The US embassy in Grosvenor Square London is to be converted into a Qatari-owned luxury hotel.
According to The Evening Standard the Grade II-Listed building will become a 137-room five star hotel with spa and ballroom for 1,000 guests.
The plans, which will be submitted to Westminster council next month, include six high-end shops and restaurants.
The embassy will become empty next year when American officials move to their new home in London’s Nine Elms in 2017.
Qatari Diar, a subsidiary of sovereign wealth fund the Qatar Investment Authority, have promised to demolish the rows of barriers and bollards put up following 9/11, and restore Grosvenor Square to its former status as an “open, expansive green space for residents and visitors to enjoy”.
Qatari Diar chief development officer Jerry Holmes said a public exhibition of the scheme will be held from April 11 to 16. “We take our responsibility to the local community very seriously,” he added.
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