Kings Cross railway hotel to be unveiled after £40m revamp
by Aoife Dowling | 15 Mar 2013
London's first railway hotel - Great Northern Hotel - will re-open in April for the first time in almost 12 years following multi-million-pound renovations.
Situated between King's Cross Station and St Pancras International, the privately owned Grade II-listed building has been restored by owner-operator Jeremy Robson of Ram.
Originally designed by architect Lewis Cubitt, the Great Northern Hotel opened in 1854 as the first of the new generation of Victorian railway hotels.
Archer Humphryes Architects were responsible for the interior design, which followed the theme of timeless elegance with a hint of modernity.
The hotel's 91 rooms were refurbished with a Victorian inspired colour palate and three room types were created: Couchettes (which emulate train sleeper compartments); Wainscot (named after their walnut Wainscot panelling) and Cubitt (named after the architect Lewis Cubitt).
The aim for the renovation was to evoke the romance of rail travel from a bygone age and to preserve a sense of history and style.
Construction company, Mace, acted as the hotel's design and build contractor and also
contributed to the funding of the project.
The hotel's original features and structures were restored and refurbished such as the façades, windows, lead-lined gutters, cast iron grilles and drainpipes.
The furniture is all of bespoke design and hand-crafted and the building has maintained a sense of space and light with its high ceilings, sweeping staircases and wide curved corridors that are hallmarks of the original architecture.
Additional features include the hotel's destination restaurant, Plum + Spilt Milk, overlooking the new public square, the King's Cross piazza, and St Pancras International.
Jeremy Robson said: "The restoration and re-opening of the Great Northern Hotel has been a dream of mine for many years. I saw the quality in the original architecture and realised what a careful renovation could contribute to the major regeneration being undertaken at King's Cross.
"The hotel has an enchanting beauty and enjoys the most spectacular of locations in one of London's most exciting neighbourhoods. I wanted to re-create something of real and lasting value; a London landmark that would serve visitors and Londoners alike."
London's first railway hotel - Great Northern Hotel - will re-open in April for the first time in almost 12 years following multi-million-pound renovations. Situated between King's Cross Station and St Pancras International, the privately owned Grade II-listed building has been restored by owner-operator Jeremy Robson of Ram. Originally designed by architect Lewis Cubitt, the Great Northern Hotel opened in 1854 as the first of the new generation of Victorian
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