A new Wembley hotel could rise at the foot of the stadium steps

Wembley’s iconic Olympic Steps might soon have a new neighbour, a hotel. London developers Quintain revealed early plans to build on the meanwhile patch of land at the bottom of the steps, the same space that’s been pulling double duty as a market square, outdoor events spot and children’s soft-play zone since 2022.

Quintain had to bide their time until the stadium’s new steps were complete, but now they say they’ll submit a full application to Brent Council early next year. The site already comes with outline planning permission for either a hotel or offices, thanks to a decade-old 2011 Masterplan, but the developer is firmly leaning toward the former.

New CGIs show a hotel entrance and lobby opening directly onto Samovar Square, complete with ground-floor retail or restaurants spilling onto Olympic Way.

Crucially, this isn’t a case of “stick a tower there and hope for the best.” Brent Council previously approved a £12.1m contribution to revamp the area, as long as Quintain avoided maxing out the height and scale of the original plans and worked with the council on creating a bigger, more usable public square outside the Civic Centre Library.

Quintain says they’re on board: no pavilion building, no bulky canopy, and a stronger focus on the public realm instead of pure development.

The revamped Samovar Square is being pitched as a flexible events space, think market stalls, festival stages, outdoor cinema, while the existing cherry trees will stay (just shuffled around a bit, like furniture in a living room that’s being redecorated). Developers also promise tweaks to the pedestrian link through to Wembley Park Boulevard to make the whole area feel more connected on match days and beyond.

Before anything is rubber-stamped, Quintain plans to speak with residents and local stakeholders through early 2025. If the council gives the green light, construction wouldn’t start until late 2026 at the earliest, with building expected to take around two to three years.

So for now, Wembley keeps its pop-up market and soft play, but the bottom of the stadium steps could soon be getting a permanent new front door.

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