The Gantry London, Curio Collection by Hilton

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) has signed a franchise agreement with The Gantry Group, a joint venture between Black Friar Holdings and a £1.1bn institutional investor.

The London Gantry, an 18-storey Curio Collection by Hilton hotel with 285 guestrooms, will include extensive neighbourhood bar and restaurant spaces and an impressive sky bar with views across the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and beyond to London"s dramatic skyline.

The new hotel will be amongst the best-connected hotels in East London, situated opposite Stratford International Train Station, Westfield Stratford City shopping centre and within easy access of London"s Excel and O2 arenas.

Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development, EMEA, Hilton said: "Stratford is London"s fastest growing business and leisure district, and a major contributor to the capital"s economic growth, with 125,000 new jobs forecast to be created in East London by 2030. [1]

Launched in 2014, Curio Collection by Hilton is a collection of remarkable upper upscale hotels handpicked for their unique character and personality. The Gantry London will join two Curio Collection by Hilton hotels in London, the trading Trafalgar St. James, Curio Collection by Hilton and Lincoln Plaza London, Curio Collection by Hilton, which is expected to open in 2018.

Design studios ICA were responsible for the iconic architectural interpretation of the project. Chris Fegan, Director, ICA said: "It was great to work closely with a client whose vision was to create a landmark hotel which had the local neighbourhood at its heart. By layering the heritage of Stratford into the design we feel that we have created something that is iconic and will be a unique experience for guests."

This ethos is manifest in the welcoming feel of the Curio Collection by Hilton hotel"s entrance. A curved two-storey podium, formed by a comforting interplay of geometries, invites guests and the local community into the space. Above, the property achieves a singular building aesthetic, which manifests in a singular skin of copper coloured fins. These fins allow the hotel"s appearance to change and morph throughout the day and into the night as light and shadow shift and vary.

The interior will celebrate the contrast of raw vs luxurious and hard vs soft. A reclaimed chandelier mixed with velvet clad furniture offers a decadent touch of old glamour against the new structure. The grandeur of the space breaks down into smaller intimate pockets, providing a personal check in experience or a quiet corner to enjoy a chance encounter, with hints to Stratford"s forgotten industrial past represented in artwork and objects to intrigue the Curious Traveller.

The Gantry London, Curio Collection by Hilton will be located on De Coubertin Street, London, E20 1AE.

Hotel website