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Claridge's reveals how 'world's greatest engineers' helped dig five-storeys deep to create new spa
An extraordinary five-storey iceberg basement at luxury Mayfair hotel Claridge's - to create a stunning new spa and pool area - is the only excavation of its kind ever to have happened in the UK, says the project manager behind it.
The ambitious renovation works, which have taken seven years and involved mining by hand to subdue noise levels, were completed in September 2021 and have created a gargantuan space 33-metres underneath the historic hotel, which first opened its doors in 1812.
There are also 72 new rooms and suites - including a £50,000 per night penthouse supersuite - across four additional floors added to the roof of the Art Deco hotel.
The first episode of The Mayfair Hotel Megabuild, which aired on BBC2 at 9pm on Monday, documented how some of 'greatest engineers in the world' came to together to plan the excavation of London clay.
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Digging deep! In a project that has taken seven years, the basement excavation at Claridge's hotel in central London has added five storeys and 20,000 sq ft
Michelle Mackey, senior project manager with McGee, the construction company owed by her father Jim that is behind the works, told the programme the extension underground was 'the biggest basement in the UK carried out in this way'.
The hotel has remained open throughout the renovation, which began in 2015, with well-heeled guests checking into one of the capital's swishest addresses apparently untroubled by the huge building work.
The first phase involved digging vertically down, just two metres underneath the guest floors, initially through one single hole, just two and a half metres' wide, at the back of the property, which is situated on Brook Street in the heart of Mayfair.
On the third floor down lies the new 7,000 sq ft Claridge’s Spa, which was designed by Hong Kong interior architect André Fu, and boasts a steam room, pool, sauna and seven treatment rooms.
On the third floor down of the new basement lies the new 7,000 sq ft Claridge’s Spa, which was designed by Hong Kong interior architect André Fu, and boasts a steam room, pool, sauna and seven treatment rooms
Calming: Designer Fu took his inspiration from Japanese gardens and spaces in Kyoto
As the historic Mayfair hotel looked prior to the three floors being added to the roof - with 72 additional rooms now available
The first episode of The Mayfair Hotel Megabuild, which aired on BBC2 at 9pm on Monday, documented how some of 'greatest engineers in the world' came to together to plan the unique iceberg basement
Alongside the spa, there's also a laundry, cinema and a state-of-the-art wine cellar and kitchen
A whopping 25,000 cubic metres of earth was 'top-down' excavated from around the 61 columns created to provide the foundations for the five storeys.
Directly above the basement is the ballroom that's hosted heads of state, society weddings and celebrities galore - and much of the digging was done by hand to ensure that it could be business as usual in the lavish wings above.
The first phase involved digging vertically down, just two metres underneath the guest floors, initially through one single hole, just two and a half metres' wide
The seven-year project aims to sustain the future of the luxury London hotel, making it one of the world's leading hotels
A construction worker on site in the basement of Claridge's as work got underway to support the historic hotel above with 61 columns
The spa focuses on natural elements and features solid French limestone and natural oak in its aesthetic.
Alongside the spa, there's also a laundry, cinema and a state-of-the-art wine cellar and kitchen.
Despite the project, which has tunneled 33 metres deep underground, taking seven years, the hotel's boss and the project's mastermind, Paddy McKillen, vowed to keep doors open to paying guests.
The three-part series looks at how the works - which have added 50 per cent to the original building's size - were able to continue using a traffic light system that would block noise and vibration when guests were using the ballroom.
Mckillen told the programme that if you close a hotel for 'two or three years, you never get your customers back. I was very insistent that to close the hotel was a no-no.'
The next episode of The Mayfair Hotel Megabuild airs on Monday 9th January at 9pm on BBC2. Episode one is available to watch now on iPlayer.
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Inside one of Britain's most elite hotels: MailOnline's SAMANTHA LEWIS spends the night in one of Claridge's 'gobsmackingly huge' new suites - and is pampered at the stunning new subterranean spa
'This is all for me?', I gasp. I'm at Claridge's, London's grand dame luxury hotel, and I've just walked into my suite for the first time.
