Café Royal in London Reopens as a Hotel In 1865, a nearly penniless Frenchman fleeing his debts opened Café Royal in London. The club's heyday lasted more than a century, as celebrities swirled through its sumptuous precincts. Max Beerbohm described "fumes of tobacco ever rising to the painted and pagan ceiling" of the Domino Room. But in 2008, the building was sold, and its lavish appointments - cut-glass chandeliers, heavily varnished oil paintings, even a boxing ring - were auctioned off. The 10-story building reopened on Wednesday, this time as a hotel and restaurant designed by David Chipperfield, with historic restoration work by Donald Insall Associates. Mr. Chipperfield, a noted minimalist, updated the original theme of mirrors, cast plaster and timber floors. "We took those elements and used them in a modern way, so it's a much more seamless experience," said Melissa Johnston, project director at David Chipperfield Architects. The 159 guest rooms (top), including six historic suites; the restored Domino Room and Grill Room (bottom); and the bar and a cafe are open, with a subterranean Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre to be completed by March. Rooms from $720; 011-44-207-406-3333, hotelcaferoyal.com.