Behind the scenes of a multimillion-pound revamp of a ‘glocal’ dual-brand hotel

David Hayden, General Manager of Mercure and ibis London Earls

Court hotel, talks to Sarah Dale about the new multi-million-pound refurbishment of the West London hotel.

Everything about the recently renovated Mercure and ibis London Earls Court hotel has been carefully designed to maximise the experience of business, leisure and “bleisure” (combined business and leisure trips) guests.

Over the past three years, the former ibis hotel has undergone a multi-million-pound refurbishment and repositioned as a combo hotel encompassing two Iconic brands within Accor, Mercure & ibis.

The 12-storey hotel boasts 226 ibis rooms and 282 Mercure rooms, one of the largest pillar-free ballrooms in London and a variety of meeting spaces which can cater for events up to 1,200 guests. Within their Food & Beverage outlets, they used PARIS

SOCIETY to delve into their customer brand, curating local cuisine with international twists, delivered in a warm space with personable service, creating Barnaby’s Kitchen and Lounge. Barnaby is a traditional English gentleman who had spent his life travelling to different places around the world, immersing himself in local culture and learning varied cooking techniques whom has now returned to his home in London. The menu includes dishes such as spiced fish pie and a smoked salmon Scotch egg.

The ‘Layers of Time’ themed Mercure rooms are inspired by the iconic Tardis from Doctor Who, which stands in front of Earls Court station and there is a nod to the glassblowing and pottery-making history of the location with its Tom Dixon lighting.

The official rebrand opening was in late July 2024, post Wimbledon, which is fitting as the hotel is a Lawn Tennis Association hotel during the Championships. Final completion of rooms was in February 2025.

David Hayden, General Manager, says: “The ethos behind our renovation & repositioning is we offer choice: a 3* hotel and a 4* hotel under the same roof, to appeal to both business and leisure customers and to offer different price points, with bespoke F & B, and with an excellent offering for those hosting events and groups. We are receiving excellent feedback from customers on both properties and in various markets.”

Accor is a global brand with over 5,600 hotels worldwide. Both brands; ibis & Mercure are within the top three brands globally by footprint within Accor. The Mercure London Earls Court celebrated being a part of the 1,000th celebration of Mercure, a significant milestone for the brand globally in November 2024. However, every hotel is part of its local community. Mercure London Earls Court is no different.

“We are glocal – global but local,” adds David.

“Being members of the West London Chambers of Commerce is important to us as our ethos is to be part of the local community. We use Dickenson Quality Meats for our restaurant and we have gin from Sipsmith Distillery in Chiswick. We also recycled some of our furniture which was not required as part of the refurbishment to the Dad’s House charity.

“We won Employer of the Year 2023 at the West London Chambers of Commerce Awards and Runner Up in the Best Hospitality and Leisure Business category. We have also sponsored the awards.

“Both Sally and Alan from the Chamber have visited the hotel and my sales team see them regularly at events. We have the same ambitions as the Chamber and we are also a London Living Wage Employer.

“The benefits of being a member of the Chamber – which we joined eight or nine years ago – are the help and support they give local businesses. They facilitate connections and introductions and hold lots of networking events so we can reach many more businesses.”

As a hotel guest, David likes to do his research. He wants the credibility of a well-respected brand, the reassurance of positive reviews and somewhere which offers visitors a local, cultural experience.

Closer to home, David says, Earls Court has it all.

“Earls Court is a great location,” he says. “There is so much to do here.

You can see Stamford Bridge from the hotel rooms. You have Fulham FC and Brentford FC on the doorstep and lots of green space, with Wimbledon Park, Richard Park and Putney in close proximity. We are also close to Kew Gardens, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace and the museums. It’s a great location to really explore London from an accessible price point. Logistically for international travellers we are 40 minutes from Heathrow and Gatwick Airport both very accessible by train and very easy access to King’s Cross, Victoria and the Eurostar.

“The Earls Court Regeneration of the old exhibition halls site will also give the businesses in the area a big boost.” https://all.accor.com/hotel/C0V5/ index.en.shtml www.mercurelondonsuite.co.uk

Hospitality is a competitive sector and the rise in serviced accommodation has grown faster than hotels, but those who are experienced hoteliers like David know the way to combat these challenges is through being able to adapt to the market.

“I stayed in hospitality as my career choice because I think it’s a great industry to work in and you can grow your career very quickly getting exposure and knowledge of many different departments and functions within the business. In terms of my own journey I worked across nearly all departments, Operations, Sales & Revenue, Finance, Talent & Culture, at various hotels before reaching General Manager level. The industry gives you the opportunity to travel and see the world as well as work for many different types of operators or properties whether branded or independent. No day is ever the same, the myth of long, unsociable hours is something as an industry we need to continue to work on eradicating and highlighting what a great and rewarding career hospitality can offer”.

The hotel plans to elevate it’s ballroom offering within the coming 12 months and introduce leisure facilities, including a gym, within the next 18 months.

You can see Stamford Bridge from the hotel rooms. We are also close to Kew Gardens, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace and the museums. It’s a great location to really explore London from an accessible price point.