Top draw

London remains a bucket list destination for UK and overseas planners alike – and that doesn’t look like changing any time soon.

The UK capital was named the top European destination for events by the American Express GBT Meetings & Events 2024 Global Forecast – a crown the city is likely to retain for the foreseeable future, the report claims, despite a predicted 9 per cent increase in hotel rates next year.

According to Tracy Halliwell MBE, director of tourism, convention & major events at Visit London, the city’s meetings and events sector has gone from strength to strength in the past year. “The industry’s strong focus on sustainability has made event organisers want to choose more accessible cities, and its connectivity is just one of many reasons London is a top destination. The new Elizabeth Line connects even more people to the city and the Eurostar has recently announced new direct routes from Germany, France, and The Netherlands.”

Despite the perceived challenges of Brexit and the post-Covid world, the city has remained resilient, with constant investment and innovation in the events sector. Since the pandemic, more than 70 new hotels opened, including the Hoxton in 2022 and the Peninsula in 2023, as well as several new venues like The Viaduct Shoreditch and Labyrinth Waterloo.

In October, the city welcomed its first Raffles hotel, an architectural landmark with 85 unique private residences and nine restaurants. It’s also home to Guerlain’s first London Spa and active wellness by Pillar Wellbeing and three bars led by world-class chefs and restaurateurs, including chef Mauro Colagreco. Known for its world famous hotels like the Ritz and the Savoy, London has long been on the map for luxury travellers, and the addition of a Raffles hotel will only heighten its appeal.

Luxury

In keeping with that focus on luxury, the city is also set to launch the Waldorf Astoria London in 2025, a designated foodie hotel with formal dining and an all day diner and terrace. The venue will feature a rooftop brasserie and a 320-cover ballroom for larger events. Meanwhile, popular luxury brand the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will open its third London hotel in the British capital in 2028. With views over St Paul's Cathedral, the Mandarin Oriental Bankside will offer guests access to both the City of London and the West End theatre and shopping districts.

Away from the luxury hotel market, London has also seen a boom in its other spaces, including restaurants, conference centres and dedicated event venues. Over in west London, a £1.3bn redevelopment is underway for Olympia London to become part of a larger cultural destination, launching in 2025. During this development period, the venue will continue to host events while new hoarding lines, changes to access points and construction is happening in buildings nearby.

On the food scene, Big Mamma Group has launched Jacuzzi, a new Instagram-worthy trattoria. This summer also saw the opening of The Portrait restaurant at the National Portrait Gallery, a destination within itself. Whether it's for lunch, dinner or a standing canapé reception, the venue is a unique spot for any sort of event. Private dining options cater for up to 30 people, while there are also exclusive hire options for up to 100 people.

For quirky events, Chris Parnham, chief strategy officer at veSpace, says Frameless is one of his favourite spaces in the city. This immersive art experience is located centrally, close to Marble Arch. Visitors get the chance to enter a digitally created virtual environment, which works especially well for experimental live events. “Pre-set virtual environments include an art gallery complete with heat mapping, allowing the audience to interact with the exhibits,” he says. “As well as using the venue’s own pre-set environments you can create your own, as we are doing for one of our clients, taking the audience to our client’s actual construction site.”

Meanwhile Parnham also recommends Outernet, an underground venue in the heart of London, offering a digital space with 360 LED, which allows you to create a personalised environment for a launch event or awards dinner. “For one of our clients we are making a 360 video in order to drop the audience into the heart of Cannes for a Cannes-film-festival styled awards event,” he says.

Blank canvas

Blank canvas venues are always popular in London, as they support innovation and creativity for both companies and their event planners. David Heron, director of Yellow Fish, says Birch Selsden is an excellent alternative to central London hotels. Located just 30 minutes south of the centre, this venue is a community-based hotel, co-working space and members club, bursting with new ideas. “It offers incredible grounds and it’s great for parties and immersive experiences. They even have a rewilding project that ensures delegates can connect with nature, which is a rare opportunity so close to London.”

Back in the city centre, Heron recommends the recently rebranded 100 Shoreditch, previously the Ace Hotel. “As well as offering plenty of inspirational spaces for meetings, it’s in a trendy location with lots of dining and bar options both on-site and in the local areas.”

New openings

Since 2021, a total of 73 hotels have opened their doors in the capital; adding to the existing 1,827 hotels already available in the city. And London is set to keep growing; currently, there are 297 projects in various stages of development, representing more than 27,066 rooms.

• The much-anticipated Peninsula London opened at Hyde Park Corner in September, boasting 190 rooms and suites, as well as six restaurants, bars, and lounges.

• The opening of Raffles at the OWO, also in September, is the result of a six-year transformation of the old War Office. Used as a headquarters by Churchill during World War II, it boasts 120 rooms and suites, and is set to become a culinary hub with its nine restaurants and three bars with concepts from world renowned chefs, such as Mauro Colagreco.

• Other new openings have seen a diverse range of properties such as the sustainability focused 1 Hotel Mayfair, the design driven BoTree, and quirky Ruby Zoe.

• Maybourne Hotel Group’s all-suite The Emory is set to welcome guests this winter in Knightsbridge.

• Next year Rosewood will welcome its second hotel, The Chancery Rosewood, in the former US Embassy, a mid-century masterpiece on Grosvenor Square and will feature a ballroom accommodating up to 1000 guests.

• Hosting groups of 10 to 400, Arcade Food Hall is a reimagined food hall at the heart of Tottenham Court Road.

• Launched in March 2023, Lio London Club is a new combination of nightclub, restaurant, and cabaret, offering a unique entertainment experience.

• A celebration of the underground, Dockside Vaults features an expansive network of tunnels spanning more than 900 sqm of revealed brickwork. Following a six-figure renovation, its facilities include a huge kitchen, fibre optic internet, and full hybrid event capability.