The Peninsula London — the story behind the hotel

The newest grand hotel at Hyde Park Corner

At one of London’s most famous junctions, looking out over Wellington Arch and Hyde Park, stands a hotel that took more than a decade to create. The Peninsula London is new — but it was built to feel as if it had always been there.

A decade in the making

The Peninsula group, which opened its first hotel in Hong Kong in 1928, had been planning a London home for more than ten years. It broke ground in 2017 at 1 Grosvenor Place, on the site of a 1960s office block, with a building designed from scratch by Hopkins Architects.

The Peninsula London opened on 12 September 2023 — the group’s first hotel in Britain, and only the twelfth in its 95-year history. At around £1 billion, it has often been described as the most expensive hotel ever built in London.

British craftsmanship, Hong Kong hospitality

The hotel was created with British artisans. Guests arrive in a triple-height lobby with hand-painted de Gournay murals inspired by Hyde Park, and the spa was designed by Peter Marino, drawing on the calm of the nearby Royal Parks.

On the roof, the restaurant Brooklands pays tribute to the historic Brooklands race track and airfield in Surrey, with a collection of motoring artefacts including the 1933 Napier-Railton racing car. There are 190 rooms and suites, plus 25 private residences, and the Peninsula Suite even has its own screening room and private lift.

Little-known facts about The Peninsula London

• Opened: 12 September 2023
• A first: The Peninsula group’s first hotel in Britain, and only the 12th in its history
• Cost: Around £1 billion
• Architects: Hopkins Architects
• Rooms: 190 rooms and suites, plus 25 private residences
• The lobby: Triple-height, with hand-painted de Gournay murals of Hyde Park
• On the roof: Brooklands restaurant, inspired by the Brooklands race track and airfield
• The view: Wellington Arch, Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace Gardens

The Peninsula London today

From its doorstep, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, the Royal Parks, Knightsbridge and Harrods are all within about a 15-minute walk.

Getting to The Peninsula London from the airport

Heathrow is about 40–60 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 The Peninsula London and Gatwick to The Peninsula London — 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 The Peninsula London and Gatwick to The Peninsula London pages.

A new landmark for an old corner of London

Hyde Park Corner has seen dukes, generals and royal processions. Now it has a grand hotel to match.

Sources: Business Traveller · Elite Traveler · Time Out

Key facts

Facts checked against the sources listed above, November 2026.

Related pages

Heathrow to The Peninsula London · Gatwick to The Peninsula London · All London hotel transfers