The Athenaeum Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Athenaeum is a family-owned five-star
hotel overlooking Green Park in Piccadilly
, London
.
. The house was redeveloped in the 1930s as an art deco
apartment block, still called the Athenaeum.
In 1971 the Rank Organisation
purchased the 1930’s Athenaeum Court apartment block, opening it as The Athenaeum Hotel after a two year refurbishment. Through Rank’s
direct links to Hollywood the hotel attracted guests including Steven Spielberg
, Marlon Brando
, Harrison Ford
, Lauren Bacall
, Liza Minnelli
and Warren Beatty
. Rank
encouraged its stars (including Elizabeth Taylor
) to take up residence at the hotel whilst working on film projects in England. The Hollywood Reporter observed that there were more movie stars to be seen in London’s Athenaeum than in the Polo Lounge
of the Beverly Hills Hotel
.
For over twenty years Sally Bulloch was the Executive Manager.
In 1992, the Athenaeum was purchased by Ralph Trustees Limited
, a family-run business who also own The Grove in Hertfordshire and the Runnymede Hotel & Spa near Windsor.
. The nearest tube station is Green Park.
Kid's Concierge=
The Hotel has a dedicated Kid's Concierge service which takes care of children's needs and helps families to plan itineraries. The Athenaeum also provides gender-appropriate toys to children upon arrival.
.
The website travelandleisure.com put the Athenaeum in its list of the 500 best hotels in the world in 2008.
Afternoon Tea at the Athenaeum has received an Award of Excellence from the UK Tea Guild for Top London Afternoon Tea 2008.
Star (classification)
Stars are often used as symbols for classification purposes. They are used by reviewers for ranking things such as movies, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels. For example, one to five stars is commonly employed to categorize hotels.-Restaurant ratings:...
hotel overlooking Green Park in Piccadilly
Piccadilly
Piccadilly is a major street in central London, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is completely within the city of Westminster. The street is part of the A4 road, London's second most important western artery. St...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
History
Hope House was built at 116 Piccadilly in 1849/50 by Henry Pelham-Clinton, the 6th Duke of Newcastle. The name Athenaeum first appears around 1864 when the house was bought by the Junior Athenaeum ClubAthenaeum Club, London
The Athenaeum Club, usually just referred to as the Athenaeum, is a notable London club with its Clubhouse located at 107 Pall Mall, London, England, at the corner of Waterloo Place....
. The house was redeveloped in the 1930s as an art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
apartment block, still called the Athenaeum.
In 1971 the Rank Organisation
Rank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed during 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. It was the largest and most vertically-integrated film company in Britain, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities....
purchased the 1930’s Athenaeum Court apartment block, opening it as The Athenaeum Hotel after a two year refurbishment. Through Rank’s
Rank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed during 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. It was the largest and most vertically-integrated film company in Britain, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities....
direct links to Hollywood the hotel attracted guests including Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
, Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
, Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall is an American film and stage actress and model, known for her distinctive husky voice and sultry looks.She first emerged as leading lady in the Humphrey Bogart film To Have And Have Not and continued on in the film noir genre, with appearances in The Big Sleep and Dark Passage ,...
, Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
and Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty born March 30, 1937) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and director. He has received a total of fourteen Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Director in 1982. He has also won four Golden Globe Awards including the Cecil B. DeMille Award.-Early life and...
. Rank
Rank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed during 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. It was the largest and most vertically-integrated film company in Britain, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities....
encouraged its stars (including Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
) to take up residence at the hotel whilst working on film projects in England. The Hollywood Reporter observed that there were more movie stars to be seen in London’s Athenaeum than in the Polo Lounge
Polo Lounge
The Polo Lounge is located inside the Beverly Hills Hotel at 9641 Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California.-Description:The Lounge has been described as "done up in peachy pink , with deep carpets and dark green booths, each booth featuring a plug-in phone...
of the Beverly Hills Hotel
Beverly Hills Hotel
The Beverly Hills Hotel is a hotel on Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California. It was opened on May 12, 1912 by Margaret J. Anderson and her son, Stanley S. Anderson, who had been managing the Hollywood Hotel. The original main building of The Beverly Hills Hotel was designed by Pasadena...
.
For over twenty years Sally Bulloch was the Executive Manager.
In 1992, the Athenaeum was purchased by Ralph Trustees Limited
Ralph Trustees Limited
Ralph Trustees Limited is a family run private hotel group based in England with a portfolio of four hotels operating in the four and five star sector...
, a family-run business who also own The Grove in Hertfordshire and the Runnymede Hotel & Spa near Windsor.
Location
The Athenaeum's postcode is W1J 7BJ, right in the heart of MayfairMayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
. The nearest tube station is Green Park.
Kid's Concierge=
The Hotel has a dedicated Kid's Concierge service which takes care of children's needs and helps families to plan itineraries. The Athenaeum also provides gender-appropriate toys to children upon arrival.
Awards
The hotel has 5 red stars and 2 red rosettes from the AAThe Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
.
The website travelandleisure.com put the Athenaeum in its list of the 500 best hotels in the world in 2008.
Afternoon Tea at the Athenaeum has received an Award of Excellence from the UK Tea Guild for Top London Afternoon Tea 2008.