Fairmont Hotels is extending its castle life in the British Isles. Alongside the Savoy in London, one of its main flagships along with the Plaza in New York and the Peace Hotel in Shanghai, the luxury brand could already boast some fine resorts nestling in the heart of the British Isles. on vast estates with manicured lawns such as the Fairmont St Andrews in Scotland - one of the cradles of golf - , Carton House near Dublin, a manor house whose history dates back to the 18th century.e century, or the Fairmont Windsor Parkon the edge of Great Park, the green lung of the fiefdom of the British royal family. All these prestigious venues are ideal for VIP corporate events, as the MICE segment is one of Fairmont's recognised specialities.
Inaugurated in early 2022, this top-of-the-range resort was the result of the transformation and upgrading to Fairmont status of the former Savill Court Hotel, owned and operated by the Arora Group. It is with this owner-operator that Accor will be continuing its the expansion of its luxury brand in the UK. The group, which will own the Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa from December 2021, has once again teamed up with the Fairmont brand to help it complete its collection of establishments in the UK. "We are delighted to have this opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Arora, as an extension of our existing relationship with Fairmont. our tremendous success at the Fairmont Windsor Park "said a delighted Sébastien Bazin, CEO of Accor.
With several million pounds to be invested in its redevelopment before it officially becomes a Fairmont, the Luton Hoo Hotel has all the keys in hand to achieve this objective. Thanks to its history with a noble residence dating back to the XVIIIe centuryowned for a time by diamond magnate Sir Julius Wernher at the beginning of the 20th century.e It was built in the 19th century, before being converted to the hotel trade some twenty years ago. " The Luton Hoo visitors' book includes names such as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, who spent part of their honeymoon here, and Sir Winston Churchill, who gave his famous post-war speech to a crowd of 110,000." says Surinder Arora, founder of the Arora Group.
But in addition to this rich past, the site is also notable for the sumptuous neoclassical façade of its Mansion House and its surroundings, a 1,000-acre estate4 km². Bordering the River Lea, this immense green space houses, among other things, a Country Club with a spa and a bar-restaurant and, above all, an 18-hole golf course. Even before announcing its affiliation with the Fairmont brand, Luton Hoo had submitted a bid at the end of 2022 to host the Ryder Cup in 2031 or 2035.
At present, the hotel also includes a village of sorts, Warren Weir, entirely dedicated to hosting corporate events up to 400 participants. Set on the edge of a lake, this country house is divided into several buildings with more than 80 bedrooms and suites, five meeting rooms, conference and reception facilities, and a wide range of indoor and outdoor team-building activities. As for the main residence, the Mansion House, which can be fully privatised, it now houses just over 70 bedrooms, around fifteen meeting rooms and a chic restaurant, in a décor created at the beginning of the last century by the architect of the Paris and London Ritzes, Charles Méwès.
While we wait to see whether all these facilities will be kept as they are after the current redevelopment, the establishment has another asset to attract business travellers and meeting organisers: its situation. Close to the M1 motorway, Luton Hoo is a 5-minute drive from Luton Airport and within easy reach of London's St. Pancras train station.
