The hotel will have just 36 rooms — each with a dedicated butler service — spaced over six floors, including a suite occupying the entire top floor of the building when it opens in Knightsbridge in November 2012.
The basement previously housed Pizza on the Park, which closed in the summer after three decades featuring jazz greats such as George Melly, John Dankworth and Cleo Laine.
Khalid Affara, managing director of developers Arab Investments – the company behind The Wellesley’s redevelopment - said: “This will be to a better standard than all the five-star hotels in London. It will be like the first-class compartment of a plane, everyone will be the same sort of calibre of person.”
The hotel will also feature a 28-cover Italian restaurant named Opal, a jazz club and private heated cigar terraces.
Martyn Leek is news editor of BigHospitality's sister publication M&C Report.