Crosstree news - The Standard Hotel

US hotelier behind celeb haunt Chiltern Firehouse wins approval for luxury King’s Cross hotel

A 270-bedroom luxury hotel from the man behind the celebrity-friendly Chiltern Firehouse is set to open in King’s Cross.

Hip American hotelier André Balazs’s boutique accommodation, which will replace the brutalist-style 1970s former Camden town hall annexe, will be the first Standard Hotel outside the US.

Plans for the block include a lobby at the ground floor with 10 stories above. It will include a rooftop bar and restaurant with a terrace.

Camden council approved the ORMS-designed proposals earlier this month, despite objections about the height from some residents, such as Lord Fink the former Conservative party treasurer, who lives across the other side of the Euston Road.

Balazs is looking to repeat the success of his hotel in New York’s once seedy Meatpacking District, in London’s rapidly changing King’s Cross, which has recently attracted occupiers including Google, Louis Vuitton and restaurant firm D&D London.

As well as the Chiltern Firehouse, his empire also includes Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont. The hotel is likely to take two years to be readied for opening.

The building is owned and will be developed by Crosstree Real Estate Partners.

It bought the asset last year from Camden council after it became surplus to their requirements and relocated to the major King’s Cross redevelopment.

Ahead of the decision meeting, a planning officer report said: “A hotel is considered an acceptable use on the site given its highly accessible location and the significant employment and training opportunities that the proposal would bring to the area.”

30 April 2015 | Joanna Bourke | Evening Standard