A Grade I listed London landmark is set to become a luxury hotel

No, it's not the Tower of London

Georgian architecture Custom House building contrast with modern skyscrapers, River Thames, City of London, England, UK
(Image credit: Geography Photos/Getty Images)
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Ever wanted to take a quick kip under some of London’s most famous landmarks? Ever felt the urge for power nap amongst some of the most historic buildings in the country’s capital? Well, soon you might be able to, because London’s legendary Custom House is going to be turned into a luxury hotel.

Overlooking the scenic views of the Thames, the Grade I listed building has a pretty interesting history - originally built as a centre of custom duty collection, it was most recently occupied by HMRC and played a crucial role in London’s global trading network. But we imagine they’ve been in with the white sage to burn away of the bad juju.

The building, snapped up by a real estate firm back in 2023, will get a serious glow up, turning into a hotspot riverside hotel complete with 179 rooms, restuarant, spa, and cafe. The 179 hotel rooms will be built in the east and west wings of the building, with a spa being built in the basement - swimming pool, sauna, steam room the works. There will also be a new pathway built in the former King’s Warehouse which will run across the ground floor, as well as a converted library, and a new alfresco riverside plaza. The outdoor space will house a cafe and use the space for events throughout the year. And it wouldn’t be a London venue without space for people to sit, strolling and cycling along the river.

There has been one previous proposal back in 2022 which was rejected by the City because of concerns raised by heritage groups over the potential harm they would cause. Unlike a Netflix docu-drama series, it wasn’t a tension fuelled conspiracy between corporate bigwigs and charitable peacekeepers (we assume), as Historic Englands came on board to help with the second round of planning applications which were successful, and approved on 9th September.

We don’t have any floor plans or architect’s drawings at the moment, but if you’re someone who loves local counsel minutiae, keeping an eye on the local website will probably keep you up to date with the latest developments.

Hermione Blandford
Hermione Blandford
Content Editor

Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.

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