BT Tower begins transformation into luxury hotel in central London

London’s iconic BT Tower is about to look incredibly different – as it’s beginning its major transformation into a luxury hotel.

The tower has been closed to the public for more than half a century, but after being bought for £275,000,000 by MCR – the third-largest hotel operator in the United States – that’s finally going to change.

Plans to turn the iconic 620ft landmark, which is located near Tottenham Court Road in central London, into a hotel were confirmed earlier this year, with several images showing how it could look.

Now, following an extensive consultation, new images and details about the transformation have been unveiled, including a publicly accessible rooftop pool and a 360-degree revolving observation deck.

Inside the BT Tower’s hotel transformation

MCR’s proposals for the building include re-opening what previously was the Top of the Tower restaurant for the first time in 50 years.

Only this time, it won’t be a restaurant. The space will instead be converted into a revolving observation deck with 360-degree views of London.

The Podium Building, which sits at the base of the tower, will be revamped to include a below-ground event space, retail and food and beverage units on the ground floor for visitors and locals, and hotel bedrooms across levels one to three.

An exhibition that explores the BT Tower’s history will also be located in the Podium building, beginning on the lower-ground and ground floors.

What happened to the BT Tower?

The BT Tower was the tallest structure in the capital when it was built in 1964 – until it was surpassed by the NatWest Tower in 1980.

It was first opened in 1965 by then-Prime Minister Harold Wilson and opened to the public a year later, with a rotating restaurant on the 34th floor that offered complete views of the capital.

The site’s Top of the Tower restaurant was closed following a bomb explosion in the men’s toilets, prompting the closure of the whole tower to the public in the 1980s.

It was left derelict for a number of years before briefly re-opening in 2015 for two weeks to commemorate the BT Tower’s 50th anniversary. It’s been closed since.

On the top of the Podium building will be a swimming pool, which will be open to the public. Discounts will be offered to members of the local community, and MCR hopes to take inspiration from its TAW Hotel heated pool, which is open year-round.

The nearby Howland Building will undergo an extensive restoration and extension to house hotel rooms, as well as several retail and food and beverage units on the ground floor.

Plans for the publicly accessible square between the buildings have also been unveiled, as they aim to ‘revitalise the unwelcoming block’ around the tower with revamped entrances on Maple Street and Howland Street.

New pedestrian walkways will also be introduced to give the public a chance to look up at the tower from below for the first time, and an increased security presence with CCTV will be introduced to tackle existing anti-social behaviour.

The tower’s iconic stick, which was originally built to house telecommunication equipment, has historically been off-limits, but it’ll be open to the public as the ‘heart’ of the hotel.

Proposed plans for floors seven to 23 show a second staircase will be added to the building to bring it up to modern fire safety standards, and each floor will comprise four hotel bedrooms arranged around the tower’s curved geometry.

According to the BT Tower consultation website, the revamp will retain ‘as much of the existing building as possible’ and will ‘sensitively’ restore the buildings while respecting their original character.

MCR also states the extension to the Howland Building has been planned to preserve views of the Stick from Fitzroy Square, and that retail and hospitality businesses on the ground floor of the Podium and Howland buildings will ‘take cues’ from 1930s and 1960s architecture.

Speaking about the landmark’s iconic design, Anne Archer, an archivist at the tower, told WTX: ‘Because of its function, the building had to be erected at a considerable height and have nothing obstructing it so as not to interrupt communication waves.

‘So it offers this stunning panoramic view. No matter what, the history of this building will always be preserved – there is no other building like this.’

She added: ‘But the new owners may be able to make the most of it more now. If a restaurant opens up inside the new hotel, more people will be able to come again.’

When will the new BT Tower open?

According to MCR, BT will hand over the site to the hotel chain in late 2029 while it continues to move out of the building. Construction is expected to start soon after, with an anticipated opening of 2033.

WTX’s final look inside the BT Tower

WTX was treated to a final look at the BT Tower back in May as plans for the transformation were unveiled. Inside was a time capsule of technology from the 60s and 70s, covered in a thick layer of dust.  

Work had already begun to remove ageing wires, telephones and switchboards, all made redundant by technological advancement.

Brent Mathews, Property Director at BT Group, said: ‘The BT Tower sits at the heart of London and we’ve been immensely proud to be the owners of this important landmark since 1984.

‘It’s played a vital role in carrying the nation’s calls, messages and TV signals, but increasingly we’re delivering content and communication via other means.’