London, October 7, 2011 - MGallery inaugurates its first establishment in the United Kingdom. The opening of the brand’s first hotel in London is a special moment for Kristin Scott Thomas, the collection’s ambassador, who is particularly fond of the city and knows it well. She officiated at the hotel’s inaugural ceremony on October 6.

Victorian grandeur in the heart of London
St Ermin’s is located in St James in central London, between Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey. It is just a short walk from major West End theatres and London’s historical sites. It offers a real haven of calm right in the city center.

St Ermin’s is also part of London’s history: during the Second World War, British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill sometimes met with his teams in this hotel to organize secret operations. It is also rumored that in the 1950s, a spy used an underground passage linking the hotel to the houses of Parliament to smuggle secret documents out of the Foreign Office. It is said the tunnel still exists, under the majestic staircase that dominates the lobby.

The hotel boasts 331 rooms and owes its singular design to architect Dayna Lee who has successfully combined contemporary decorating features with a classic style creating a friendly and sophisticated atmosphere.

The hotel has three restaurants:

• The Caxton Grill serves stylish European food. The restaurant can cater for 70 guests and has a private dining room.
• The Caxton Terrace, where clients can relax and enjoy views overlooking the courtyard.
• The Caxton Bar, which provides a more casual environment and serves a wide range of drinks as well as a more classical menu.

The establishment boasts state of the art amenities that will please both leisure and business guests, including a fitness area with sports equipment and an exercise room and 14 meeting rooms that can cater for up to 200 people. The hotel can also host weddings and ceremonies. A professional organizer is available on request to personalize private events.

“Unique hotels where every day is filled with emotion and discovery”
MGallery was launched in 2008 and offers a collection of 45 upscale hotels around the world. These establishments provide exceptional settings and locations steeped in history. With their own distinctive identities, unique styles, souls and irreproachable service they will appeal to even the most demanding travelers.

The brand continues to expand on all five continents and aims to have 150 establishments by 2015. It targets primarily individual customers and boasts exceptional new locations. Unique resort hotels supplement the collection, for example, the Kuta Beach Heritage & Spa in Bali or the Medina Essaouira Thalasso Sea & Spa in Morocco. MGallery is also opening hotels in city centers, like the Hotel Muse Bangkok in Thailand and the Auckland Lighter Quay Hotel in New Zealand.

MGALLERY
MGallery is a collection of upscale hotels notable for their personalities, which will appeal to individual travelers seeking distinctive services or looking for a place with more soul.

In the city centre as well as in tourist hotspots, each hotel in the collection offers a distinctive environment in which to fulfill an authentic experience that revolves around a philosophy of pleasure. This is particularly true of the Baltimore, which offers an incomparable sensory culinary journey in its starred restaurant.

This is also true of the exceptional site of the Cour du Corbeau in Strasbourg, a real timbered house, a maze of nooks and passageways that has travelled through five centuries of history and known illustrious guests such as Frederick II, King of Prussia, Voltaire... A collection of hotels like so many different worlds.

Launched in September 2008 by Accor, it now covers five continents and will grow to over 150 locations by late 2015.

Everything you need to know about MGallery hotels can be found at the mgallery.com website.