Hollywood icon Robert De Niro has been given the go ahead to build a hotel in Westminster .

The star of films including The Deer Hunter and Godfather: Part II, and Goodfellas, was given the nod to build the hotel in Covent Garden at a Westminster City Council planning committee meeting.

The Wellington Hotel will be operated by the Oscar-winning actor, 73, in partnership with BD Hotels (BDH). Capital & Counties (Capco), who are behind the huge Earl’s Court development , are also on board the project.

The boutique hotel will include 83 rooms, a spa, restaurant, retail, private members club and office.

Robert De Niro's hotel was given the green light at Westminster City Council (Pic: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

The site is bounded by Wellington Street, Tavistock Street, Exeter Street and Burleigh Street and consists of a group of six buildings Wellington House, 25-31 Wellington Street/24-28 Tavistock Street, 13-14 Exeter Street, 12 Burleigh Street, 14 Burleigh Street, 15 Exeter Street and Burleigh House, 22 Tavistock Street.

Three of the buildings are Grade ll listed.

Cllr Robert Davis, deputy leader at the council and planning boss for the local authority, heaped praise on the project.

The proposed view from Wellington Street

He said: “This is one of the finest schemes we have considered for Covent Garden in years. The design is of the highest quality and it fits the bill as a Covent Garden building that meshes the new with the old. The hotel will attract visitors from all over the world.

“It will be a brand new destination on the ‘mean streets’ of this largely forgotten part of Covent Garden, and so I am sure that taxi drivers across London will soon need to add the Wellington Hotel to their A-Zs.”

Watch Robert De Niro claim a lifetime achievement award at the 68th annual Golden Globes

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