How to start a hotel development in London

Start with an operating brief

A hotel is an operating business as well as a building. Before counting bedrooms, identify the guest market, service level, likely operator and the facilities needed to deliver that offer. A small boutique hotel, a budget hotel and an extended-stay concept can require different layouts and commercial assumptions.

Commission appropriate market and viability advice. Test demand, room rates, occupancy, seasonality and operating costs using evidence rather than assuming that a London address guarantees a viable hotel. Ask an operator to review the brief before the architectural layout becomes fixed.

Check the location and planning position

Review the existing lawful use, planning history and borough policies together with the London Plan. Its visitor-infrastructure policy addresses the location and quality of accommodation. A conversion of an existing building can raise different questions from a new hotel, including the loss of the previous use and effects on neighbouring occupiers.

Discuss whether pre-application advice would usefully test the principle of development. Identify likely requirements for transport, servicing, noise, energy, heritage and other evidence. Planning consent is not an operating licence or a complete technical approval.

Draw the spaces that do not earn room revenue

Lifts, stairs, escape routes, accessible circulation, housekeeping, linen, staff facilities, plant, refuse and deliveries all need space. An early bedroom count that ignores these functions can overstate the project's potential. Test a typical floor and the ground-floor operation together.

Appoint competent fire-safety and technical advisers early. The government's sleeping-accommodation guidance is a starting reference for fire-risk responsibilities, not a substitute for a project-specific design strategy. Accessibility and evacuation should inform the plan from the outset.

Build a complete development programme

• Land or acquisition due diligence and operator discussions.
• Planning feasibility and specialist surveys.
• Design, approvals and coordinated technical information.
• Construction, fit-out, furniture and operating equipment.
• Commissioning, inspections, staff preparation and opening costs.
• Working capital and a contingency for delayed opening.

Check separate permissions for activities such as alcohol sales, food operations or signage where relevant. Agree who is responsible for each requirement and allow time before the proposed opening.

Bring us the site, existing plans and intended hotel concept at an early stage. We can test architectural feasibility and coordinate design input with your operator and specialist team. The first useful output is a credible development brief and options appraisal, rather than an optimistic room count.