre for immersive productions, currently housing Alice’s Adventures Underground, A 90 minute theatre show fusing storytelling, music, circus, puppetry and general spectacle.
- Underland bar for pre and post show drinks and a stand-alone venue for walk-ins
- Plus contemporary restaurant, The Rosarium with a spin on British Modern cuisine.
- Both the bar and restaurant both currently have an Alice themed menu.
Events: Full venue hire options available.
Venues with new owners 2023
Chelsea Townhouse
When: 2023
Where: The Draycott Hotel in Chelsea, currently be transferred to new owners under a multimillion renovation.
Background: Cadogan will be rebranding the site at Chelsea Townhouse which will be operated by Iconic Luxury Hotels, it’s second London property (joining Mayfair Townhouse) and other venues in the portfolio including some of our best loved hotels; Chewton Glen, Cliveden, Lygon Arms & 11 Cadogan Gardens – just across the square.
Design: Built in 1890, The Draycott Hotel comprises three red-brick town houses. The six storey townhouse will also include the group’s first apartment suites.
Rooms: 35-bedroom property
The St Regis London
When: 2023
Where: Mayfair, corner of Bond Street and Conduit Street with views over Berkeley Square. Formerly Westbury Mayfair hotel.
Background: Marriott International has signed a management agreement to open its first St. Regis-branded hotel in the UK set in the former Westbury Mayfair Hotel. Expect 5 star treatment. The property will undergo a £90 million redevelopment, which will include the addition of an eighth floor and an extension to the rear.
Design: The St. Regis London, according to Marriott, will honor the building’s history by retaining the iconic Polo Bar, originally designed for the Phipps family of America, avid polo players and creators of the Westbury Hotel in New York and London, and where guests will be able to enjoy a local twist on the Bloody Mary, St. Regis’ signature cocktail.
Capacity: 196 rooms and suites, a signature restaurant, speakeasy jazz bar, fitness center and spa.
Hyde Paradox Hotel London City
When: 2023
Where: 15 Old Bailey, the site of the historic Spiers & Pond Hotel (who once owned The Grand in Brighton). Dates back to 1874 and has a plaque outside commemorating it. The first ever hotel with electric lighting and with a lovely cream brick exterior and windows .
What: a new lavish seven story hotel creating a luxurious, bespoke hideaway in the heart of the city (St Paul’s end of Hoborn). A sympathetic restoration will see it maintain Victorian details.
Background: following a £34.3 million transformation. the sixth in the Hyde group which already operations in US and Dubai and is also opening Ibizia overlooking Cala Long
Restaurant: Mediterranean Levantine (shared plates) restaurant and a Japanese inspired speakeasy bar
Rooms: 110 guest rooms plus meeting rooms
Apartment Hotels 2023
Locke Kensington
When: July 23
Where: The NH Kensington hotel on Cromwell Road, putting it in walking distance of some of London’s most famous museums
Background: An aparthotel, comprising of 121 apartments ranging from studios to one & two-bed open-plan living spaces. The property will be Locke’s sixth in London and reflects the rise in popularity of people looking for a more home-from-home base when away, as hotels look to compete with the likes of AirBnB
Design: a “glamorous mid-century aesthetic”, inspired by the iconic art deco style of Derry and Tom’s Department store which later become Biba in the 70s and of course The Roof Gardens – celebrating a golden age of Kensington”
Rooms: comprise 121 apartments, ranging from studios to one & two-bed open-plan living spaces.
Events: the property will be also be home to a lobby and common areas including a bar, restaurant, and coworking and meeting spaces and private gardens.
New Restaurants 2023
Jacuzzi
When: 20 January
Where: Four story townhouse, housed in a former bank on Kensington High Street
Background: Big Mamma Group’s (Gloria, Circolo Popolare and Ave Mario) newest, biggest & most over-the-top restaurant yet.
Design: Ground & First Floor are restaurant spaces, with an enormous lemon tree reaching up to the ceiling with a glass retractable roof. Above the botanical themed first floor will be a ‘boudoir”, (in reality a bar) whilst the basement is a ‘disco toilet’ – what once was the building’s old bank vault, covered in mirrored segments, like a glitter ball transforming it into the world’s most glamorous toilet. Instagram, you have been warned.
Menu: Again Insta worthy, four kilogram wheel of pecorino stuffed with pasta and black truffle and parmigiano foam. Pizza with caviar. OTT desserts are back with a sharing fondue made with half-a-kilogram of Valrhona chocolate.
Seating: 170
Bacchanalia London
When: London’s most talked about restaurant, Bacchanalia opened in December 2022
Where: The latest addition to Richard Caring’s glitzy Caprice Holdings empire could hardly have picked a more glamorous spot: an old Porsche showroom on the corner of Berkeley Square – one of the most desirable addresses in the capital, with Sexy Fish, Scott’s, Annabel’s, Brasserie of Light, and 34 Mayfair all a short walk away.
