The hotel had completed a multi-million dollar renovation in May.
UPDATE 6/7/2018: Though the fire has now been contained, the Mandarin Oriental in London's Knightsbridge shopping district will be closed until further notice, according to a statement on its website. Guests at the hotel have been moved to other accommodations in the area, but those booked to stay in the coming days and weeks have been advised to find a new hotel and have been offered reimbursement. The fire did not extend to the luxury apartments in the building, Residences at One Hyde Park.
"To the best of our knowledge, all Mandarin Oriental guests have been accounted for and we are contacting guests who were not in the hotel at the time. All colleagues are safe and accounted for. Hotel guests are being accommodated at other hotels in the vicinity," a hotel spokesperson told us. "It is too early at the present stage to assess the full extent of the damage. A full investigation is underway and will take time to complete. Further updates will be issued as appropriate."
The Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge is currently ablaze, after a fire began ripping through the building shortly before 4 p.m. London time. So far, 120 firefighters and 20 trucks have been sent to scene, according to the BBC, where smoke continues to billow from the windows of the five-star hotel, located just steps away from major landmarks like Hyde Park and Harrods.
All guests have been evacuated from the historic, 12-storey hotel and no injuries have so far been reported. "We have no further details to share at this time as the situation is still unfolding," a spokesperson for the hotel group told Condé Nast Traveler. Meanwhile, a representative of the London Fire Brigade said in a statement to the press that "the cause of the fire is not known at this stage."
The fire comes after the May completion of a multi-million dollar renovation, hailed by the Mandarin hotel group as "the most extensive restoration in its 115-year history." The entire west wing of the 181-room hotel has been revamped by interior designer Joyce Wang (all guest rooms and suites have been refurbished) and new additions such as a pool, spa, and fitness area have also just been introduced. The last time a fire broke out in the building was in 1899, and it reopened three years later as the Hyde Park Hotel before being bought by the Mandarin Hotel Group in 1996.
According to the Transport for London website, all tube lines are operating with good service, but the area between Sloane Street and Grosvenor Place remains closed to traffic.
This story was originally published on June 6. We will continue to update it as the news develops.