Heron gets go ahead for Four Seasons London hotel build

Property group Heron International has secured planning permission for a £500m central London residential and retail development, which will house the fourth Four Seasons Hotel in the UK.

Heron Plaza will sit adjacent to office building Heron Tower, which is nearing completion, just 150m from Liverpool Street Station in the City.

Set for completion in 2015, the 43-storey tower at Heron Plaza will house a 190-bedroom Four Seasons Hotel, which will also feature 120 branded residences.

The hotel, which also has sites in Park Lane, Canary Wharf and Hampshire, will also feature two restaurants, conference and banqueting facilities plus a gym, spa and swimming pool.

Transforming the City

Gerald Ronson, chief executive of Heron International, said: “We are very pleased that the City of London has approved our plans for this second tower that will sit next to Heron Tower and complete our Heron Plaza development.

“With Heron Tower nearing completion and construction now well underway at The Heron, our residential development at the Barbican, this planning consent for the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences London at Heron Plaza will enable us to continue our transformation of the City of London, providing much needed, unparalleled hotel and

residential facilities which reflect London’s status as the financial capital of the world.”

Heron Plaza, which has been designed by Heron Tower architects Fred Pilbrow and Lee Polisano of PLP Architecture, will also feature a number of boutique shops and cafes.

The Two Towers

Both towers will be linked to permit energy sharing, which will reduce the carbon footprint of both buildings.

The development will be the first purpose-built luxury hotel in London for 30 years.

Upon completion, the 46-storey Heron Tower will be one of the tallest buildings in London.

Restaurant and bar operator Drake & Morgan is to operate a new venue – called The Drift – at the site when it opens later this year.