Design: Bacchanalia promises to be Caprice Holdings‘ most decadent restaurant yet. The opulent interior makes use of mosaics, classical details, hand-painted ceiling murals and Greek and Roman artworks more than 2,000 years old whilst the main dining room features five monumental statues designed by British artist Damien Hirst that depict a winged lion, a unicorn ridden by a pair of winged lovers, another unicorn, Medusa and Bacchus.
Menu: With all the lavish visuals it’s hard to focus on the food, but you really should. The Greek and Italian menu has been devised by Athinagoras Kostakos with a focus on lux ingredients and a focus on caviar (a choice of Oscietra, Beluga or premium Baerii), all served by waiters dressed in togas.
Events: Artemis is their private dining space, suitable for feasting with 20 seated or 40 standing guests.
Hotels with a wellbeing & sustainable focus
1 Hotel London
When: Spring 2023
Where: 3 Berkeley Street Mayfair, a nine-storey property, overlooking Green Park. Part of wider project that will include sustainably led offices & retail, to bring communities together.
Background: Environmentally-responsible group 1 Hotels, which has sites across North America, is opening its UK flagship in Mayfair in 2023 with eco-conscious, modern designs as it continues its drive to be a leader in environmentally responsible hospitality.
Rooms: 181 rooms, including 52 suites
Design: Eco-conscious modern design. Other hotels in the group are stunning – there is an amazing living wall in Brooklyn Bridge, New York and the design in London will continue this, as it brings the outside inside.
The interiors have been designed with sustainable elements throughout using natural materials from the British Isles including reclaimed wood from West Sussex, Yorkshire stone and Welsh slate. Flooring in the guest rooms will be crafted from fallen trees from local park.
Restaurant: farm-to-table with garden terrace seating by Michelin Star chef Tom Sellers grounded in seasonal, organic and locally sourced ingredients. The hotel will also house a signature cocktail bar led by a master mixologist as well as a welcoming lobby bar and café, a wellness centre.
Events: 5 inter-connecting event rooms can be used in a multitude of formats with state-of-the-art technology, turnkey event planning and bespoke menu offerings.
Six Senses London
When: Late 2023
Location: Residing in the former art deco department store Whiteleys, Bayswater (close to Hyde Park & Kensington Palace), part of the regeneration programme for Queensway. Makes me feel nostalgic as I lived in the area for a long time.
Design: Working with British Architectural firm Foster & Partners to preserve the art deco features, retaining the original Grade II facade, central courtyard and dome as well as the majestic staircase, modelled on the La Scala opera house in Milan) which will operate as the centre piece on the ground floor of the hotel. Contemporary art from British artists throughout.
Features: A social and wellness club in the style of an old fashioned London Underground station on the second floor featuring a central bar and lounge, coworking spaces, a restaurant, and wellness and treatment rooms with a 20 meter indoor swimming pool
Rooms: 110 guest rooms and suites and 14 branded residences
Events: Cosy lobby bar and lounge, an all-day dining restaurant with an open kitchen and a seating area in the courtyard.
The BoTree
Location: 30 Marylebone Lane, off Bond Street between Marylebone and Mayfair
Background: New 5 star venue from Preferred Hotels and Resorts’ Legend Collection with a portfolio of over 700 properties worldwide, and joins sister properties Middle Eight in Covent Garden and The Guardsman hotel in Westminster.
Design: Amsterdam-based firm Concrete are bringing colourful natural fabrics and eclectic textures created exclusively for the hotel.
Rooms: 199 bedrooms and 29 luxury suites. Each room will feature a reception space separated by sliding panels leading to bedrooms & lounge areas, while suites will come complete with a lounge, balcony, personal bar and integrated cocktail station.
Features: The ultimate private retreat. The largest of the rooms, the Presidential Suite, offers views across central London, as well as a private elevator lobby, guest entrance and an outdoor terrace. The suite can be combined with the adjoining suites to create a 350m² (3,770 sq.ft.) wing.
Events: In the rest of the hotel, there’ll be bars, two destination restaurants (one with rooftop views), a live music club, a boutique screening room and a fitness centre.
New Hotels 2023
Raffles London at The OWO
Opening: Over 5 years of renovations & an extensive transformation. Originally 2022 but now due to open early 2023.
Background: Originally opened in 1906. Former Old War Office. Used by Churchill as headquarters during WW2. Inspiration for Ian Fleming’s James Bond. Featured in several movies, including Skyfall and No Time To Die. Will be flagship hotel for the Raffles group, meaning they won’t be holding back on services & experiences they have to offer. Raffles have recently joined AccorHotels group, one of the world’s largest global hotel companies (also owns Fairmont)
Location: A landmark destination, facing Horse Guards Parade, with views towards St James’s Park & Downing Street
Design: Grade II listed building. Edwardian Baroque architecture and ornate Portand stone façade with magnificent grandeur inside with ceiling heights, between 3-4.5 m. Incredible sweeping staircase
Rooms: 120 rooms and suites plus 85 branded residences. The most sought after are in the building’s corner turrets with unparalled views
Events: 11 worldclass restaurants and bars, including a rooftop, plus a 878 square meter ballroom with a seating capacity of over 600, making it a top contender for hosting events.
