The Meli? White House

Image: © Ian Capper Taken: 6 Nov 2008

The White House was first opened in 1936 as an apartment building of 758 luxury apartments, both furnished and unfurnished, at a cost of £350,000. Entry was via an imposing entrance hall, opening into a lounge, which then led to a restaurant, swimming pool and squash courts. The building also included a Bar, various shops and a roof garden. With these facilities and a position at the head of Great Portland Street and on the edge of Regents Park, the White House was one of the most exclusive addresses in London. Membership of the White House Club meant that non-residents could also gain access to the facilities there. With its unusual shape (the main feature being two diagonal arms at each end of the building), the White House has a very distinctive profile. During the Second World War this was used by the Luftwaffe to help them get their bearings for bombing raids in London. As a result, the building survived unscathed. The White House Club retained its popularity during the 1950s, with facilities and membership expanding. However, from 1959, new owners started its conversion to a hotel. By 1970 the transformation was largely complete, but with one wing retained for permanent residents. From 1972 to 1999 it was owned by the Rank Organisation. In 1999 it was bought by the Spanish hotel group Sol Meliá, and given its present name. It is primarily a hotel but still retains around 100 apartments for longer term residents. This photo shows the southwest wing, with the main entrance behind. In the background are cranes working on the Regents Place development.

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