The world's most famous cop-shop is now a hotel.
Scotland Yard is a name synonymous with crime solving, Sherlock Holmes and law and order. Now, its original home near Whitehall has opened as a luxury hotel.
The 5* Great Scotland Yard hotel has 152 bedrooms, a standalone townhouse, and several bars and restaurants.
The main restaurant, known as The Yard, has 63 covers and promises 'the best ingredients in Britain, old school culinary craftsmanship and theatrical touches'. It's overseen by chef Robin Gill. An additional space known as The Parlour specialises in afternoon teas.
Visitors can choose between two bars. Sibín is an intimate drinking den with "a strong emphasis on whiskey". (Pedant's note: you'd think it should be 'whisky', given the name of the hotel, but Sibín bar is inspired by Irish shebeens, so the spelling makes sense).
The main bar, The 40 Elephants, is named after a gang of women thieves from Elephants and Castle who looted from the rich and wealthy in London and the South from the late-19th to mid-20th century. A Peaky Blinders spin-off series, if ever we heard one.
Indeed, criminal and policing history is an important part of the hotel's makeup, from the sculptures created by current prisoners to the knuckle-duster chocolates, through to the patterns in the carpets and wallpaper.
Fans of Sherlock Holmes — that great bater of Scotland Yard — will be delighted to learn that the hotel's general manager is called Sholto Smith. A descendant, perhaps of Major Sholto from The Sign of Four?
Great Scotland Yard is operated as part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt Hotels. Rooms start from £430 a night.
