Hotel 'excluded' as event venue

Mr Johnson has selected the Park Plaza hotel to host SportAccord 2011

London's biggest hotel has criticised mayor Boris Johnson for "excluding" it from a £1m contract for hosting an international sports conference.

Mr Johnson said the new Park Plaza near Westminster Bridge is the only venue suitable to host the 2011 SportAccord.

Hilton London Metropole managers said they were "extremely concerned" that their hotel was "not approached".

A spokesman for the mayor said the Hilton London Metropole was previously offered the chance to become involved.

Sufficient space

About 1,500 members of the international sporting industry will attend the SportAccord conference in Westminster in 2011.

The mayor waived normal tenders to give Park Plaza, currently being built near Westminster Bridge, the right to host the event.

Mayoral Adviser Dan Ritterband told the London Assembly that the host hotel required sufficient space for all the delegates and an exhibition.

"There are only two hotels in London that can do that - the Park Plaza that is currently being constructed and the Grosvenor House Hotel (in Park Lane)," Mr Ritterband said.

"Grosvenor House would have added an extra £2m onto the bill, which we didn't think was appropriate."

Metropole Hotels chief executive Dr Edward O Wojakovski wrote to the mayor, saying the Hilton London Metropole would have been a suitable venue.

He said: "I am extremely concerned to be advised by my hotel management that the Hilton London Metropole was not only not considered as a venue but, most importantly, was not approached or invited to participate in a tender process for such an event."

A spokesman for the mayor said London Metropole was invited to become involved at an early stage but that they received no proposal from them.