SIGN UP FOR PROJECT UPDATES

BT Tower Hotel Project

The Transformation of the BT Tower Begins

Industry‑leading hotel owner‑operator MCR is bringing forward proposals to secure the long-term future of the BT Tower and its base buildings. This website provides information about our vision for the BT Tower, details about our public consultations, key benefits of the proposals, and the world‑class team involved in the project.

Planning Application Submitted to Camden Council

The BT Tower Hotel Project planning application has been submitted to the London Borough of Camden.

The submission follows extensive engagement with the local community. We’ve spoken to more than 350 attendees at two public exhibitions and received over 170 items of feedback which helped shape the application. We also hosted a Development Management Forum attended by 50 people and we met with local residents and community organisations. Our project mailing list received over 740 sign-ups in seven months.

The project team has submitted a hotel-led development of the BT Tower that will make a positive impact on the local area. Repurposing the Grade II-listed Tower, together with the Podium and Howland Building, will result in public realm improvements and lasting benefits for the area. Our retrofit-first approach keeps the existing structure at the heart of the scheme, while opening the Tower and its Podium to the public for the first time in nearly 50 years.

The application is available to view via Camden’s Planning Portal, using reference 2026/3799/P. You can sign up for our mailing list at the bottom of this website to be kept updated.

Our Vision

MCR intends to bring one of Britain’s most iconic buildings into public use through a hotel‑led, mixed‑use development that celebrates the BT Tower’s rich heritage, complements Fitzrovia’s historic character, and delivers meaningful placemaking and employment opportunities for the local community.

You Spoke, We Listened: See How You Shaped BT Tower’s Future

Since the first public consultation events in May, The BT Tower Hotel Project has been refining its proposals based on the community’s feedback. The team completed its second public exhibition at the All Souls Clubhouse Sports Hall on the following dates:
‍
Monday, 13 July, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Thursday, 16 July, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Saturday, 18 July, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

The information displayed at our second public exhibition is available here.

Our second round of public consultation has closed and we thank all participants. We are considering the feedback as we develop our designs before submitting our planning application in September. Sign up to our mailing list below to be notified when our application is submitted to Camden Council.

First Public Consultation

The BT Tower Hotel Project completed its first public consultation events at the Jeremy Bentham Room at the University College London on the following dates:

Monday, 11 May, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Tuesday, 12 May, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Saturday, 16 May, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

The information displayed at our first public exhibitions can be viewed here.

To be informed by email about our upcoming public consultation events, please sign up for project updates here. You will have an opportunity to view the emerging proposals for the site, meet the project team and share your feedback on the plans.

What the Project Will Deliver for Fitzrovia and Camden

Public access to the Top of the Tower and its podium buildings for the first time in nearly half a century.
New construction jobs and full-time jobs for the local community.
A significant economic boost for the neighbourhood, supporting local businesses through increased visitor spending.

A new publicly accessible square and pool, as well as walking routes through the site.
Public realm improvements, making the surrounding streets safer, and more pedestrian-friendly.
Exciting new retail shops and restaurants.

About the Project Team

‍MCR is the 3rd-largest hotel owner-operator in the United States with a $5.0 billion portfolio of 150 hotels. MCR owns and operates many of New York’s best-known hotels, including The High Line Hotel, a former seminary, and the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport, a reimagining of Eero Saarinen’s 1962 landmark Flight Center, which received a national Architecture Award from the American Institute of Architects. The company also owns and is currently redeveloping the famed Gramercy Park Hotel. MCR has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Travel Companies.

Architect

Orms is an employee-owned architecture firm based in central London. Continually evolving the studio for the past 40+ years, Orms designs spaces that bring meaningful solutions to urban life. Specialists in retrofit projects with deep consideration for heritage and sustainability, Orms's ultra practical approach guided the award-winning conversion of the Standard Hotel, London.

Heritage Consultant

Donald Insall Associates, conservation architects and heritage consultants, bring unrivalled expertise and a pioneering spirit to facilitate opportunities in the historic environment. The firm's clients include custodians of the most significant historic buildings in the UK, including Parliament and the Great Estates. DIA has particular experience in helping its clients to unlock their modern buildings and make them more sustainable, accessible and vibrant for years to come.

Planning Consultant

Newmark UK is a market leader with an unparalleled track record across central London, and its experience with large, complex development projects is second to none. Newmark UK has exceptional experience advising on many of the most sensitive and complex schemes in Camden and has a deep understanding of the borough, its policies, politics, priorities, and stakeholders.

Project Development Manager

Edit brings decades of specialist expertise to building refurbishment and repositioning. Focused solely on existing buildings, Edit navigates complexity, manages risk, and uncovers hidden value others overlook. By celebrating architecture, history, and character, Edit delivers creative, sustainable refurbishments that future-proof buildings and unlock their full potential.

Community Engagement Consultant

Lowick Hedry is a community and political engagement consultancy with a breadth of experience working on hotel-led projects in Camden. Lowick Hedry works with developers to design and deliver impactful community engagement and consultation programmes, ensuring local stakeholders are heard and their feedback meaningfully informs the development process.