New partnership announced between Brooklands Museum and The Peninsula London Hotel
07 September 2023
Brooklands Museum is announcing a prestigious new partnership with The Peninsula London hotel, which opens its doors this September.
For nearly a century The Peninsula Hotels has been the world’s leading luxury hotel brand, known for its impeccable hospitality, and its legendary flagship hotel in Hong Kong. The new Peninsula London sits on Hyde Park Corner, overlooking Wellington Arch, and will feature a signature rooftop restaurant named Brooklands.
Designed by British architects Archer Humphryes, its various rooms and spaces, which include a bar, a restaurant, terrace and private dining rooms are inspired by the Brooklands story, with clever references to both classic British aviation and motorsport. It will offer fine Modern British cuisine masterminded by Michelin-starred Chef Director Claude Bosi and panoramic views over Hyde Park and the London skyline. The original relationship between the hotel and Brooklands Museum began in 2014 when former Director Allan Winn and Stewart John (then a long-standing Museum Trustee) had a conversation with The Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie, the Chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (owner and operator of The Peninsula Hotels) Group, whom they both already knew, at a P&A Wood function. This conversation was the genesis of the Brooklands theme for The Peninsula London. Sir Michael and some of his team visited the Museum in November 2014.
Discussions continued alongside meetings with the designers and with the Peninsula Board throughout 2015. The Napier-Railton was invited to the Hong Kong Classic and Allan suggested the car stay on to be displayed in The Peninsula Hong Kong for a few days to great success. As the project has progressed, a more formal partnership developed between Brooklands Museum and hotel. Beyond the design inspiration, this incorporates a short-term loan programme of Brooklands Collection vehicles for the restaurant’s entrance lobby, where there is an exclusive opportunity to share Brooklands Museum’s story with guests. In preparation for opening, a number of The Peninsula’s Guest Services Team have visited and toured the Museum to understand the collection and experiences offered.
At the end of May, the Collection team took the Napier-Railton for a practice run, testing the plinth where our loaned vehicles will be housed, in the restaurant’s dedicated lobby. The Napier-Railton will be the first car to make an appearance for the hotel’s opening month and it will return to them again at Christmas. Tamalie Newbery speaking of the partnership said: ‘Brooklands was the pre-eminent venue for motorsport in its heyday. It was the place to be seen, with a reputation for glamour and speed that thrilled competitors and visitors alike, and where pioneering engineers designed the leading aircraft of the day. The partnership celebrates this unique history in a new way.
It has been exciting to work with The Peninsula team to establish the Brooklands restaurant concept. We look forward to the opening with great anticipation.’ The Peninsula Hotels group, which was established in 1928 and has a unique identity among the world’s leading hotels, so Brooklands is excited to confirm this partnership that will provide a great opportunity for Brooklands Museum’s work to reach a wider national and international audience. ‘Automotive excellence and innovation are abiding passions of The Peninsula brand and ownership, so Brooklands was the perfect British partner to inspire this important project in London. Visitors to our signature rooftop restaurant will have the chance to view iconic cars from the Brooklands Collection as they begin their dining experience. Each design and detail honours Brooklands’ singular heritage as the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation. The collaboration has been an exciting journey so far, and the best is yet to come as we begin to welcome guests from the 12 September,’ said The Peninsula London’s Managing Director, Sonja Vodusek.
This article first appeared in the Brooklands Bulletin.
Words: Beatrice Meecham Photos: London Peninsula, Brooklands Museum Collection
