City of London: Luxury new hotel destined for Custom House with spa, café and views of River Thames

Custom House played a significant role in London’s global trading network and was most recently occupied by HMRC, before being vacated in 2021.

It was several years ago the subject of an application by Cannon Capital Developments which was rejected on appeal in 2022 by the Planning Inspectorate, after the local planning authority, the City of London Corporation, indicated it would have refused the proposal.

Concerns had been raised about the harm to the building if the submission was approved, with the Georgian Group and SAVE Britain’s Heritage among those objecting.

Custom House was bought by real estate company Jastar Capital in 2023 through a subsidiary, Custom House City Ltd.

Under the new plans, recently submitted with the Corporation, Custom House would be transformed into a new 179-bed hotel with dedicated spa and health facilities and food and drink spaces.

A cultural strategy is also proposed which the applicant says would establish a ‘Golden Thread’ through key historic spaces.

These include a new public ground-floor route through the former King’s Warehouse, accompanied by historic displays.

A new public quayside is also planned, which is intended to open up more of the Thames Path and be publicly accessible all year.

Other amenities, including a café, are also proposed.

Jay Matharu of Jastar Capital said: “As long-term custodians, we are thrilled to put forward our plans to revitalise Custom House with welcoming community spaces, a heritage-focused hotel, elegant event spaces, exceptional dining experiences, a dedicated spa, and a dynamic quayside. We extend our sincere thanks to all the stakeholders who have helped shape this exciting proposal which will bring this iconic London landmark back to life.”

Elyse Howell-Price, Associate Director and Historic Buildings Specialist at the architectural firm Orms, said: “Custom House is a hugely sensitive heritage asset in one of the most significant riverside sites in The City of London. Orms’ approach to this project has been to undertake a deep investigation of the history and construction of this remarkable building while at the same time envisioning the potential that the revitalisation of the site could achieve by improving the experience of the riverside for all Londoners.

“Throughout the process we’ve enjoyed productive dialogue with the many stakeholders invested in preserving and celebrating this building by bringing it back into use.”