Deep underground, two floors beneath the luxurious five-star Hotel Gotham on King Street, lies a secret bank vault that has never before been open to the public. But that's all about to change with work rapidly underway to transform this hidden space into something quite extraordinary.
Hotel bosses are in the process of transforming this hidden space into an exclusive club and events venue. They have lavished nearly £2m to create Gilt - a club and private dining rooms continuing in the banking theme that the rest of the hotel is famous for, with Great Gatsby-style 1920s glamour.
The M.E.N was given a sneak peek at the space as works are rapidly taking shape, ahead of a planned launch in November. The hotel is already starting to take bookings for Christmas parties for the extraordinary underground space.
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The hotel is based in a stunning Art Deco former bank building designed by Edwin Lutyens known as "the king of King Street". One floor beneath it is a bank vault which was famously transformed into a private dining space when Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant was next door, with that space soon to become new Gordon Ramsay restaurant Lucky Cat.
But on another floor beneath that lies a SECOND bank vault owned by Hotel Gotham - with an extraordinary fully-tiled room that has been untouched since it was a bank decades ago. Now, hotel bosses have lavished £1.8m in transforming the space into what will be the main bar and club space of Gilt.
All the original tiles are being cleaned and kept in the sunken floor space. Here, there will be a stage where jazz musicians and guest artists will perform at regular club nights to which the public can book tickets.
The club will host no more than around 70 guests a time, as an intimate and exclusive entertainment venue. The space here, as across the vault, will also be available to hire out exclusively for private events or parties.
There is also the option of an extraordinary private dining room in one of the old bank safes to cater to up to 20 people, which will have a huge billiard table that can be converted into a dining table.
In this space, you can choose from a raft of tasting menus for your party, ranging from £79 per person to £119 per person for the ultimate in fine dining. You will have your own private chef and sommelier for the occasion and there's a large video screen for those who want to use it for a private screening, watch a football match or host a corporate presentation.
Also in the vault will be a beauty salon run by Ruuby, which will offer everything from manicures, massages, facials to a full range of on-site hair and beauty services. There are also plans for classic shoe-shining chairs to sit close to the main reception for the space.
When works began down in the vaults, staff were delighted to discover a "secret" staircase. That will now be the main access for guests into Gilt - as it leads right up to the main reception of the hotel.
There is also exterior door access out onto King Street, but this is not currently planned for use as the public entrance. Instead guests will need to know a "secret password" and will then be guided to the main entrance to Gilt inside.
Hotel manager Mario Ovsenjak said it was exciting to see the project, which has been planned for some time, finally come to fruition. He said: "It's going to be a very versatile and very sexy place. It's all underground in a secret Gatsby speakeasy style with a 1920s/30s vibe.
"We developed the space because we had a lot of enquiries from customers wanting a high end private dining and events space. Music will be an interal part of it here with live music events that people can book tickets to come and be a part of.
"But it will also be available for the whole space to booked out for private events or even weddings. We've already been taking reservations for Christmas events, but we won't be doing the formal launch until January - with the live events taking place from February onwards."
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