The iconic Great Scotland Yard Hotel is one of Twenty14 Holdings' most prestigious projects in London, UK. The historically significant Grade II listed Edwardian building, located in the St. James's district of Westminster, London, has been redeveloped into a high end luxury boutique hotel.
The current building at 3-5 Great Scotland Yard has a grand five story Imperial Red brick and stone façade with arched main entrance, raised ground floor with high ceilings, ornate pediment and tall windows with feature brick and stone detailing.
3-5 Great Scotland Yard has a fascinating history. In Tudor times it served as an Embassy-style dwelling for the Kings of Scotland when they visited King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I at neighbouring Whitehall Palace: hence the name Great Scotland Yard (from: the place of the Scottish Lords).
In 1829, Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel selected Great Scotland Yard as the headquarters of the newly founded Metropolitan Police force. The building's main entrance was at 4 Whitehall Place, but a public office was installed to the rear at 3-5 Great Scotland Yard and so gave the headquarters its famous name. It was here that the famous Plaistow Marshes (1864) and Jack the Ripper (1888) crimes were investigated and Scotland Yard was made famous by novelists including Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In 1890 the police headquarters moved to a new location, which was named New Scotland Yard.
In 1910 the current Edwardian building was constructed on the site and served as the British Army Recruitment Office and Royal Military Police headquarters. It is here that Lord Kitchener famously told WWI recruits "Your Country Needs You" and there were cells in the basement for Army deserters. In 1982 a refurbishment introduced a new atrium and the building later became the Ministry of Defence Library until 2004.
