For many years it was a myth amongst hoteliers. No hotel would work South of the Thames.Now? All change as new hotels keep opening.Strange that Waterloo should benefit from a French initiative – yes the French,because Accor’s Novotel brand was one of the first to fall for the delights of what the Londons Evening Standard once referred to as “Indian Territory” in the days of Western movies.
This year has seen a slew of openings and there are still more to come. Three Travelodges have opened in or around Waterloo,(County Hall,Union Street and the other, the 400th, behind the Old Vic), whilst the new Park Plaza Westminster has joined three other Park Plazas in the same part of the South Bank together offering some 2,000 rooms.
Latest spotted is Malaysian Group Tune Hotels, which has its first hotel under construction opposite Lambeth North Tube. This group offers budget hotel accomodation.Extras that can be added to the room price include air con, WiFi, a tea coffee tray,towel rental and an entertainment package (presumably a telly). The group plans 15 hotels in London by 2017.
It seems every group that has a hotel wants to operate in London. With the Shard offering 5 star to Shangri-La at London Bridge ( again South of the River) and bedrooms in the new Park Plaza offering the soaking tub and the walk-in shower in every room so noticeably missing from the grand dames of London Hotels such as the Grosvenor House, maybe South London’s time has come?
© Words and Images Patrick Goff
