Construction work on a new 73-bedroom base2stay hotel in Soho, London, is poised to get underway early next year after the project was given the green light by the local authority.

Westminster City Council's planning committee approved plans for the five-storey development, which has been drawn up by London-based ADAM Architecture and incorporates a neo-classical design. base2stay - the hotel concept first unveiled in Kensington, London, in 2006 - was devised by founder Robert Nadler to remove what it calls "unused extras", such as bar, restaurant and gym facilities.

Rooms are equipped with mini-kitchens - including a microwave, a sink, a kettle and a fridge - to encourage guests to bring their own food, as well as an on-screen 'base directory' of local attractions and services. The Soho base2stay property will be located on Carlisle Street, although the group's next hotel is due to open in Liverpool in August 2010.