Georgian office block on Cheapside to be converted into 104 room City hotel
The City Corporation has granted planning permission for Atlas House on the junction of King Street, Queen Street and Cheapside to be turned into the latest hospitality destination for the financial district.
The 104 bedroom hotel will be owned by Blue Orchid Hospitality group, part of the Integrity International Group, led by hotelier and developer, Tony Matharu.
The hotel will have destination restaurant, cocktail bar and health club, spa, pool and gym as well as public workspaces
Atlas House was bought by Integrity for a reported £34.55 million from US group Hines in February last year.
The grade II listed landmark is one of the most architecturally ornate office blocks still standing in the City and a rare example of a surviving pre-Victorian building in the Square Mile.
It was built in the Italianate style in 1836 at 92 Cheapside and 1 King Street for Atlas Assurance Company, which occupied the property for 130 years. It is one of the relatively few pre-Victorian buildings still standing in the City.
Features in the Thomas Hopper designed building include a distinctive clock and sculpture of Atlas poised above the grand entrance, faience tiling, mahogany joinery, a mosaic floor and a staircase with iron balustrades.
The ground floor is made of Cornish grey granite, while the upper storeys are Portland stone. The building was repaired and restored in the 1950s after suffering bomb damage in the Blitz.
Serviced office operator The Argyll Club vacated the 44,200-square-foot office in 2024.
Hines bought the office, then let to Barclays Bank, in 2013 for its Pan-European Core Fund for £35 million.
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Tony Matharu, said:“I am delighted that we are able to move forward with our proposed plans for this landmark building in the heart of the City, affording us on the opportunity to demonstrate our continued commitment to invest in and breathe new life into London property, particularly those buildings at the end of their previous lives; ensuring that London remains the best place to live, work, visit, and invest.
“We look forward to welcoming guests to enjoy this special property and to continuing to make a positive difference to central London and its world-class offering to international and domestic visitors, workers, and residential communities alike.”
Blue Orchid also owns the Westminster-based Wellington hotel and the City-based Tower Suites.