London Calling: Hyatt Place Paddington to Open Doors Next Year
Big news for Hyatt enthusiasts and London travelers alike: Hyatt is set to expand its footprint in the heart of London with the opening of Hyatt Place London Paddington in 2024. The discovery was made by the eagle-eyed team at Traveling for Miles, and even though it falls under the Hyatt Place banner, on the more modest end of the Hyatt spectrum, the implications are anything but modest.
London has long been a haven for upscale Hyatt properties like the iconic Hyatt Regency Churchill, the stylish Hyatt Regency Blackfriars, the historic Great Scotland Yard, and the trendy Andaz Liverpool Street. However, the city has been severely lacking in select-service Hyatt options, catering to longer stays or trips where the property takes a back seat to the destination – and London offers no shortage of things to do outside the four walls of your hotel.
This new addition will mark only the fourth select-service Hyatt property in the London area, joining the ranks of Hyatt Place London City East, Hyatt Place Heathrow Airport, and Hyatt House London Stratford.
Location-wise, the Hyatt Place London Paddington boasts an enviable address at 29/23 Norfolk Square, just steps away from London Paddington Station. This central location is a strategic hub served by multiple Tube lines and the newly inaugurated Elizabeth Line. Not only does this make it convenient to explore various parts of London, but it’s also a boon for travelers to and from Heathrow. Paddington is home to the Heathrow Express, providing nonstop service to Heathrow Central, and the Elizabeth Line offers a direct connection to the airport. This is great risk mitigation against missing your flight; recent years have been marked by rampant strike action in the UK, and Paddington provides two easy ways to get to LHR, neither of which are reliant on the Tube, local buses, or connections to other services.
The 87-room hotel is set to emerge from the conversion of the Norfolk Plaza Hotel, a 1970s-era hotel that has seen better days. While details about the amenities are scant, let’s face it – it’s a Hyatt Place. You’re getting a clean, comfortable place to stay the night while racking up elite nights towards World of Hyatt status. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – on past visits to the city, I’ve made a bad habit of dropping a lot of points on a high-end property I didn’t want to leave despite there being an infinite amount of things to do in London. Maybe next time, I’ll give this Hyatt Place a shot, and use the savings in points to stay longer than I otherwise might have. London ain’t a cheap date, so this is a welcome option.
The anticipated opening date is pegged for July 1, 2024, according to the property’s information page. However, as of the time of this writing, reservations have yet to be made available on Hyatt.com, and it’s unclear what award category the property will fall into (I’m betting category 3, allowing for use of those sweet, sweet Cat 1-4 free night certificates). Keep your eyes peeled for updates, and mark your calendars for a potential stay at the Hyatt Place London Paddington in the summer of 2024.