An extraordinary new speakeasy-style club is now open in former bank vaults hidden two floors beneath Hotel Gotham. The new club and events space has been launched just ahead of Christmas by the luxurious five-star hotel.
It's the first time the secret bank vault has been open to the public - after years spent under dust and grime. Hotel bosses have lavished almost £2m to create Gilt - named in the banking and 1930s theme that the hotel is known for.
They decided to develop the space to offer a new events experience to private members, as well as hotel guests - and to members of the public, who from next year will be able to book tickets to music and club nights there. There are also private dining rooms in the old bank safes.
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The King Street hotel is known as one of the world's most luxurious hotels. It is based in the stunning former Midland Bank building, designed by Edwin Lutyens and known as "the king of King Street".
One floor beneath the Art Deco building is a bank vault which was famously transformed into a private dining space when Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant was next door, with that space soon to become new Gordon Ramsay restaurant Lucky Cat.
But on the floor beneath that lies the SECOND bank vault owned by Hotel Gotham. It features an extraordinary fully-tiled room that has been untouched since it was a bank decades ago.
All the original tiles have been cleaned and kept in the sunken floor space. And now there's a stage where jazz musicians and guest artists will perform at regular club nights to which the public can book tickets from early 2023.
The club will host no more than around 70 guests a time, as an intimate and exclusive entertainment venue. The space here, as across the vault, will also be available to hire out exclusively for private events or parties.
It played host to its first party for members this week - for the annual Christmas knees up where guests took advantage of the main dancefloor space.
When works began down in the vaults, staff were delighted to discover a "secret" staircase. That will now be the main access for guests into Gilt - as it leads right up to the main reception of the hotel.
There is also the option of an extraordinary private dining room in one of the old bank safes to cater to up to 20 people, which will have a huge billiard table that can be converted into a dining table.
In this space, you can choose from a raft of tasting menus for your party, ranging from £79 per person to £119 per person. You will have your own private chef and sommelier for the occasion and there's a large video screen for those who want to use it for a private screening, watch a football match or host a corporate presentation.
Also in the vault will be a beauty salon run by Ruuby, which will offer everything from manicures, massages and facials to a full range of on-site hair and beauty services. Classic shoe-shining chairs will sit close to the main reception for the space.
The opulent Art Deco theming of the hotel runs throughout the club space - even through to the toilets. Here you'll find striking tiling as well as some original banking details that still remain.
The main hotel is spread across the top floors of the Art Deco building, with the hotel's restaurant Honey found on the sixth floor, while private members bar Club Brass is on the roof. It boasts three rooftop terraces that are popular haunts in more seasonable weather than the current cold snap.
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