First opened as The Great Central Hotel in 1899, The Landmark London was the last of the great Victorian railway hotels constructed during the golden age of steam. Its origins lie with the ambitions of a visionary entrepreneur, Sir Edward Watkins (1819-1901), who dreamt of establishing a great rail network linking his own Great Central Railway to Europe via a Channel Tunnel terminating at Marylebone Station. Unfortunately, The Great Central Railway Company ran into financial difficulties in 1895 before work on the hotel had begun, and Sir John Blundell Maple, Chairman of the furniture company Maples, agreed to purchase the site at a price of 9d (4.5 pence) per square foot.
THE GOTHIC REVIVAL STYLE
(1899)
The new owner commissioned architect Robert William Edis (1839-1927), a man well known for his approach in buildings typically displaying the Gothic Revival style. The design was to reflect not only the wealth and power of the era, but also the desire of the architect and owner that it should surpass all previous establishments in terms of opulence and luxury.
THE POST-WAR ROARING TWENTIES
In-keeping with the prevailing vogue, the hotel was laid out around a vast central courtyard, which allowed horse-drawn carriages to deposit guests at the heart of the property in privacy and comfort. Later, in adapting to the social needs of the post-war “roaring twenties”, this central courtyard (now the Winter Garden) was transformed into a dance floor.
THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY
The glory of The Great Central Hotel was however, fated not to last. The advent of the motorcar gradually replaced rail as the dominant mode of transport during the early 20th century, and after only forty years the most luxurious of all the great Victorian railway terminus hotels was forced to close its doors. For the next forty years, the building was used as offices, and during the two world wars was requisitioned by the government for convalescing officers and soldiers on leave.
THE RESTORATION
(1986 - 1995)
In 1986, the building was acquired by a Japanese company and renovation work commenced. The ultimate aim of the restoration was to see the hotel reinstated in 1993 as the focal point of business and social life, as originally envisioned by Sir Edward Watkins almost a century before. In 1995, the hotel (previously known as The Regent, London) was acquired by The Lancaster Landmark Hotel Company Ltd and renamed The Landmark London.
