With the objective of re-affirming the position of The Lanesborough amongst the highest echelons of grand hotels, the design team’s first task was to review the property room-by-room in conjunction with the hotel operator and prepare a detailed plan of what should be rebuilt, restored, refurbished or replaced. The brief to the interior designers was to create interiors that were aligned with the Regency origins of the building, adding modern and historical twists to provide an appropriately unique layering of styles, reflecting the graceful maturing of a functioning historic establishment. The building is Grade ll listed and ReardonSmith was responsible for negotiating all planning and listed building consents and for maintaining close dialogue with English Heritage and Westminster Conservation officers throughout the project.
The existing layout of the building has remained largely untouched. However, minor changes were made to support the operational requirements of the hotel. These included the introduction of a pantry adjacent to the Withdrawing Room principally to serve afternoon tea, the reconfiguration of the business centre and store rooms to create a boardroom, the relocation of the concierge desk and a new cloakroom within the entrance lobby. Adjustments were also made to the back-of-house areas to more efficiently utilise the space and achieve an attractive and comfortable staff dining room.