Luxury boutique brand headed for London

(Edition Hotels)

Marriott announced November 8 that it is to bring its upscale boutique brand Edition to London.

The London Edition marks the latest new property announcement for a brand which only opened the doors of its first property a few weeks ago in Hawaii.

It will be situated in the former Berners Hotel, a converted residence in London's bustling Fitzrovia media district which has been closed since 2006, and is set to open between 18 and 24 months from now.

The building will now be totally redeveloped by Ian Schrager, Marriott's partner in the Edition venture and the man credited with creating the "boutique hotel" genre.

Marriott president Arne Sorenson said that that property offered a "great location and beautiful facade," describing it as a "perfect canvas for creating a true work of art".

Reviews of the first Edition property opened in September in Honolulu, Hawaii, have been overwhelmingly positive, although the company's statement November 8 confirmed that the Edition Istanbul, originally expected to be open by the end of 2010, will instead open in the first half of 2011.

The new London property will join a host of other openings from names such as W Hotels, Shangri-La and Sol Melia, which are set to transform the London hotel market over the next two years ahead of the start of the 2012 Olympic Games.

http://www.editionhotels.com