A heritage-led, sustainability-driven conversion of redundant office space, staff accommodation, and event areas into 21 boutique guest rooms above a landmark Victorian pub in the City of London.
The Counting House is one of London’s most historically layered buildings. Constructed in 1893 as Prescott’s Bank, it stands on the ancient foundations of a Roman basilica — once the largest of its kind north of the Alps. In 1998, Fuller, Smith & Turner transformed the former bank into a celebrated public house, honouring both its Victorian grandeur and Roman heritage. In 2019, the pub group appointed Sibley Grove to unlock the building’s next chapter: converting the offices above the pub into 15 well-appointed boutique hotel rooms, with a further six bedrooms completed in a second phase in 2023.
Sibley Grove was appointed for our ability to create classic, high-quality interiors that respond sensitively to a building’s historical context — producing a refined, timeless aesthetic that serves modern travellers without compromising the character of the architecture. Every design decision began with the building itself: its materials, its proportions, its story.
Each of the 21 guestrooms was designed in accordance with Sibley Grove’s Design for Disassembly philosophy. Steel and timber fixtures and fittings were specified for their durability, longevity, and ease of dismantling, ensuring that individual components can be reused, refurbished, or recycled rather than replaced at each refurbishment cycle. This circular design approach significantly reduces construction waste and long-term capital expenditure, while minimising operational disruption — a critical consideration for a busy, revenue-generating city-centre hotel. The result is a boutique hotel that honours 2,000 years of history while being built to perform, sustainably and commercially, for decades to come.
Project Delivery: September 2023
Location: London, UK
