London’s dullest Radisson Blu to become a Nobu Hotel

The Radisson Blu hotel in Portman Square, just behind John Lewis Oxford Street, is to become London’s second Nobu Hotel.

Radisson Blu will be closing on 18th April, re-opening following refurbishment in 2020.  In an attempt to empty itself out earlier, it has put up its room rate for 17th April to £700.

This is, to put it mildly, an odd move.  The existing hotel is clearly not being demolished if it is re-opening after just a year.  This is an exceptionally dull hotel, however, and I assume the exterior is not changing. 

Whilst the equally dull interiors will presumably be ripped out, I think it is going to struggle to get much of a vibe.  The current Nobu Hotel in Shoreditch was designed by Ron Arad Architects and is a spectacular piece of work.

The only upside I can see is that, with Locanda Locatelli literally next door in Hyatt Regency The Churchill, there is an existing foodie clientele in the area.

Here is the current Nobu Hotel:

and for comparison:

You can see my point.

The top picture is an impression of the rooms post refurbishment.

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