LONDON: Luxury hotel Claridge's has shared plans to build a huge 'iceberg' basement, including a swimming pool, wine cellar, and an in-house chocolatier. The news followed ministers' call to crack down on the construction of rich basements to stop the "horrific" disturbance they pose to the neighbourhood. The Mayfair hotel has submitted its plans to the Westminster city council for a five-storey 1800 sq m extension, which is equivalent to 20 houses.
The group said the extension would include an in-house laundry and a spa, "must haves" for a modern hotel. Also, it would reduce the number of delivery vans needed by the hotel, causing less disturbance and noise in the area. A spokeswoman for Claridge's said, "Claridge's is excited about our future development plans to put in place state-of-the-art, sustainable technology and systems which will further enhance services for our guests, staff and neighbours, taking this iconic Mayfair hotel's vision into the next century." Robert Davis, Westminster's deputy leader and cabinet member for the built environment, said, "Westminster city council supports the right kind of growth and is not against all basement development but they must be carried out in a way that is considerate to local residents and the environment."
