Introduction: Located on a small historic Crescent called
Aldwych which in turn is part of a major through route. The ME London Hotel (by
Sol Melia) is located at the southern tip of Covent Garden between the Strand
and Fleet Street. This places it in the heart of central London and at the
gateway to the City of London (Square Mile). 200 yards from the River Thames.
This part of London is within the area known as Theatreland with 10 theatres
within a 1/3rd of a mile. The Lyceum Theatre is just 50 yards from the hotel
while the Strand Theatre is 100 yards further along the Aldwych. Interestingly
there's a disused tube station right on Aldwych, Aldwych Tube, which closed in
1994 and is now often used a set for movies. This location is also part of the
West End which is the main area for nightlife in London. Shops, amenities, bars,
restaurants and attractions are all around the hotel. Some of the best known
local places of interest include the Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery (0.05
miles), London Transport Museum (0.1 miles), St Clement Dames Church (0.2
miles), Cleopatra's Museum (0.2 miles), Royal Courts of Justice (0.3 miles) and
the South Bank Complex (0.4 miles).
Boutique style hotel. ME by Melia is a Sol Melia sub-brand.
The Me London Hotel will open in time for the
2012 London Olympics. It
occupies the site of both the former Marconi House and the adjacent Citibank
Building. Marconi House was the first commercial broadcasting station in London
in 1922 and later that year became the first regular licensed broadcasting
station for the BBC. Previous to this it was the site of the Gaitey Theatre
which in turn had been the site of the Strand Musical Hall and so the ME hotels
location is steeped in history.
The hotel is designed by renowned British architect Norman Foster (of the
Gherkin fame along with Hong Kong and Beijing airports) and is looking for
Biosphere Hotel" certification from the 'Responsible Tourism Institute'. The
hotel itself will cost £45 million pounds to fit and was bought for £113 million
pounds from 'Anida' a subsidiary of the BBVA bank.
Amenities:
2 restaurants and bars on the ground level.
Room Numbers:
172
Check-in:
Check-out:
Background: The construction of the ME London Hotel suffered a setback on
the 14th June 2011 when a fire broke out in the old Marconi building. The works
were being managed by Gleeds. The fire was attended by 15 fire engines and 75
fire-fighters and cause havoc in the area for traffic. Danamage was also caused
to the 85 apartments being constructed below the hotel.
