A Russian tycoon once feared to be on a Kremlin hit list has been ordered to rip out a luxury hotel-style revamp of his London apartment. 

Energy magnate Yury Zhelyabovskiy carried out sweeping renovations to his Grade II-listed residence in Bayswater without securing planning permission from Westminster Council.

The unauthorised changes to the Victorian apartment, right by Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, stripped out original features and left the period home looking more like a boutique hotel, officials ruled.

Mr Zhelyabovskiy has now been ordered to restore the two-bed apartment to its original layout after losing an appeal.

Planning inspector Simon Hand concluded the revamped rooms 'now look like modern hotel rooms rather than parts of an early Victorian villa'.

The council launched enforcement action last November after internal walls were knocked down, ceilings lowered and historic details removed in the plush W2 postcode, where apartments routinely sell for more than £2million.

Works included carving an en-suite bathroom out of a large curved bedroom, ripping out a historic timber sash window and brickwork, and installing aluminium bi-fold doors.

Air conditioning and modern LED spotlights were also fitted.

Pictured: The Victorian apartment building, right by Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park

Pictured: The entrance to the main apartment building. Energy magnate Yury Zhelyabovskiy carried out sweeping renovations to his Grade II-listed residence in Bayswater

Pictured: The entrance to the ground floor flat. The renovations stripped out original features and left the period home looking more like a boutique hotel

In an enforcement notice seen by the Daily Mail, the council said the works had 'caused harm to the special architectural and historic interest of the Grade II listed building due to the loss of...historic features that were characteristic of the age and special interest of the property'.

It continued: 'The addition of the air conditioning system and new lower-level spotlights have led to a mismatch of ceiling levels.

'The excessively modern fixtures and fittings have been installed without any regard for the age and style of the Grade II listed building and fail to match or complement the property.'

Council officials claimed the changes resulted in 'modern visual clutter that detracts from the original historic features' and harmed the 'traditional and historic character' of the Bayswater Conservation Area.

Mr Zhelyabovskiy, 50, appealed, claiming some works – including air conditioning – were 'urgently necessary in the interests of health, safety or to preserve the building'.