Hilton London Metropole — the story behind the hotel

The tower on Edgware Road

Drive into London along the Marylebone Flyover and one building rises above the junction: the tower of the Hilton London Metropole. It is one of the biggest hotels in London — and it stands on one of the oldest roads in Britain.

Built in 1972

The hotel opened in 1972 as the London Metropole Hotel, taking its name from the London Metro Hotel that had stood on the site before. Its 24-storey tower, around 91 metres tall, was designed by Richard Seifert — the modernist architect best known for Centre Point — and was one of the tallest buildings in the City of Westminster.

At launch it had more than 1,000 rooms, making it one of the largest hotels in Europe. Edgware Road itself follows the line of Watling Street, the Roman road that once led out of London to the north-west.

Growing into London’s conference giant

The hotel kept growing. An 11-storey wing was added in 1989, and in 2000 a 16-storey third wing with a conference centre made it the biggest conference hotel in London, with dozens of meeting rooms. Hilton took over and renamed it in 1999.

It has changed hands as a major investment too: Hilton sold it with its Birmingham sister hotel for £417 million in 2006, and in 2017 the pair were sold again for £500 million. It is often described as the largest Hilton outside the United States.

Little-known facts about Hilton London Metropole

• Opened: 1972, as the London Metropole Hotel
• Architect: Richard Seifert, the architect of Centre Point
• The tower: 24 storeys — one of the tallest in Westminster when built
• Wings: A second wing in 1989 and a third in 2000
• Rooms: Around 1,100
• Conferences: The biggest conference hotel in London once the 2000 wing opened
• Hilton: Became Hilton London Metropole in 1999
• On a Roman road: Edgware Road follows the Roman Watling Street

Hilton London Metropole today

The hotel sits between Paddington Basin, Praed Street and the Marylebone Flyover — five minutes from Paddington Station and the Heathrow Express, opposite Edgware Road tube and about ten minutes’ walk from Oxford Street.

Getting to Hilton London Metropole from the airport

Heathrow is about 35–55 minutes by car, Gatwick about 70–90 minutes. The train is fine if you travel light — but with luggage, children, a late flight or an arrival at Gatwick or London City, most guests prefer a private transfer straight to the door.

• Heathrow to Hilton London Metropole and Gatwick to Hilton London Metropole — one fixed price per car, agreed before you fly, airport parking and waiting included.
• Meet and greet — your driver tracks your flight and waits inside arrivals with your name, with no extra charge if you are late.
• Executive cars for business travel, people carriers for families and groups, free child seats.
• Transfers from the hotel to every London airport and the cruise ports, 24/7. TfL-licensed private hire operator since 2013.

See your fixed price at the top of this page, or open the Heathrow to Hilton London Metropole and Gatwick to Hilton London Metropole pages.

A modern landmark on a Roman road

Half a century after it opened, the Metropole is still one of the first big buildings visitors see as they arrive in central London — on a road travellers have used for almost two thousand years.

Sources: Wikipedia · Travel Weekly

Key facts

Facts checked against the sources listed above, November 2026.

Related pages

Heathrow to Hilton London Metropole · Gatwick to Hilton London Metropole · All London hotel transfers