London's Mayfair area is to become home to a new luxury hotel guarded by a giant Antony Gormley structure, which also serves as a suite for guests to spend the night in, when the Beaumont opens later this year.
The hotel – the first to be operated by restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King under Corbin & King Hotels – features a signature suite labelled the Room, which has been designed by renowned artist Gormley, who also created the iconic Lady of the North sculpture in Gateshead.
The suite appears as a large steel figure perched on the side of one of the hotel’s wings, with guests being treated to an artistic experience once inside.
Through the use of a sparsely designed bedroom and dimly let corners, guests of the Room are able experience sleeping under an illusionary night’s sky when all the curtains in the suite are closed.
Along with Gormley’s structure, the hotel features 73 rooms, inclusive of 22 suites, a grill room, American bar, separate residents’ bar & lounge, boardroom and a gymnasium and spa.
The site’s spa is to feature a hammam with dry heat and steam and therapy rooms, while a resident’s gymnasium which is open seven days a week is also on-site.
Designed by ReardonSmith Architects, with interior design provided by Richmond International, the Beaumont seeks to take visitors back to Mayfair as it was prior to the Second World War, with its style based around an experience of elegance and personalised hospitality noticeable during the pre-war period.
Prices for rooms at the Beaumont start at £395, (US$670, €493) with Gormley’s Room set to be priced at a rate that is proportionate to other suites at the property.
The hotel is earmarked to open in Q3 of 2014.