Dominus opens The Derby London City, Curio Collection by Hilton
London, 8th April: Dominus, a leading investor, developer, and operator in the hotel and student living sectors, has now opened The Derby London City, Curio Collection by Hilton, a new 234-room hotel in the City of London.
Located at 5–10 Great Tower Street, the hotel has been delivered through Dominus’ expertise in repurposing underutilised offices, creating a new lifestyle hotel in the heart of the Square Mile.
Owned by Dominus and operated by its in-house platform Dominus Hospitality, the opening marks the latest step in its long-term strategy to grow its operational hotel portfolio across central London.
The hotel’s name, inspired by the iconic bowler hat known as a “Derby”, pays tribute to a symbol of British style, its location in the Square Mile and the building’s history as a bank.
Dominus worked with leading hospitality architects Studio Moren and Axiom, to deliver a retrofit-first approach targeting BREEAM Excellent that retained 100% of the original substructure and 70% of the superstructure and façade. A new 3-storey roof extension has created a contemporary mansard roof with dormer windows, introducing subtle verticality while respecting the broader setting.
Interior design, curated in collaboration with the globally renowned design studio AvroKO, retains and reinterprets key historic features from the former bank, including a Treasury Wall, a bespoke feature wall inspired by bank vaults.
On the ground floor is Rycrofte’s Restaurant, Coffeehouse and Bar. The all-day British dining concept is inspired by Sir John Rycrofte, Sergeant of the Larder to Henry VII and Henry VIII, believed to be buried in the neighbouring St Dunstan in the East Church Gardens.
The hotel’s transformation supports the City of London Corporation’s Destination City growth strategy, which aims to strengthen the Square Mile as a vibrant, seven-day-a-week destination, by diversifying its offer and encouraging a richer blend of workplaces, cultural attractions, hospitality and public spaces.
With the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral within walking distance, and eight London Underground stations nearby, the hotel is positioned to appeal to both business and leisure travellers.
The Derby London City, Curio Collection by Hilton, joins an existing portfolio of hotels owned and operated by Dominus, including Lost Property St. Paul’s London, Curio Collection by Hilton, Hampton by Hilton Bath City and Hampton by Hilton London City. Dominus’ development pipeline of 1,700 hotel keys includes 123 Judd Street in Camden and Ibex House in Aldgate.
“Building on the success of our partnership with Hilton, through which we have already delivered three hotels including our first Curio Collection property, Lost Property St Paul’s, we know The Derby will offer guests a unique experience in one of London’s most well-connected, historic areas.
Even before we officially opened, both The Derby and Rycrofte’s have seen strong pre-booking from corporate and leisure guests, driven by its prime location. The Derby represents the next step in our commitment to delivering exceptional, sustainable and design-led hotels for our guests to experience.”
“The Derby represents another successful collaboration between Hilton and Dominus and is a clear demonstration of the strength of our partnership. We’re proud to introduce such a distinctive hotel to London – one that celebrates the character and heritage of the city while offering guests something fresh and memorable. This opening also reinforces the continued growth of Curio Collection across the UK, underlining the strength of our lifestyle portfolio and the continued demand for individual, high‑quality hotels in key destinations.”
“The Derby London City is a welcome addition to the Square Mile, demonstrating how existing buildings can be thoughtfully repurposed to contribute to the City of London Corporation’s Destination City growth strategy and create a more vibrant, seven-day-a-week City.
“New hotels like this are key to strengthening the City’s appeal as a leading global destination for business and leisure visitors alike, with our soon to be adopted Local Plan (City Plan 2040) committing us to increasing hotel accommodation by 350 rooms per year after 2030.”