Up on the eighth floor The Mews Pavilion - gobsmackingly huge and seemingly mine for the night - is one of the hotel's new additions. It's only been open for two months.
Samantha discovers that views of the Mayfair rooftops stretch the whole length of the suite
Samantha visits the 'sultry' Fumoir Bar (pictured) for a pre-dinner snack
The Foyer (above) is an all-day dining restaurant famous for its showpiece lobster wellington, Samantha reveals
Conceived by interior designer Bryan O'Sullivan, the decor is a patchwork of fine furniture and Art Deco flourishes. Geometric mirrors, scalloped sofas and pendant lamps all hark back to the 1920s.
The bedroom feels calm and elegant with its soft oyster white and gold colour scheme. It has a pillowy king-sized bed and the most luxurious walk-in wardrobe.
Things get more vibrant in the living room, where artwork and theatrical rugs offer an injection of colour. It's a little mishmash for my taste, but who am I to complain when it comes kitted out with a dining table, grand piano and cocktail bar.
Incredibly, views of the Mayfair rooftops stretch the whole length of the suite, which covers some 190 square metres (2,045 square feet).
What does one do with all this space? Pour a glass of complimentary Laurent-Perrier Champagne and wander around feeling slightly overwhelmed.
LEFT: The Art Deco-style geometric mirrors in the main bathroom. RIGHT: A snap of the guest bathroom
Apart from the size of the suite, the other thing that floors me is the private steam room in the bathroom. I didn't even notice it at first because it's hidden through a secret archway that opens into a magnificent marble spectacle.
But that will have to wait because I have Claridge's first-ever pool and spa area on the basement level to check out – a groundbreaking project, quite literally, that saw teams dig five floors into London clay.
The space is noticeably inspired by the wellness rituals of Japan: guests receive kimonos to wear and each treatment begins with a welcoming foot ceremony. Peaceful nooks, meanwhile, are dressed with items that point to the East, such as books on Shinrin-Yoku (forest bathing).
There are two signature treatments to choose from - the Bamboo and Silk Ritual and the Body Detox & Sculpt- as well as offerings from resident brands including Josh Wood, Augustinus Bader and FaceGym.
I try FaceGym's Signature Sculpt treatment, which is designed to exercise the 40-plus muscles in your face. My therapist uses a pinching technique and some seriously high-tech tools to tone and tighten. The results show immediately: reduced puffiness and razor-sharp cheekbones.
Later, as I admire the effects in the mirror, I reflect on the number of fabulous people that have whirled through Claridge's revolving doors in its 200-plus-year history. Names such as Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.
Samantha discovers a 'secret' arched doorway in the bathroom (pictured left), which leads into a stunning private steam room (pictured right)
I follow in their footsteps down to the iconic checkerboard lobby, the beating heart of the hotel. My evening begins with a snack (posh KFC-style fried chicken) in the sultry Fumoir Bar, and then it's onto The Foyer. This all-day dining restaurant is famous for one dish in particular - the lobster wellington.
My guest and I cannot resist plumping for this showstopper, which arrives at our table on a silver platter. It's a whole succulent lobster wrapped in pastry, served with sautéed courgette and decadent truffle fries.
The Foyer (above) is an all-day dining restaurant famous for its showpiece lobster wellington, Samantha reveals
Pudding is a deeply chocolatey mousse with buckwheat praline, and a vanilla mille-feuille with caramel sauce. It's at this point in the meal that I realise the only thing missing here is someone to roll you to bed.
Amazingly, I still manage to polish off two thick slices of fried-to-perfection French toast the next morning. Breakfast is served in The Foyer, or you can have it delivered to your room (my ultimate travel indulgence).
All things considered, it's really no wonder Hollywood icon Spencer Tracy famously declared: 'When I die I don't want to go to heaven. I want to go to Claridge's.'