London hotel delayed after blaze?

Melia Hotel Group’s carefully laid plans to open a top class property in London’s Strand just before the 2012 Olympic Games are likely to be frustrated after a serious fire in the building.  Nobody was hurt during the incident which took place last Wednesday morning (15 June).  The fire happened also within days of the Group re-branding itself from its long time name Sol Melia.

Melia, whose only London hotel is the highly acclaimed White House close by Regents Park, quickly put out a statement but is clearly not in a position to confirm an opening date

“Melia Hotels International is grateful to the London Fire Brigade for their diligence and responsibility in extinguishing the fire, preventing it spreading to the rest of the building and, above all, avoiding injuries.

“The building work, with the full-risk insurance coverage, will be restarted as soon as possible.”

The 173-room property will, when it opens, feature two restaurants and a bar at ground level, as well as a convention centre with 7,857sq ft of available space.  The prestigious site at the junction of The Strand and Aldwych, was previously the City Bank building. www.solmelia.com

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