London's only Hard Rock hotel to check out of the city

London’s only Hard Rock hotel is to take down its branding and relaunch as the Cumberland at the end of May.

The 1,000-room hotel, which opened in 2019, is located opposite Marble Arch on the corner of Oxford Street and Great Cumberland Place.

It is owned and operated by the Clermont Hotel Group, which itself rebranded from its former name Great London Hospitality (Glh) at the end of last year.

The company said the relaunch of the hotel was part of a shift to “streamline and reposition” its 17 London properties under certain “key brands” including the Cumberland and Thistle.

The Marble Arch hotel previously traded as the Cumberland hotel before partnering with Hard Rock for the opening four years ago.

Hard Rock hotel London displays rock and roll memorabilia from former visitors to the hotel including Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and Madonna, and Clermont said the property would remain “conscious” of its roots.

The rebrand will see the expansion of the hotel’s food and beverage offer and a relaunch of its entertainment space and meeting and events areas with fully-integrated online booking.

“The journey with Hard Rock International has been valuable and as we start a new chapter of development, our focus will remain on providing great experiences and quality service for our guests on the back of the Cumberland’s rich history in London and the music scene,” said Gavin Taylor, chief executive officer at Clermont Hotel Group.

“We are excited about the future of the venue, and we look forward to sharing more over the coming weeks and months.”

The first Hard Rock Café opened in London near Hyde Park in 1971 and a second Piccadilly site launched in 2019.

Jon Lucas, chief operating officer at Hard Rock International, said: “London will always be a special city as the birthplace of our brand, and it’s been a privilege to offer its iconic brand of hospitality to London visitors and locals at Hard Rock hotel London since 2019.

“Hard Rock International appreciates the service of all Hard Rock hotel London team members and the patronage of guests who stayed at the hotel over the past four years. We’re also grateful to Clermont Hotel Group for their partnership and wish them well as they transition the property to the Cumberland.”

Image: William Barton / Shutterstock