A topping-out ceremony has been held in London to mark the completion of external construction work on one of the capital's largest ever purpose-built hotels, the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge.

The £350m property, which is scheduled to open in early 2010, is situated on land once occupied by the former Greater London Council building and will boast more than 1,000 bedrooms and 2,700sq m (29,062.6sq ft) of meeting space. London mayor Boris Johnson helped to bolt the final beam into place as part of the ceremony at the hotel, which will also offer restaurants, a bar and lounge and a luxury spa, as well as a conference hall, a ballroom, a gymnasium and an 15m indoor swimming pool.

Johnson said: "This impressive development has removed an awful eyesore that has blighted this corner of the capital for too long. A sparkling new hotel is just what the South Bank needs. "It will act as a springboard for the regeneration plans for Waterloo Station and the surrounding area, on top of creating hundreds of jobs and boosting the local economy."

According to Park Plaza Hotels president Boris Ivesha, the new Westminster Bridge property will reinforce the company's commitment to London, adding to its existing one four-star deluxe and one five-star hotel in the capital. Ivesha said: "We are passionate about London and are on track to deliver 5,000 beds across the capital, establishing Park Plaza Hotels as one of the city's most important hotel operators."

The new hotel has been designed by BUJ Architects and Uri Blumenthal Architects and Town Planners, while construction work has been carried out by Eurosea Hotels Contractors.