Luxury hotel to open in London stately home

Hilton is to open a landmark hotel on the West London estate of the Duke of Northumberland, it announced July 19.

The London Syon Park will be part of the chain's luxury Waldorf Astoria collection and is designed to fit in with its opulent surroundings - right down to the butterfly house in the lobby.

The property is slated to open on the Syon Park estate in November 2010 and will offer 137 rooms and seven luxury suites.

It will also boast an ice cream parlor, swimming pool and spa experience, along with a "discreet treatment" service agreement from a top celebrity surgeon.

Guests will also have access to activities such as trout fishing on the estate's 200 acres (81 hectares) of grounds, which look out across the river Thames to the nearby Kew Gardens.

Syon House has been owned by the Duke of Northumberland's family for over 400 years and is the London residence of the current Duke, who spends much of his time at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, a popular tourist attraction and film set for the Harry Potter movies.

In 1997, the Duchess of Northumberland instigated a massive redevelopment of the grounds around Alnwick castle, which helped The Alnwick Garden to become the third most popular paid-entry garden in the United Kingdom.

However, the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland aren't the only members of the United Kingdom's aristocracy to turn their hands to hospitality.

The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire own a chain of hotels, across their estates in Yorkshire and Derbyshire, including one on the edge of the Chatsworth Estate, the home of their family for over 400 years.

The Duke of Westminster owns the five-star Chester Grosvenor and Spa through the Grosvenor Group, which manages several other businesses and property interests on his behalf.

In Scotland, the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe operate the Roxburghe Hotel and Golf Course, a country house set on their extensive estate in the Scottish Borders countryside.

http://www.waldorfastoria.com/