All guests and staff have been accounted for following yesterday’s fire at the luxury Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London.
Thirty six guests and 250 members of staff were evacuated after the newly refurbished 115-year-old building caught fire.
Singer Robbie Williams, who was in the 12-storey hotel at the time, described seeing “billows and billows” of smoke and ran down an external fire escape with his wife to safety.
The London Fire Brigade deployed 120 firefighters and 20 engines to the blaze in Knightsbridge after receiving the call at about 4pm. The fire was finally extinguished just before 10pm.
Both the ambulance service and the police also attended, although there were no reports of any injuries.
The blaze, which began on the roof, spread across “a vertical facade for plants and vegetation and into several floors of the hotel”, according to a Fire Brigade spokesman.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group said: “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.
“We would like to express our appreciation to everyone who has conveyed their concern about this sad incident.
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.”
The fire did not extend to the adjoining Residences at One Hyde Park. “Further updates will be issued as appropriate,” the hotel group said.
Mandarin Oriental added: “The extent of the damage is being assessed and insurers have been notified.
“An update to shareholders will be included in the company’s interim results statement to be published at the end of July.
“The company wishes to express its gratitude to the emergency services for their support in ensuring the safety of guests and staff.”
Mandarin Oriental added: “The extent of the damage is being assessed and insurers have been notified.
“An update to shareholders will be included in the company’s interim results statement to be published at the end of July.
“The company wishes to express its gratitude to the emergency services for their support in ensuring the safety of guests and staff.”