BT Tower being sold off to US hotel chain!

[Busaholic]

I think the new owners will be missing a trick if the revolving restaurant doesn't become a penthouse suite. Imagine sleeping in a bed where the view through the window when you go to sleep might be different from the one when you wake up! Yes, £5k a night might be achievable, with a minimum 5 day stay.

 

[spag23]

A 1965 episode of Thunderbirds (Edge of Impact) featured this sign at the base of a telecoms tower.
It struck me as remarkable at the time, given that UK telecomms was then run by an outfit called the GPO.
It wasn't till around 20 years later than the phrase (and Company) "British Telecommunications" came into use.
Another instance of Gerry Anderson being well ahead of the curve?

 

[simonw]

Entirely coincidentally, I'd been doing a bit of reading about the GPO Tower a few days ago, plus watching various videos on YouTube, and from one I discovered that special dispensation had been given to the use of lifts in an emergency. Whether this was after the IRA attack, I don't know.

This permission was given at the time it was designed/constructed and required a change by Act of Parliament.

I should have remembered the one near the M40, I've driven along that loads of times. I don't think I've ever noticed the one near Bristol, though, either from the M4 or from a train ... I'll look out for that next time I'm down that way.

I've found a list of the towers, though since it's on the Daily Express website you have to wade through adverts and clickbait to find it.

There are a couple of dubious facts in the rest of the article:

and

whereas I think it was actually built in the 1960s.

Here's a link if anyone wants to see more:

The UK's other BT towers including one nearly twice as tall as London landmark | UK | News | Express.co.uk

The former Post Office Tower is to be transformed into a hotel following the £275m sale, however the rest of the towers are still in use.

www.express.co.uk

The Bristol one is close to the M32.

 

[jon81uk]

I think the new owners will be missing a trick if the revolving restaurant doesn't become a penthouse suite. Imagine sleeping in a bed where the view through the window when you go to sleep might be different from the one when you wake up! Yes, £5k a night might be achievable, with a minimum 5 day stay.

I think keeping it as a restaurant is a lot more likely.

 

[Tester]

- with a red/blue graphic holding a yard of ale…

I have lived a large proportion of my life without realising that that was a yard of ale

 

[MP33]

In a BBC article it stated that the restaurant was bombed by the IRA. In fact the bombers were The Angry Brigade. In any case the IRA was superceeded by The Provisional IRA.

 

[AlterEgo]

The TWA Hotel at JFK seems to start around $350 a night so £250 wouldn't be unusual.

And that's a rubbish hotel.

 

[jon81uk]

And that's a rubbish hotel.

Why? Most reports seem to be impressed with the preservation of the original terminal building.

 

[AlterEgo]

Why? Most reports seem to be impressed with the preservation of the original terminal building.

It’s a good museum…but a rubbish, and I mean really rubbish hotel for the money. Breakfast works on reservation only, and doesn’t start until 8am (at an airport!! Insane, stupid, bonkers), no coffee making facilities in the rooms - even the suites - forcing you to spend mega bucks on rubbish coffee from a concession. Disinterested staff who aren’t really enagaged in the hotel experience and no direction from a General Manager.

It’s got 3.5/5 on Tripadvisor - with just 3/5 for value - which is generous. Don’t bother staying, but do check it out as a visitor, the lobby and exhibits are free to walk around.

 

[najaB]

I have lived a large proportion of my life without realising that that was a yard of ale

What did you think it was, a horn?

 

[Tester]

What did you think it was, a horn?

I did indeed - silly me!

 

[jon81uk]

It’s a good museum…but a rubbish, and I mean really rubbish hotel for the money. Breakfast works on reservation only, and doesn’t start until 8am (at an airport!! Insane, stupid, bonkers), no coffee making facilities in the rooms - even the suites - forcing you to spend mega bucks on rubbish coffee from a concession. Disinterested staff who aren’t really enagaged in the hotel experience and no direction from a General Manager.

It’s got 3.5/5 on Tripadvisor - with just 3/5 for value - which is generous. Don’t bother staying, but do check it out as a visitor, the lobby and exhibits are free to walk around.

Thanks that all makes sense

 

[Howardh]

To me it is an iconic building, and if nothing else gives you an indication as to how far from Euston I am!

As for viewing from the top, sad that ended years ago but nowadays how many skyscrapers are taller, and some have free viewing galleries; such as this one (it seems) https://lookup.london/horizon-22-guide-to-the-view/ so going up the BT Tower loses a lot of it's appeal now.

Horizon 22 can boast the highest free view over London

Right out of the lifts you can look straight down onto the northeastern portion of the City of London. The large green circle is Finsbury Circus, the oldest public park in London which opened to the masses in 1606.

Right in the foreground you can also see the top of Tower 42, previously the tallest building in the City when it opened in 1980 and was formerly the NatWest Tower, from above its walls form the interlocking chevron shapes of the bank’s logo.