A Hyatt Regency hotel today, a CitizenM coming in a few weeks: the hotel sector is participating in the metamorphosis of one of Europe's oldest exhibition venues: the historic Olympia Exhibition Centre, opened in the 1880s in the Hammersmith district. The £1.3 billion project aims to bring the venue into the 21st century and restore its pre-eminent place in London’s MICE sector. In addition to the historic exhibition halls, a new international convention centre has been added within the brand-new One Olympia office building. It is a conference centre capable of hosting up to 20,000 participants and which has recently secured the hosting for several years of three of the UK’s most important professional events: London Tech Week, Big Data LDN and Decorex.
However, the Olympia district's reach now extends far beyond this business framework. Adjacent to Kensington station, the area has transformed into a true event destination, recently hosting a 3,800-capacity music venue, the British Airways i360, and soon to welcome next year the British Airways Theatre, the first theatre built in London for 50 years, which will offer 1,575 seats.
In parallel, the Olympia has also been transformed into a new London hub for gastronomy and premium bars. Since last March, the Pillar Hall already housed, in a listed building dating from 1886, a restaurant, a speakeasy-style bar, and soon a concert and events venue with a capacity of over 500 people, expected in the autumn. In mid-June, a collection of bars and restaurants was added, in a festive alley sheltered under a glass and steel canopy. Among others were the Arbour food court, the Mexican-inspired Arriba bar, the Wolves of Tokyo Japanese restaurant and cocktail bar, and Lillie’s, which combines snacking with English sparkling wines.
" The summer openings at Olympia mark a pivotal moment in our evolution.declared Andy O’Sullivan, CEO of Olympia Events, as we enhance our iconic event spaces with a fully integrated destination where events, world-class entertainment, culture, and hospitality converge ".
Hospitality befitting the location
Because, to accommodate participants at professional events, as well as clients coming for the venue's cultural and gastronomic attractions, this new generation Olympia has provided hotel accommodation befitting its ambition. While a CitizenM – now owned by the Marriott group – is set to open a 146-room designer hotel at the start of the summer, the Hyatt Regency London Olympia has just welcomed its first guests.
Housed within Emberton House, one of Europe's largest multi-storey car parks dating back to the late 1930s, the hotel offers a contemporary take on this iconic building. Architects Heatherwick Studio, SPPARC, and twenty2degrees have drawn on the venue's industrial aesthetic, infused with Art Deco influences and nods to Olympia's rich past. This includes recalling that the world's first computer exhibition was held there, as well as performances by Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, and The Chemical Brothers.
For business travellers passing through London, the hotel offers 204 rooms and suites, all arranged with a "Work and Play" zone, combining the bed with a desk, and a "Groom and Prep" zone, separated by a sliding glass door. In terms of F&B, the Hyatt Regency London Olympia offers three experiences: the 1937 Lounge & Bar, a social hub offering coffee, snacks, and cocktails throughout the day; The Market for takeaway options; and Idalia, a restaurant serving British cuisine with European and British influences, also located in the neighbouring Pillar Hall.
While guests can enjoy a fitness space in the hotel, they also benefit from direct access to a premium fitness studio within the Olympia complex. Access to Olympia's event ecosystem, particularly its convention centre, explains an offer of reduced meetings to three rooms, for board meetings, executive workshops, and intimate gatherings.
" We are proud to open the Hyatt Regency London Olympia in the heart of one of London's most exciting new developmentscommented Guillaume Paupy, Vice-President UK & Ireland for the American group. It has all the attributes to establish itself as a reference address, for both business and leisure travellers. "
