A London dining institution is getting its Midtown moment. Minor Hotels is converting the landmark former Lambs Club building at 130 West 44th Street into The Wolseley Hotel New York, a 76-room flagship scheduled to open in early 2027. The project will import London’s famed Wolseley restaurant to the United States and rework the existing Chatwal hotel into a social, restaurant-led property with a cellar speakeasy and refreshed wellness center.
Minor Hotels Announces New Luxury Brand
Minor Hotels has launched The Wolseley Hotels as a new global brand and named the New York outpost as its flagship, steps from Bryant Park, according to a company announcement on Minor Hotels. The group says the opening will bring The Wolseley restaurant and bar across the Atlantic and anchor the brand’s international identity in Midtown Manhattan.
Historic Building, New Identity
The building once served as the clubhouse for the Lambs Club, designed by architect Stanford White and completed in the early 1900s, then was converted into The Chatwal after a multi-year renovation that finished around 2010, per Wikipedia. With that theatrical lineage and a location between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, a European-style dining and social hub is being pitched as less of a stretch and more of a homecoming for the block.
Who Owns It
Ben-Josef Group Holdings (BJGH) acquired the ground lease for 130 West 44th Street in October 2025 for about $53.2 million and is listed as the developer, according to Hotel Investment Today. Industry reporting notes that Minor Hotels will run The Wolseley Hotel New York under a management agreement following the end of the property’s affiliation with Hyatt’s Unbound Collection after prior ownership disputes.
Guests And Dining
The plan calls for 76 spacious rooms and suites, an all-day Wolseley restaurant positioned as the brand’s North American culinary flagship, a cozy cellar-level speakeasy, and a wellness center, according to a company release via PR Newswire. In that statement, Dillip Rajakarier, Group CEO of Minor International, framed the launch as an “exciting new chapter” for the company.
Brand Background And Expansion Plans
The Wolseley Hotels concept leans into the Art Deco café atmosphere and European dining tradition of the original London location while plotting a targeted global rollout, with future hotels planned in Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East, according to Hotel Management. The strategy follows Minor International’s increased control of The Wolseley brand in recent years and signals a bolder play for a share of the U.S. luxury market.
Timing And Next Steps
Minor Hotels is currently guiding toward an early-2027 debut for The Wolseley Hotel New York, although specific renovation phases and a hard closing date for The Chatwal have not yet been made public, according to materials from Minor Hotels. Local permits and planning filings are expected to clarify the construction schedule and room availability as the conversion moves ahead.
Markets of Tomorrow has also recapped the announcement and the brand’s U.S. flagship ambitions. For now, the countdown to 2027 is on, with industry watchers keeping an eye on the city’s public records to see exactly how and when this London import will reshape a very familiar Midtown corner.
