Courthouse Hotel

Courthouse Hotel
Location	19-21 Great Marlborough Street, Soho, London, England, United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°30′51.62″N 0°8′22.13″W / 51.5143389°N 0.1394806°W / 51.5143389; -0.1394806

Courthouse Hotel. formerly the Courthouse Kempinski, and prior to the hotel,Great Marlborough Street Magistrates Court is a luxury 5-star hotel in London, England. It is located on 19-21 Great Marlborough Street, in Soho.

History

The Courthouse Doubletree by Hilton Regent Street is located in the old Grade II listed Great Marlborough Street Magistrates Court building. As a court it was the second oldest magistrates court in the UK, dating back to the 1800s.^[1] The building has a turbulent history from its time as the Great Marlborough Street Magistrate’s Court, which set the scene for many famous cases over the years, involving figures such as John Lennon, Oscar Wilde, Johnny Rotten, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.^[1]

In 1835, Charles Dickens worked as a reporter in the building for the Morning Chronicle and Napoleon Bonaparte appeared in court as witness in a fraud case between attempts to establish a second empire in France in 1847.^[1][2] In 1895 Oscar Wilde took the Marquess of Queensbury to court on a criminal libel charge.^[2]

The courthouse featured in many of the tabloid stories throughout the 1960s and 1970s in particular. In 1963 Christine Keeler was taken to court over sex allegations which led to Profumo scandal becoming public.^[2] In 1966 Bob Monkhouse faced a charge of conspiracy to defraud film distribution companies and in 1967 former television presenter Katie Boyle gave evidence against a man facing careless driving charges after an accident.^[2] The building was centre to Mick Jagger's 1969 court case in which he was fined £200 for drugs charges.^[2] Four years later in 1973, fellow Rolling Stones member Keith Richards was fined £205 for possession of marijuana, heroin, mandrax, a revolver and an antique shotgun.^[2]

In 1970, John Lennon was taken to court for exhibiting pictures which were too sexually explicit in the London Art Gallery dismissed and artist Francis Bacon was accused of possessing cannabis.^[2] In 1971 songwriter Lionel Bart was taken to the courthouse charged with drug possession and in 1977 Sex Pistols singer Johnny Rotten was fined £40 for possessing amphetamine sulphate.^[2] The last notable case before it became a hotel was in 1981 when John Miller, kidnapper of Ronnie Biggs, appeared in court after being arrested on arrival back from Barbados.^[2]

Interior

The rooms are furnished in contemporary style with King, Queen or twin beds and range from 25 to 40 square metres. The bathrooms have marble interiors, shipped from Italy.^[1] The Magistrates Suites are located in the high-ceiling Judges quarters on the first, second and third floor of the original building, and contain the original Robert Adams fireplaces and oak flooring.^[1] The worlds only Lalique Penthouse also occupies the entire 3rd floor and includes a living and dining space, kitchenette and 2 bedrooms each with an en-suite bathroom.

Restaurants and bars

The hotel is served by The Carnaby brasserie style restaurant which offers a Mediterranean- influenced menu featuring grilled meats, salads and casual cuisine, street-side tables line the exterior with view onto the famed Carnaby Street and namesake of the restaurant.^[1] The Silk restaurant, is inspired by the Silk Road routes and derives its culinary influences from India, Thailand and China ^[1] It is set within the original courtroom number 1 and features a large vaulted glass ceiling, framed by English oak panelling and original stencilling.^[1]

The hotel also has a 94 seat private cinema, 5 conference rooms with a capacity for up to 200 guests and the boutique Sanook Spa,which has a gym, dry sauna and a large square heated indoor swimming pool.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} "The Courthouse Doubletree by Hilton Regent Street". Miles Faster. http://www.milesfaster.co.uk/london-hotels/courthouse-hotel-kempinski.htm. Retrieved February 26, 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} "The Courthouse Hotel history". The Courthouse Hote London. http://www.courthouse-hotel.com/history.html. Retrieved February 26, 2010. 

External links

• Official site

Coordinates: 51°30′52″N 0°08′22″W / 51.51434°N 0.13948°W / 51.51434; -0.13948