Willmott Dixon Interiors has underlined its track-record as a market leader for hotel conversions by being chosen to deliver a high-end boutique hotel refurbishment at 7-8 Martins Place in central London.

The scheme to create St Martins Place Hotel close to Trafalgar Square will see the company convert an existing five-storey office block into a 136-room hotel complete with a fifth floor restaurant as well as adding an additional floor for a new rooftop bar. The development for customer Best Effort Ventures will be further complemented with new retail in the basement and ground floor level, while the building will retain its existing Post Office.

The conversion has been designed by EPR Architects, with the property originally built in the 1950s to provide a mix of retail and office space, adjoins the Grade II Star listed St Martin's Vicarage, Vestry and School.

The work follows Willmott Dixon Interiors’ recent announcement that it’s converting an office in Welwyn Garden City into a 79 bed Travelodge hotel; the latest project for Willmott Dixon’s fit-out specialist in the hotel sector, with over a 1,000 rooms in progress or completed since mid-2016.

The company’s skill-set for fast-tack hotel conversations also saw it convert apart-hotels in Long Lane and Earls Court into the Residence Inn by Marriott brand for Starwood Capital.

Willmott Dixon Interiors managing director Graham Shaw:

“We have a solid track-record in office to hotel conversions, especially in towns and cities, with an experienced team who know the particular challenges this work entails. This is also another big investment in London as one of the world’s top destinations for visitors and we’re proud to be playing our part in stimulating further growth for our capital.”

Willmott Dixon’s recent hotel experience also includes several new-builds, such as the new 154 bed Village Hotel in Portsmouth, Dorsett City Hotel adjacent to Aldgate underground station in London, a new Premier Inn hotel in Beverley, Novotel in Brentford and Holiday Inn on Commercial Road, in East London.

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