The Peninsula Residences London, currently under construction in Belgravia, will set a new standard for luxury living in the United Kingdom. The private residences found in an exclusive wing inside the new five-star Peninsula London hotel are the latest property offering from the upscale hospitality brand.
Located opposite Buckingham Palace in Belgravia, the Peninsula Residences London represents the latest evolution in private accommodation. Slated for completion in 2022, the development will be unlike any other branded residence in London, according to Hilton & Hyland’s Jonathan Nash, the top-producing Beverly Hills real estate agent tapped to handle global sales.
To put it in other terms, no expense was spared with the new Peninsula London. Designed by Peter Marino, the development includes 190 guest rooms, four spectacular marquee dining venues and a destination spa. Consider the 25 private residences and a backdrop that consists of the capital’s most celebrated Royal Parks, and it all adds up to being the most significant addition to London’s ultra-prime market in recent memory, Nash says.
“It’s very much an incomparable offering, especially in London. The Peninsula London surpasses the notion of the branded residence seen more and more in the market and is introducing something very rare in that it’s so comprehensively and proficiently crafted with this discerning global clientele in mind,” Nash explains.
Private residences at the hotel include one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom lateral apartments and a penthouse. A rare scale combination for London (new construction homes in Westminster are now limited to 1,614 square feet), the two-bedroom units start at about 2,200 square feet while three-bedroom units start at over 4,000 square feet.
Personalized concierge services, a chauffeured Rolls Royce car fleet, a residents’ lobby, a 25-meter indoor swimming pool, spa facilities and a screening room are among the five-star amenities and facilities available to residents.
Clement Kwok, chief executive of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, under which Peninsula Hotels operates, says that the company’s willingness to invest in the long term has helped it remain one of the best luxury brands globally.
“There are a lot of hotels in the world that are legendary but have not maintained the investment and the quality and the technology over time, whereas we’re well known for the technology,” Kwok says.
Like the other Peninsula hotels, Peninsula London is the result of decades-long planning and execution. Leveraging an in-house research and development team, the company builds replica hotel rooms years before opening to ensure everything is of the highest quality. Even the parking is meticulously planned; the driveway for the hotel was engineered and tested to meet the profile of any supercar in the world.
Kwok elegantly sums up the attention paid to even the smallest of details. “If you look at the amount of time and effort that we put into any of our hotel development projects, we’re focused on details down to the level of the individual screws and the millwork. How the drawers feel when you open and close them.” Like with other Peninsula properties, the residences has been future-proofed to allow for the seamless adaptation and implementation of new technology. Hotel amenities are also regularly upgraded and remastered.
The limited number of units has already attracted interest from “very high-net-worth individuals,” according to Kwok, many of whom have begun tailoring the residences to their liking. “We’ve had a large number of requests from buyers for bespoke things, especially of the higher-end apartments.”
Nash points to features such as the garage as the standard for meeting the needs of today’s luxury consumer, explaining that in this day and age, few brands have achieved the same consistency as the Peninsula Hotels. It’s because of those standards, the agent believes, that the Peninsula name has long remained a favorite among the world’s elite.
“An address and lifestyle service like this is rare and well suited to international citizens—those with homes in multiple cities worldwide. These are some of the most discerning individuals and are drawn to the finer details, craftsmanship and exceptional experiences. They demand the absolute best.”
Long-considered a top global city for super-prime property, London has continued to draw buyers from Asia and the United States as travel restrictions have eased. Some 60% of the residences have been secured to date, all off-market, with particular interest from North America. Nash believes the appetite for London’s choice properties will only increase.
“The current exchange rate against the U.S. dollar also means London is representing an element of better value,” he explains. “Its incredible geographical position, standard of living, educational establishments and strong reputation as a safe haven still make it a prominent choice for many of the world’s wealthiest families and individuals.”
Hilton & Hyland is a founding member of Forbes Global Properties, a consumer marketplace and membership network of elite brokerages selling the world’s most luxurious homes.