Jeffrey Epstein considered buying a luxury 5-star hotel near Buckingham Palace to turn into his “London playroom”, new emails released by US authorities have revealed. An associate of Prince Andrew’s encouraged the late paedophile financier to buy Dukes London in St James's Place, exchanges from 2010 divulged as part of the Epstein files show.
The emails were sent after Epstein was sentenced to 13 months by a court in Florida in 2008 for procuring a child for prostitution. Famous for having its own cigar merchant and serving James Bond-themed Martinis at its bar, the Mayfair hotel attracts an elite clientele. The late Princess Diana was pictured leaving the establishment after reaching an agreement with the now King Charles over the terms of their divorce in 1996.
Discussions about the potential sale of the hotel, which was owned by Emirati businessman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem and leased from the Crown Estate, appear to have begun when the Sultan’s real estate investment company was struggling with the terms of a loan used to complete the purchase of the building. The emails, first reported by London Centric, include exchanges with David Stern, a businessman who later became a director of an entrepreneur initiative run by the former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
One associate, whose name has been redacted, emailed Epstein to say he should consider buying Dukes London and use the penthouse as his “residence” in the capital with a “room for lots of P”. “P” is a term that appears often in Epstein file correspondents and appears to refer to “pussy”. They said: “Sultan mentioned he owns the Dukes Hotel in London. Went to have a look. Great location in St James 90 rooms, 11 suites and Penthouse Suite. This we should buy from Sultan, make the top your London residence, have room for lots of P, and have full hotel services.”
In another email, Mr Stern wrote to Epstein: “I was thinking of looking at actual rooms at the Duke tomorrow before i fly, to check how small they are. Your London playroom on top floor - after some renovation - is still something i like.” He later appears to have begun seriously investigating the purchase and asked financial advisers to work out the value of the hotel and how much refurbishments would cost. Dukes’ owners then shared internal financial projections with the convicted paedophile. Emails about complaints from a woman who had stayed in the hotel were also forwarded to the sex offender.
Epstein emailed hotel magnate Giuseppe Cipriani to ask if he had any interest in being involved in the purchase with him but received a negative response. However, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem encouraged Epstein to “stop by the hotel when you are in London next”, in another exchange. Later the hotel’s owners told Epstein they were no longer interested in the sale after its finances and performance improved. Dukes London, which is currently closed for refurbishment, was contacted for comment.
