Kerala -born NRI entrepreneur MA Yusuff Ali’s LuLu Group has launched its new Great Scotland Yard Hotel in London, completing the investments of 300 million pounds in the UK. The Great Scotland Yard Hotel is within the premises of the old headquarters of the Metropolitan Police.
The group has acquired the property, in 2015 for Rs 1,025 crores in the heart of London’s Whitehall area near Trafalgar Square and Downing Street and further invested Rs 512 crore towards its makeover into a luxury hotel.
The LuLu’s hospitality investment arm, Twenty14 Holdings has offered the boutique which says the decor has been chosen as an ode to his history which stays true to the buildings Edwardian and Victorian architecture.
Yusuff Ali, the UAE based chairman and managing director of LuLu Group International said, “London is one of the world’s greatest cities and the Great Scotland Yard Hotel represents its illustrations past as well as its modern significance.” He added, “ The hotel spotlights the city’s vibrant history, its several celebrated aspects and its status as a global melting pot. In essence, we have curated an unmatched experience for every guest while recreating the historic premises into a symbol of ultimate hospitality and a landmark hotel in London.”
The hotel will formerly open for business from Monday but has its official launch this week with a formal ribbon cutting by UK secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport Nicky Morgan and the Indian high commissioner to the UK, Ruchi Ghanashyam, among others.
As Morgan took time out from the election campaign for the ceremony on Thursday, she said, “One of the government’s strap-lines in this election is ‘unleashing Britain’s potential’ and here, it is this building’s potential that has been unleashed. It will become very important part of London.”
Graham Stuart, cabinet member and investment minister hailed the “fantastic investment on an iconic site” as a sign of the UK’s attraction as an investment destination.
During the Tudor period in 15-16th century England, the Great Scotland Yard building was used as a dwelling for visiting kings of Scotland and then went on to become the head quarters of the Metropolitan Police Service in London until it was sold a few years ago.
The managing director of Twenty14 holdings said, “The Great Scotland Yard Hotel is a dream come true for us- transforming one of the world’s most historic addresses into an iconic hotel. This is a building that holds more tales than ever told and approach has been multi-layered, with an emphasis on the stories that are unheard, the hotel is the tribute to the intrinsic spirit of London.”
In order to showcase some of the award winning pictures, ceramics, and sculptures created by prisoners from the trust’s annual competition, the hotel has partnered with the Koestler trust, the UK prison arts charity.
Shafeen Yusuff Ali, the daughter of LuLu Group and the director of Twenty14 Holdings has done the artistic side of the luxury hotel with hidden rooms, secret doors, historic details being etched into metal and glass works. She said, “We wanted to create a hotel that will inspire and ignite your senses and also your soul.”
