BT Tower to Become a Hotel

The Post Office Tower, as it was originally known, is set to become a hotel as owners BT Group sell to US group MCR Hotels for £275m.

The BT Tower was London’ tallest building for sixteen years after its opening in 1965 with its microwave aerials playing an essential role in telecommunications.  Telecoms has undergone its own revolution and the Tower’s role has diminished but it still remains a significant London landmark.

Regarding the sale, Brent Mathews, property director at BT, stated, “The BT Tower sits at the heart of London and we’ve been immensely proud to be the owners of this important landmark since 1984.  It’s played a vital role in carrying the nation’s calls, messages and TV signals, but increasingly we’re delivering content and communication via other means. This deal with MCR will enable the BT Tower to take on a new purpose, preserving this iconic building for decades to come.”

Tyler Morse, chief executive and owner of MCR, added: “We are proud to become owners and custodians of the iconic BT Tower. We will take our time to carefully develop proposals that respect the London landmark’s rich history and open the building for everyone to enjoy.”

BT will take a number of years to vacate the Tower, due to the complexity of their installation, giving significant time for design & devlopment proposals and engagement with local communities

MCR Hotels owns and operates many of New York’s best-known hotels, including The High Line Hotel and the TWA Hotel at John F Kennedy International Airport.

.

“We see many parallels between the TWA Hotel and the BT Tower,” said Morse. “Both are world-renowned, groundbreaking pieces of architecture. It’s been a privilege to adapt the TWA Flight Center into new use for future generations, as it will be the BT Tower.”