Ultra-modern no-frills Trocadero hotel to revitalise Piccadilly Circus

A NEW hotel set to open in the Trocadero probably won’t find itself on the shortlist of host venues for the annual conference of claustrophobes.
With rooms little bigger than a first class aeroplane cabin – at just 12 square metres and not a window to speak of – the no-frills “pod hotel” is not to the tastes of those who look for the description “roomy” in their guidebooks.
Plans for the hotel on the beleaguered site in Piccadilly Circus, which takes its inspiration from Japanese capsule hotels, were due to be approved by Westminster Council’s planning committee last night (Thursday) after they agreed at a previous meeting that the rooms don’t pose a health risk.
The architect behind the scheme says the cocoon-like rooms will be aimed at the budget market but would not compromise on quality.
With rates expected to be between £20 and £40 a night, it will be one of the cheapest beds in ­central London when the hotel opens in 2012.
Wan Yau, director of Dexter Moren Associates, said: “We have drawn inspiration from the latest advancements in product design such as the iPod and Smart car to create a stylish and technically sophisticated room.
“A key objective was to design a room that provides guests with a high quality hotel experience. The lighting,
temperature and even TV channels can be preprogrammed, enabling every guest to have a personalised ‘pod’ experience.”
The departure of a series of high profile clients in recent years, including Planet Hollywood, Segaworld and Nickelodeon, have left the once bustling tourist hotspot struggling during the recession. As well as the 495-bedroom seven-floor hotel, the new development will also include retail, residential apartments and a new community arts space in place of the one-time IMAX and Cine­world cinemas.
The firm that will take charge of the room keys, Acor, hope the yet-to-be named hotel will be the capital’s answer to the Pod Hotel in New York, which has gained a cult following from visitors on a shoestring.
But the development led by Criterion Capital, the firm owned by millionaire property tycoon Asif Aziz, is not without its critics, most notably from Theatreland.
The firm that runs the nearby Apollo and Lyric theatres – both Victorian structures with relatively poor sound insulation – has written to the council’s planning department to demand the developer pays for soundproofing during construction.
JAMIE WELHAM