Room with a ‘phew!” BT Tower to be turned into a hotel

If you’ve ever wanted to spend the night at the BT Tower – rejoice. The BT Tower is being sold for for £275m to MCR Hotels, who plan to turn it into a hotel.

The BT Tower is now largely obsolete as a telecoms facility as the all-digital age beclons. Ntwork operations provided from the Tower are now delivered via BT Group’s fixed and mobile networks. 

The BT Tower, built 60 years ago is grade II listed. The main structure is 581 ft high, with aerial rigging bringing the total height t0 620 ft. Upon completion in 1964, it overtook the Millbank Tower to become the tallest structure in London until 1980, when it was  surpassed by the NatWest Tower.

The Tower’s microwave aerials were removed more than a decade ago, as they were  no longer needed to carry telecommunications traffic from London to the rest of the country. 

The BT Tower has long been an important site for BT Group’s Media and Broadcast business, as one of a global interchange points for live television. The Media  & Broadcast division has already been migrating services onto its cloud-based platform, which will  allow a more straightforward move to more modern and efficient premises.

Brent Mathews, Property Director, BT Group said: “The BT Tower sits at the heart of London and  we’ve been immensely proud to be the owners of this important landmark since 1984. It’s played a  vital role in carrying the nation’s calls, messages and TV signals, but increasingly we’re delivering  content and communication via other means. This deal with MCR will enable BT Tower to take on a  new purpose, preserving this iconic building for decades to come.” 

Tyler Morse, CEO and owner of MCR Hotels, said: “We are proud to preserve this beloved building  and will work to develop proposals to tell its story as an iconic hotel, opening its doors for  generations to enjoy.” 

MCR Hotels own around 150 hotels, including the historic landmark Eero Saarinen-designed TWA Hotel in New York City. Payment for the sale will be made over multiple years, as BT Group  equipment is progressively removed from the building, with final payment on completion of the  purchase.  

BT Tower was opened for operations in 1965 by Prime Minister Harold Wilson. As well as acting as  a hub for the UK’s communication networks, BT Tower was open to the public until 1971, with a restaurant making use of the revolving top floor. Since 1984, BT Tower has been operated by BT  Group, with its top floor regularly hosting corporate and charity events, and its “infoband” screen  regularly displaying messages across London