A Saudi prince accused of murdering his employee in a luxury London hotel was refused bail by a judge and told he would face trial later in the year.

Saud Bin Abdulaziz Bin Nasir Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, 33, is accused of killing Bandar Abdullah Abdulaziz in the third-floor room of the Landmark Hotel in Marylebone, central London, last month.

The prince was remanded in custody during a hearing at the Old Bailey courthouse and will face trial on October 4, the Press Association reported.

His father sat in court to hear the bail application turned down, it added. A post-mortem found that Abdulaziz had been strangled and suffered a head injury.

The prince is also charged with "unlawfully and maliciously" causing 32-year-old Abdulaziz grievous bodily harm at the hotel on January 22.-Reuters