Bulletproof glass, reinforced steel doors, biometric fingerprints and iris scans – all tech straight from a spy novel.
Yet nestled in the heart of Mayfair, next to the iconic Dorchester Hotel, this fan-fictional technology has been brought to life to protect the most prized possessions of the world’s wealthiest individuals.
IBV International Vaults London, billed as the ‘most exclusive private vault in the world,’ offers a service so secure, it’s Managing Director, Sean Hoey, jokingly told MailOnline, ‘it’s like Fort Knox without the marines’.
The vault, which occupies a Grade II-listed building on Park Lane, is the brainchild of South African multimillionaire Ashok Sewnarain, who took over the property in 2017.
What followed was a full-scale transformation, turning the site – formerly home to a Barclays bank branch – into an impenetrable stronghold.
‘We had to gut the whole building,’ says Hoey, ‘the walls were completely unsecured, and we didn’t want a repeat of something like the Hatton Garden heist.’
The infamous 2015 heist at Hatton Garden saw four burglars work through the four-day weekend of the Easter Bank Holiday, when many of the nearby businesses were closed.
The burglars entered the premises through a lift shaft, then drilled through the 50cm thick vault walls with a Hilti power drill before making off with £14million worth of gems and bullion – £9.5million of which is still missing.
Nestled in the heart of Mayfair, next to the iconic Dorchester Hotel, sit IBV International Vaults London
Visitors are greeted in a stunning reception area, with the buildings original hand-carved wood engraved walls
The three-tonne slab is actually the original bank vault door from the 1940s. It was deemed to heavy to try and remove so instead it has been kept as ‘an extra layer of security’
The largest coin ever produced by The Royal Mint, a 15-kilo solid gold coin, was produced in 2022 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee – it is the only one in the world
IBV International Vaults London, billed as the ‘most exclusive private vault in the world,’ offers a service so secure, it’s Managing Director, Sean Hoey, jokingly told MailOnline, ‘it’s like Fort Knox without the marines’
As such Hoey installed steel-reinforced walls, floors and ceilings capable of withstanding ‘days of drilling’ and completely encasing the treasures inside.
‘If anyone tried anything like Hatton Garden here, they’d get through the bricks, but then they’d hit steel,’ Hoey explains.
They even removed the air vents system downstairs to eliminate any potential weak spots.
Upon entering the building, the level of security becomes immediately apparent. Visitors are greeted in a stunning reception area, with the buildings original hand-carved wood engraved walls.
To access the vaults, clients must undergo a series of biometric checks, including an iris scan and bio-metric fingerprint check – a feature unique to IBV in London.
After passing through the reinforced doors, visitors are led into a cavernous vault space.
However, one giant dated vault door embossed with the iconic Chubb branding appears to stand apart from rest of the sleek aesthetic.
The three-ton slab is actually the original bank vault door from the 1940s. It was deemed to heavy to try and remove so instead it has been kept as ‘an extra layer of security’.
Next we move on to the ‘man trap area’ – a space enclosed between two steel gates, reinforced with concrete and over looked by a control room protected with bulletproof glass that can withstand fire from a AK47.
To access the vaults, clients must undergo a series of biometric checks, including an iris scan and bio-metric fingerprint check – a feature unique to IBV in London
Next we move on to the ‘man trap area’ (pictured) – a space enclosed between two steel gates, reinforced with concrete and over looked by a control room protected with bulletproof glass that can withstand fire from a AK47
The smallest safes start at £1,000 annually, and many are used to store priceless jewellery, watches, gold bars, wills – you name it
The inner sanctum – home to 561 secure safes, ranging from a box the size of a phone to an entire room that can be rented for a cool £2.5 million a year
IBV also offers a ‘gold and diamond room,’ (above) where clients can purchase diamonds and trade in gold and rare coins from around the world
‘This is our [UK] control room,’ Hoey continues, ‘but we also have three other global control rooms monitoring us 24/7. One in Dubai, and two in Africa.
‘There’s 4 pairs of eyes watching us right now. We don’t rely on one person to do their job correctly.’
All clients are assigned a personal access card, and their details are logged for security purposes.
Only those authorised can gain entry to their specific safe, and even then, there are panic buttons throughout the facility that alert the control room in case of an emergency.
Once through we have finally reached the inner sanctum – home to 561 secure safes, ranging from a box the size of a phone to an entire room that can be rented for a cool £2.5 million a year.
The smallest safes start at £1,000 annually, and many are used to store priceless jewellery, watches, gold bars, wills – you name it.
But it’s not just stereotypical items that’s kept here. A growing number of clients use the vault to store their rare Pokémon card collections or ledgers containing cryptocurrency passwords and logins (each ledger kept in two separate deposit boxes – obviously).
Hoey continues: ‘It’s not just physical items we’re protecting. We have clients who need a secure location for their crypto ledgers. We’re seeing a lot of demand from the digital world now.’
IBV also offers a ‘gold and diamond room,’ where clients can purchase diamonds and trade in gold and rare coins from around the world.
Rare coins on display at IBV International Vaults London
A giant gold coin weighing a hefty 8kg unveiled to celebrate the Year of the Tiger
To mark the passing of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, The Royal Mint has curated a special Sovereign set. Each set contains an original Sovereign struck in 1921, the year of Prince Philip’s birth, and a 2021 bullion Sovereign to mark the end of his life
The vault, which occupies a Grade II-listed building on Park Lane, is the brainchild of South African multimillionaire Ashok Sewnarain, who took over the property in 2017
They host exclusive events in the vault as well where their elite clientele can come and look at priceless artefacts, such as the Platinum Jubilee coin, Jacob&Co’s million pound watches and Fabergé eggs, which have all been displayed over the vaults short lifetime.
While no one knows exactly what treasures lie behind the vault doors – discretion is paramount – Hoey offers a glimpse into what’s been stored there in the past.
‘Watches are very popular – clients often change them out every week,’ he says. ‘And handbags is a big thing at the moment.
‘But it could be something sentimental from their family that they’re storing, but we never ask the client, sometimes the clients tell us what they’re storing, but we never ask.’
So who are these people storing items here? Well as Hoey put it in 2019: ‘We won’t deal with millionaire. We will be dealing only with billionaires.’
And although they couldn’t name explicit individuals, the elite list includes ‘royalty, footballers, businessmen and celebrities’.
When asked about the vetting process for prospective clients, Hoey’s face took on a serious expression. ‘We go through a strict procedure,’ he said, leaning in slightly, ‘it’s essentially a private members’ club. We’re very selective about who we allow in.’
‘We also do enhanced vetting. We may not disclose everything we look at, but rest assured, we ensure that everything checks out before we approve anyone.’
While IBV Vaults does not inquire about what clients store in their vaults, the meticulous checks ensure that they are confident in who they are allowing access to their facility.
The vetting process isn’t just about financial stability, it’s about protecting the integrity of the vault itself.
‘We want to make sure that we’re not dealing with money-launderers or individuals whose funds don’t come from legitimate sources,’ Hoey added.
‘Most of our clients are referred to us by private banks, but we still perform our own thorough checks to be certain.’
One key feature of IBV Vaults is the complimentary insurance provided by Lloyds of London, covering up to £100,000 worth of valuables – a perk few vaults offer. ‘Most vaults, even in London, offer very low insurance or none at all,’ Hoey notes.
In a world where security is becoming more crucial than ever, IBV Vaults has created a fortress for the super-rich, where their diamonds, crypto wallets, and collectibles are kept under the most stringent security imaginable.
