The £14m contract is Willmott Dixon’s first project for Dorsett Hospitality International, which operates 22 hotels around the world, including eight in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the UK, providing over 8,600 rooms in total.

This will be Dorsett’s second hotel in London and sees Willmott Dixon start on site in May to build the 13 storey complex which will be located on Aldgate High Street next to Aldgate tube station and the 18th century St Botolph Church. When complete in December 2016, it will provide 270 bedrooms along with restaurant, fitness centre and 1,600 sq ft of meeting areas for the business community.

It follows Willmott Dixon’s recent completion of a new Novotel in Hounslow, a Holiday Inn at London Southend Airport and the company’s on-going refurbishment work for Travelodge. Also, its fit-out arm recently completed upgrade work to the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Knightsbridge.

Roger Forsdyke, managing director at Willmott Dixon’s Cobham office said, “This is a really interesting office to hotel conversion right in the heart of The City of London, providing new capacity in this fast growing part of London. Importantly, it plays to our strengths and know-how of working on tight, constrained sites in urban locations, as well as our record for working in historic parts of London on landmark buildings.”

Dorsett Hospitality International’s first hotel, Dorsett Shepherds Bush, opened in 2014 and when complete in 2016, Dorsett City, London, will further underline the company’s vision to expand its hotel portfolio in selected strategic regions in the United Kingdom and Europe.