Inside London’s £1bn super-hotel with £20k penthouses, private butlers and a gilded eagle

Grosvenor Square has witnessed protest marches, Cold War diplomacy and the comings and goings of American ambassadors. Now, more than six decades after it was built, the former U.S Embassy has reopened as The Chancery Rosewood, a luxury hotel that has been years in the making and is reported to have cost close to £1 billion

For decades, Grosvenor Square was defined by the presence of the U.S Embassy, a monument of Cold War diplomacy that became a symbol of American influence and the backdrop to anti-war demonstrations. 

Today, the modernist landmark by Eero Saarinen begins a new life as The Chancery Rosewood following a £1 billion transformation that positions the building at the top of London’s luxury hotel market.

Sir David Chipperfield’s reworking of the Grade II listed block has preserved Saarinen’s Portland stone façade and Theodore Roszak’s 11-metre gilded eagle, the sculpture that has looked down on Grosvenor Square since 1960. Behind that familiar frontage, the interior has been hollowed out and rebuilt to house 144 suites arranged around a new atrium.

The spectrum runs from “entry level” rooms at £1,400 a night to two vast penthouses, Charles and Elizabeth, whose landscaped terraces, private butlers, and dining rooms for ten reportedly cost around £20,000-a-night.

Suites on the upper floors are designed with kitchens, steam rooms and double bathtubs, and many can be interconnected to form residences that accommodate entire entourages.

The interiors, by French designer Joseph Dirand, are unapologetically extravagant with polished marbles, exotic woods and bespoke fittings.

Dining spans eight restaurants and bars, all opening directly onto the street. The line-up is led by Carbone, the celebrated New York Italian-American restaurant making its European debut, joined by Serra with its southern Mediterranean menus, and Tobi Masa, which brings Michelin-starred chef Masayoshi Takayama to London for the first time.

The hotel also boasts one of the capital’s most ambitious wellness facilities. The Asaya Spa reportedly stretches across four subterranean levels, with a 25-metre pool, a Technogym fitness suite and five treatment rooms.

The hotel also houses a 700-piece art collection curated by London gallerists Cramer & Bell, including works by Sir Christopher Le Brun and Anthony Grace. Many of Grace’s pieces draw on American landmarks and presidential history, a reminder of the building’s past life.

Large-scale gatherings will be part of the new rhythm of Grosvenor Square too, thanks to a 750-guest ballroom and a series of salons intended for both corporate and private events.

A rooftop bar, meanwhile, offers close views of Roszak’s giant gilded eagle, once a symbol of diplomatic power and now an emblem of Mayfair’s gilded reinvention.

Photos: The Chancery Rosewood