Prince Charles Cinema hostel plan: 230-bed scheme for upper floors as venue stays open

The Prince Charles Cinema hostel plan would see the four storeys above the much-loved Leicester Square venue converted into a 230-bed hostel, according to an application lodged for Charles House, 7 Leicester Place. The proposal – submitted by the building’s owner, Criterion Capital, states the cinema at basement and ground level would continue trading throughout.

Design material says the change of use would add “natural surveillance” and a livelier street presence, with no alterations to the façade – an important point in a protected area. Readers can view the file via the council’s planning portal here, and compare it with national guidance on conservation areas here. Officials also reference local visitor accommodation policy in the City Plan here, which sets out when hostels can be supported.

Architects Boyle & Summers say the scheme would boost the West End economy by bringing new visitors and by re-using long-vacant floorspace. Papers add that the cinema’s identity at street level, marquee, entrance and foyer, would be preserved, while the upper floors are reconfigured.

The Prince Charles Cinema hostel plan follows a turbulent year for the venue. After warning it faced closure, the operator launched a petition that drew more than 160,000 signatures and later confirmed it had reached a fresh agreement with its landlord. It has also signalled plans to expand with a second site at Stratford’s former Picturehouse. For a sense of the pressure on cultural spaces, City Hall’s culture-at-risk programme is outlined here: link.

The hostel would use “individual privacy capsules” rather than open dormitory bunks, alongside shared washing facilities and one- and two-tier sleeping capsules. No food or drink would be sold on site. Criterion proposes operational links to the nearby Victory House Hotel for servicing, using an existing deliveries hub.

Objections from local groups, including concerns about accessibility, loss of office space and potential disruption to screenings, are recorded in the planning file. Marketing evidence submitted for the owner argues the office floors had been continuously vacant for 17 months and were difficult to let in their stripped-back state. Council officers say the mix of tourist and entertainment uses nearby also depresses demand for office accommodation on this plot.

Officials recommend conditional approval, including a restriction on noisy works between 8am and midday so afternoon screenings can continue. The council’s Code of Construction Practice for noise and vibration can be viewed here: link. A similar application was refused in June 2023 over land-use, amenity and highways issues; officers say those concerns, such as cycle parking and the risk of street congestion, have been addressed in the fresh submission.

If councillors agree when they meet on Tuesday, 2 September, the Prince Charles Cinema hostel plan will add bed-space to the West End while keeping screenings running below. For supporters, it is a pragmatic reuse in a high-demand location; for critics, the test is whether culture can thrive alongside yet more visitor accommodation in Leicester Square.

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