St Pancras Renaissance Hotel

The Story

This Victorian Gothic Revival hotel was built in 1873 as the Midland Grand Hotel, and is where the Spice Girls filmed the music video for "Wannabe" on April 19, 1996. Director Johan Camitz's original concept was to film in Barcelona, but permission was denied days before. The hotel, then abandoned and unrestored, was a last-minute alternative. The filming took all night. The group rehearsed repeatedly while a steadycam operator followed them through corridors, stairwells, and halls. The music video appears to be a single continuous take, but technically there are two, with two almost imperceptible cuts. Virgin executives were horrified by the result. The music video became one of the most iconic in pop history. Restored and reopened as the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in 2011, it still welcomes Spice Girls fans who re-enact scenes from the video on the original staircases.

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