Discover the History of Strand Palace Hotel London

We welcomed our first guests in 1909, in Edwardian London. Guests found us at 372 Strand, one of London’s oldest and finest streets. It’s a location that links Trafalgar Square to Covent Garden and The City just beyond.

Our history goes hand in hand with London’s. Together, we’ve witnessed three monarchs ascends the throne. We’ve seen governments rise and fall. We’ve lived through two world wars. We thrived in the 60s and survived Punk in the seventies.Our corridors have hosted legends — from luminaries like Charlie Chaplin and Vivien Leigh to the valiant American war veterans. We’ve played host to hippies and yuppies, baby boomers and millennials, Gen Z and now Gen Alpha. Throughout all that history and over all that time our affection for London has not once waned.

We’re proud to be part of London’s story. Our people contribute to and learn from its culture, its commerce and its continued success. They have seen much and can recount more. For at Strand Palace, we revel in rewarding our guests by serving London love.

History Beneath Our Feet

The Strand is more than just a busy London thoroughfare. Running parallel to the Thames and connecting Westminster to the City, it has been a focus for political and financial power for centuries. Somerset House, a few minutes’ walk from the hotel, is just one of the noblemen’s residences that once lined the street.

https://d337pdvlg6sju5.cloudfront.net/media/images/aboutus/history-birth-of-strand-palace.webp?timestamp=1630507153089

The Birth of Strand Palace

Our part in the street’s story begins in 1907, when permission was granted for a ‘grand’ new hotel. Two years later the Strand Palace opened its doors. At that time, a single room with breakfast would have set you back five shillings and six pence – just 27p in today’s money.

An Art Deco Icon

The twenties saw Strand Palace expand, taking over the neighbouring Haxell’s Family Hotel. But the real story was a spectacular redesign. New art deco features – including a foyer so iconic that it is now owned by the V&A museum – proved a hit with fashionable Londoners, and made the hotel a firm fixture on the capital’s social scene.

https://d337pdvlg6sju5.cloudfront.net/media/images/aboutus/history-war-years.webp?timestamp=1630506953732

The War Years

The hotel adapted quickly to the Second World War, providing accommodation for American servicemen, accepting ration vouchers in its restaurants and sheltering guests in its basement during air raids. Not everything changed, however – the hotel’s regular dances continued, offering a much-needed escape for war-weary Londoners.

https://d337pdvlg6sju5.cloudfront.net/media/images/aboutus/sphstreetview1945_1002_530x315.webp

Post-War Modernisation

With the war years behind it, the hotel began to modernise. By 1958 all rooms had private bathrooms, and increased demand for hot water spelt the end for our old coal-fired boilers, which had been salvaged from a First World War battleship. Modern oil-fired models took their place. Electronic cash registers soon followed, hinting at the communications revolution to come.

https://d337pdvlg6sju5.cloudfront.net/media/images/aboutus/sph6_1002_530x315.webp

A Window into the Past

You can see vintage photographs and artefacts from Strand Palace both here and at the V&A museum. Our own collections are held in the V&A’s archives, and include our 1920s revolving door and a room key that was recovered from a First World War trench in Normandy, France.

//d337pdvlg6sju5.cloudfront.net/media/images/aboutus/exteasercard.png

Strand Palace Today

With Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs throughout, Strand Palace would now be unrecognisable to guests from the Edwardian era. But links with the past still remain: a few Art Deco touches are visible inside and outside the building; guests from the war years still return to relive their memories. Outside, the Strand remains a buzzing focal point of West End life, just as it was in 1909.