London's Langham hotel is set to undergo a major three-year refurbishment programme.
Managing director Duncan Palmer announced radical plans for overhauling the ground floor, restaurants, bar and bedrooms at the hotel's 140th birthday celebrations last week.
The fine dining restaurant, Memories, will be transformed into a destination restaurant under the auspices of head chef David Collard, previously of Petrus and Fleur. Sources at the Langham confirmed he will be aiming for a Michelin star.
A new Chinese-themed restaurant will also be introduced and the existing Chukka Bar will be overhauled into a new destination bar by the end of this year.
Bedrooms will be reduced from 427 to about 360 with the remaining rooms made bigger and new loft suites added.
"It is a great opportunity to create a truly English luxury hotel for national and international travellers to London," Palmer said.
The cost of the works is rumoured to be around £40m.