Not exactly surreptitious in stature, the BT Tower is one of those buildings that’s pretty darn synonymous with London. Once the tallest structure in the city, the 177-metre monument has played a key role in the capital’s communications over the years. But it seems as though the legendary landmark is having a bit of a career change.
The BT Tower was snapped up by American hotel operator, MCR Hotels, back in 2024 for a rather eye-watering £275 million. The company already own around 150 hotels across the USA, but is hopping over the pond to transform the Fitzrovia structure into a shiny new luxury hotel.
The BT Tower Hotel Project
MCR have enlisted the help of the architectural-aficionados over at Orms (the brains behind the Outernet) for the project. A proposal has been drawn up regarding the redevelopment, and Londoners are being invited to put their two cents in on the plans at a series of public consultation exhibitions next week.
A statement on MCR Hotel’s consultation site says: “MCR intends to bring one of Britain’s most iconic buildings into public use through a hotel‑led, mixed‑use development that celebrates the BT Tower’s rich heritage, complements Fitzrovia’s historic character, and delivers meaningful placemaking and employment opportunities for the local community.”
The proposed plans include a rooftop swimming pool that would allow guests to splash about 177-metres up in the air, a new public square, some retail spaces, and the potential comeback of the building’s revolving restaurant that closed in 1971. The prospective plans would also grant public access to the top of the tower for the first time in half a century.
There are currently no specific details regarding when the revamp would begin, but the wheels can’t be set in motion until BT has finished removing all the residual telecoms equipment from inside the building (which is expected to take until around 2030). The public consultations, however, will be taking place next week (May 11, 12 and 16) in the Jeremy Bentham Room at UCL.
You can discover more about the BT Tower Hotel Project and how to have your say in on of the upcoming public consultation events here.