Luxury hotel group Von Essen Hotels announced it is to create a new riverside hotel in south London on the site of Battersea Heliport, which the company has bought for £50m.

The 70-bedroom boutique-style property will feature a hydrotherapy and chromatherapy spa, a 200-seater rooftop restaurant with 360-degree views over London and Battersea called Reach and an executive business suite.

It is believed that both Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White are in the running to head up the restaurant.

Andrew Davis, chairman of Von Essen, said: “The exclusive new development heralds an exciting and important stage in Von Essen’s expansion. We will be creating world-class facilities that will provide high-end users with the luxury and levels of convenience which are lacking at the moment.”

In the deal Von Essen acquired the freehold of the heliport, which will in future be operated by its joint-venture aviation partner, PremiAir – part of the Sir Robert McAlpine Group.

The Sir Robert McAlpine Group already manages and operates Von Essen’s fleet of helicopters and jets.

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By Emily Manson 

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