Features: London’s first Guerlain branded spa spanning four levels
Mandarin Oriental Mayfair
Opening: End of Q2, 2023.
Background: Sister property to the 5 star Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
Location: Hanover Square, Mayfair’s oldest square, between the Royal Parks and bustle of Knightsbridge
Restaurant: the first namesake Akira Back restaurant in the UK from Michelin Star award winning Chef, expected to be Japanese cusine plus he’s bringing his ‘ABar Lounge’ concept to London offering cocktails, craft beers & wines and small bites. Born in Korea, raised in Aspen Colorado, Back started his career as a professional snowboarded before working in restaurants to supplement his income. Now has a portfolio of 20+ restaurants & bars around the world including Las Vegas, Paris and Dubai.
Design: Sleek, subdued and intimate. Designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, the firm behind the Lloyds building and the ‘Cheesegrater’.
Rooms: 50 rooms and 8 private residences
Features: An urban spa dedicated to recalibration, housing a 25-metre long indoor pool, sauna, balneotherapy pool (Dead Sea Salts), relaxation area and bespoke treatments.
The Peninsula London
Opening: Early 2023.
Background: Owned by The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, one of the world’s leading luxury hotel brand; expect 5 star treatment.
Location: prestigious address overlooking Hyde Park Corner and Wellington Arch at the heart of Belgravia
Restaurant: Details are scare but rumoured to be Michelin-starred chef Claude Bosi (of Hibiscus Ludlow, Shropshire and more recently Bibendum) and it will be a rooftop Restaurant and Bar with views over Wellington Arch & Buckingham Palace Gardens
Design: Reflective of the grandeur of Belgravia, a grand entrance and colonnaded courtyard reception. The whole area should benefit with wider footpaths and new trees planted.
Rooms: 190 rooms and suites. Plus one storey shopping arcade for luxury brands.
Events: 8 meeting rooms and a grand ballroom to host spectacular events.
art’otel
Opening: 12th December
Background: Much hyped, part of the Radisson group, part of the drive to make Battersea a destination in its own right.
Location: the first hotel in the new development on the banks of the Thames on the South side of BPS
Restaurant: Curving Joia bar & restaurant (opening Feb) on the 15th floor with Mediterranean influences and views of six million bricks. Headed by Portuguese chef Henrique Sa Pessoa, from Lisbon’s two-Michelin star Alma restaurant. Plus Tozi Grand Café serves Venetian style cicchetti style.
Design: The clues in the name – Art’otel is all about the art. Modern interiors by Spanish artist Jaime Hayon with bold colours & unique art including by local artists on rotation plus workshops with the hotel offering a cultural programme, including yoga on the roof.
Rooms: 164
Events: 6 unique & creative spaces across 2 floors for up to 250 guests. Plus rootop bar or private hire of Master Suite
Feature: Heated rooftop infinity pool overlooking the iconic 50m chimneys of BPS, Bear Grylls penthouse on the otherside and towards the city (small – better for snaps than laps). Don’t forget to book a ride up Lift 109 the power station’s NW chimney for 360 views and go for drinks at Control Room B.
The Broadwick Soho
Opening: Pushed back a couple of times from 2022, due to open 2023.
Background: Opulent yet cosy, inspired by the spirit of Soho. the first hotel from architect and designer Martin Brudnizki (Annabel’s and Sexy Fish) who describes it as ‘seventies hedonistic disco pop, meets your eccentric godmother’s townhouse.’
Location: Redevelopment of various properties on Broadwick Street in the heart of Soho into one building
Restaurant: Sicilian inspired restaurant and terrace with sharing dishes
Design:. Wraparound rooftop bar and terrace on upper floor with exceptional vistas plus live music & entertainment
Rooms: 57 including one Penthouse and nine suits, many with private balconies
Events: Eight floor dining room with views overlooking Soho and The Boudoir, residents only lounge & snug bar
The Hoxton Shepherd’s Bush
Opened: December 22
Background: First Hoxton opened in Shoreditch 2006 set on a former car park, with expansion in Holborn, Southwark as well as Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona and Brookland, LA
Location: Shepherd’s Bush Green. An under the radar borough but actually well connected, stone throw from Nottinghill on the site of a demolished 1960s office. Are they betting down on a big regeneration for the area?
Restaurant: Thai-American restaurant Chet’s featuring fiery flavours. Think coriander martinis
Design: Large open lobby, vintage seating, cosy corners, central wraparound bar on first floor and terrace.
Rooms: 237 bedrooms
Events: The Apartment, a dedicated meeting and events space on the ground floor that can be used as individual rooms or together.
Plus: A Standalone retail store
Here at Evolve Events we work with some of the most prestigious and unusual venues available. If you’d like to know more about venue hire options or arrange a viewing with any of these new venues or would like our help finding another perfect venue for your event just get in touch with the team.
TEL : 020 7610 2808 – EMAIL : info@evolve-events.com