The former US embassy on Grosvenor Square, now the Chancery Rosewood hotel, has been named the world's best new hotel. The 1960s building, designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, has been transformed into a super-luxe destination for ultra-high net worth individuals, with entry-level junior suites starting at £1,400 per night.
Owned by the Qatari royal family and operated by an offshore company linked to a Hong Kong dynasty, the hotel features a mega-basement with a marble-lined antechamber, a ballroom with a car elevator, and a subterranean spa complex dug 20 metres below ground. The rooftop bar and two penthouse suites are housed in a golden pavilion added by David Chipperfield Architects.
Architects aimed to restore openness to the building, which had become a fortress due to security concerns. The original facade has been preserved and 'stretched' to add a sixth storey, with two further set-back levels. The interior was largely demolished and rebuilt to accommodate 144 suites around a central atrium.
The building originally served as a symbol of American openness, but later became a target for protests and was surrounded by defensive barriers. The US embassy relocated to Nine Elms in 2017, leaving the Grosvenor Square site to be redeveloped into a hotel that now offers unprecedented access to the public—for a price.
