As the first American hotel chain to open in the UK, London Hilton on Park Lane has helped to shape and influence the British hospitality industry, and has been an iconic building and institution from the start.
Built across 80,000 square feet of land, 328 feet tall and with 528 guest rooms, London Hilton on Park Lane was the first American hotel chain to be launched in the UK, as well as setting a precedent for London’s rising skyline as the first building in London to ever be built taller than St. Pauls Cathedral – as well as raising concerns about guests overlooking Buckingham Palace and its garden!
When it opened in 1963, London Hilton on Park Lane was the largest post-war built hotel in Europe. The completed building required 3,000 panes of glass, 167 miles of cable, five miles of curtaining and 15 miles of carpet, demonstrating the sheer scale of the project. 50 years later, the hotel still retains all of its luxury appeal, having hosted everyone from kings, queens and presidents, to rock royalty and
Hollywood stars.
London Hilton on Park Lane has played host to innumerable high profile and celebrity-studded events, including Muhammad Ali’s 59th birthday, which featured a lifelike cake of the boxing star. It was also the venue of the landmark event, on 3 December 1993, which saw Princess Diana announce in front of 500 guests in the Grand Ballroom, that she would be standing down from her official
duties.
Other big names to have passed through its doors include Charlie Chaplin, The Beatles, Dalai Lama, Margaret Thatcher and Tina Turner, to name but a few. Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, a regular guest at London Hilton on Park Lane, was even reported to have written the famous riff from Satisfaction at the hotel.
Commemorative book
Including testaments, tales and long lost images, the 50th Anniversary commemorative book paints an in-depth picture of the hotel’s illustrious history, from 1963 to the present day. The book will be the 49th in The Most Famous Hotels In The World library, dedicated to preserving the history of famous hotels across the globe.
Simon Vincent, president, Europe, Middle East & Africa for Hilton Worldwide, said, London Hilton on Park Lane was the first American hotel chain in the UK and its opening marked a major breakthrough in the brand’s global expansion:
“Hilton has a rich global heritage which sees us celebrating similar anniversaries in Rome, Tokyo and New York this year – and as a company we now have almost 4,000 hotels worldwide across 90 countries. This property, like many others, has become an iconic landmark and has cemented itself among the leading hotels in the world.”
Andreas Augustin, hotel historian and author of the book, said, “London Hilton on Park Lane is a modern icon that has shaped the hospitality industry as we know it. From delving through archives and speaking with former employees, notes, stories and anecdotes have come from all over the world in the quest to revive the rich and colourful history that surrounds the hotel. It has truly been a labour of love.”
Visit the website to view the decades
The opening of London Hilton on Park Lane was instrumental in revolutionising the service industry in the UK and has been at the forefront in nurturing and training aspiring leaders from the industry.
It has also contributed significantly to the future legacy of hospitality though its commitment to apprenticeships and inspiring the next generation of professionals, something the hotel continues to strive towards.
For more information on the 50th Anniversary at London Hilton on Park Lane click here