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The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences
London, United Kingdom · Independent · Core Luxury
Nicknamed Tinseltown on Thames, The Athenaeum overlooks Green Park on Piccadilly after Rank Organisation rebuilt Athenaeum Court as a hotel in 1973 and funneled Hollywood talent through its doors. Steven Spielberg edited films here, and the guest list has run from Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando to Margaret Thatcher, who lived on site for months. Family-owned by Ralph Trustees since 1992, it pairs hotel rooms with private residences behind a living-wall facade.
- 280 rooms
- Opened 1971
- Neighborhood: Piccadilly
- Rooms from 204 sq ft (19 m²)
About The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences
- The Hollywood Reporter once remarked that more movie stars turned up at London's Athenaeum than in the Polo Lounge of the Beverly Hills Hotel.
- Hope House stood on the Piccadilly site around 1849-1850; the Junior Athenaeum Club gave the Athenaeum name in the 1860s before a 1937 Art Deco rebuild as Athenaeum Court.
- Rank Organisation gutted and reopened the block as The Athenaeum Hotel in 1973, using its film-studio links to lodge stars working in England.
- Ralph Trustees bought the hotel in 1992 and still run it as a family business alongside The Grove in Hertfordshire.
- It holds AA Five Red Stars plus two red rosettes, and its afternoon tea won a UK Tea Guild Award of Excellence in 2008.
History
The Athenaeum stands on Piccadilly overlooking Green Park in London's Mayfair. Its story begins with Hope House, built around 1849-1850 for the MP and art patron Henry Hope, and the "Athenaeum" name entered use when the Junior Athenaeum Club acquired the site in the 1860s. The building was redeveloped in 1937 as an Art Deco apartment block, Athenaeum Court.
The Rank Organisation converted the property into The Athenaeum Hotel, which opened in 1973. Since 1992 it has been family-run by Ralph Trustees, and it offers roughly 156 rooms plus 18 residence apartments.
Nicknamed "Tinseltown on Thames," it has hosted a long roll-call of stars — Steven Spielberg edited films here, and guests have ranged from Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando to Margaret Thatcher, who lived at the hotel for a spell.
The setting
The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences sits in Piccadilly, London. Buckingham Palace is roughly 6 minutes' walk. This is Piccadilly and Regent Street, the circus-and-arcade edge of the West End, not Mayfair's residential squares.
Restaurants and bars
- 116 at the Athenaeum — Restaurant
Experiences
- Private dining — Own seasonal menu, paired wines and semi-private rooms or whole-space hire; secret cocktail bar afterwards on request.
- Afternoon Tea — Afternoon tea served at the hotel, including a limited edition afternoon tea for Chelsea in Bloom.
- Weekend Brunches — Weekend brunches at the hotel.
Amenities
- Spa
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Kids' club
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- AA Five Red Stars (2025)
Open The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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