The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Elton John, Laurence Olivier and the London premiere of Arturo Ui's Resistible Ascension: the stage at the Saville Theatre has long played a leading role. A prestigious list to which the CitizenM brand could soon be added, along with another headliner, Cirque du Soleil. Owner of the venue since 2021, Yoo Capital's ambition is to breathe new life into this Soho venue, which dates back to the 1930s and was once managed by The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, and then converted into a cinema - l'Odéon - in the seventies.
If the project is approved following a public consultation, this return to our roots and live performances should see the first permanent home in the UK for a troupe of some of the world's most renowned artists. But that's not all, as this Art Deco theatre, which once spanned three floors in addition to a concert hall, will also be incorporating the lifestyle component. with a CitizenM hotel and a catering offer designed by the Incipio group, creators of London's Pergola bars.
Is it a new trend to transform well-known concert halls into attractive places to live, combining culture, restaurants and accommodation? In any case, this is the path also being taken in Madrid by Universal Music, which will be launching its new UMusic hotel brand in the two prestigious stagesand those of the Albeniz and Victoria. This should give them fresh impetus to continue their story.
This objective is shared by Lloyd Lee, managing partner of Yoo Capital, with the Saville Theatre: " We are determined to reintegrate this magnificent building into the wonderful world of West End live performance revitalising its theatrical and hotel history in a modern way" . For his part, Klaas van Lookeren Campagne, CEO of citizenM, said he was delighted to be taking part in this " landmark project "which will enable the hotel brand to set up shop in Soho. an iconic and vibrant location in the heart of London" .
However, this is not the only major project to which Yoo Capital has invited CitizenM. The liefstyle brand is also involved in modernisation of the Olympiathe third exhibition centre in London and the only one in the heart of the British capital. The £1.3 billion project will revitalise this historic venue, which dates back to 1886 and used to host almost 200 events every year.
Expected to open next year, the Olympia will house a new auditorium and concert hall, a host of bars and restaurants along its pedestrian walkways, as well as offices and coworking spaces, and a conference centrescheduled for completion by the end of 2025. As for visitor accommodation, two hotels are planned, including a Hyatt Regency in addition to the CitizenM. In the medium term, the brand is expected to offer six hotels in London for business travellers.
