Welcome to our latest hotel and venue update. We start in London and the southeast with a brief update on the new hotels and those expected to open in the near future - before heading north and finishing in Scotland.
London:
Hilton Group: is expanding its UK portfolio. Hilton London Bankside is adding a 76-bedroom extension due to complete later this year. This year also sees the start of a major refurbishment at Hilton London Paddington. Finally, The Derby London City , Curio Collection by Hilton has just opened in a former office block in London’s Square Mile. with 234 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar and meeting facilities.
Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland: have acquired Hotel Saint in Aldgate, London. It will be rebranded as Leonardo Hotel London Aldgate, further strengthening the brand’s presence in the capital as its eleventh London property. The hotel has 272 bedrooms and suites, restaurants and bars including a 14th floor skyline bar, a gym plus five meeting and events suites with the largest seating up to 80 delegates.
Minor Hotels: is planning to open its first Colbert Collection property in the UK: The WestDill Mayfair Hotel London, Colbert Collection will open in London later this year. Located on Piccadilly in central London, the building, a former NatWest bank and offices, is set to become a five-star property with 50 bedrooms and suites across six floors plus a restaurant and bar. This Colbert Collection hotel will be the group’s first venture into Europe. More details to follow.
Point A Hotels: Queensway Group has been granted planning permission for two hotel developments in central London. Both hotels will be converted from former offices and both will be Point A Hotel brands. They include a 236-bedroom hotel near Monument in the City of London plus a 105-bedroom hotel on High Holborn in Camden. Further details and proposed opening dates to follow in due course.
The Zetter Group has just opened The Zetter Bloomsbury, a new 68-bedroom boutique styled hotel set across six interconnected Georgian townhouses. It overlooks Russell Square and is directly opposite the British Museum. The hotel has a restaurant and bar plus a gym and a 1,000-square-metre garden.
Mason and Fifth Group are planning to open their fourth London hotel next month in Belsize Park, close to Hampstead Heath. It is based in a restored, period red brick mansion. The hotel has 56 bedrooms and suites, a shared open kitchen, a guest lounge and a private garden.
Imperial Hotel Bloomsbury in central London is set to re-open this summer but we await a definite opening date. The hotel is currently undergoing a transformation. When it does reopen it will be a major conference venue with 388 bedrooms and 14 meeting and events spaces accommodating up to 600 delegates.
MCR Property Group: has acquired four hotels in London’s Kensington and Chelsea and intends to refurbish the properties and launch them as the basis of a new independent lifestyle brand. We will monitor developments.
Beyond Apartments & Aparthotels has opened three central London aparthotel sites in Bloomsbury, Clerkenwell, and Fitzrovia, adding 22 serviced apartment units to its portfolio.
St Bartholomew's Hospital A major restoration project in now complete at Barts North Wing, in West Smithfield in the City of London. The Grade I listed events venue is now available for receptions, gala dinners and conferences, for up to 400 delegates.
The Ampersand Hotel in London is launching a launching Science Family Suite which draws inspiration from the neighbouring Science Museum in South Kensington – and invites younger guests to ‘explore, learn and dream’. The suite is designed for both fun and functionality with the children’s bedroom, in particular, a universe of its own with a rocket-style bunk bed and celestial details that spark ‘curiosity at every turn’. It is scheduled to open at the beginning of June.
Zedwell are planning to convert Trafalgar Buildings adjacent to Trafalgar Square in central London into a new 387 bedroom hotel. The site consists of three interconnected buildings dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The conversion project will retain the existing ground-floor retail units and the hotel will have no on-site food and beverage provision with guests encouraged to use local restaurants and cafés. A 2028 opening date is envisaged.
Beyond Apartments & Aparthotels have opened three aparthotels in London: in Bloomsbury (10 units), Clerkenwell (six units) and Fitzrovia (six units).
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Queens Hotel & Spa Bournemouth has reopened following a major £2million refurbishment programme. The hotel now features 109 upgraded bedrooms and suites, restaurants and bars, a new luxury spa plus four flexible meeting rooms with the largest seating up to 250 delegates – and it’s just a short walk from Bournemouth’s beaches.
Wyboston Lakes Resort in Bedfordshire has unveiled ‘The Box’ a new purpose-built, flexible 900 sq-mt meeting and events space, with natural daylight, located adjacent to the Woodlands Events Centre. It will accommodate up to 400 delegates and is available to book from this July.
Plans have been published to convert the former Debenhams store, which closed in 2021, in the centre of Worcester, into a hotel. Plans outline the creation of 63 hotel bedrooms on the upper floors of the four-storey building with the ground floor retained as commercial space. We will monitor developments.
Bespoke Hotels - operators of the Grosvenor Hotel in Chester have announced plans to close the hotel by the end of the year for safety reasons. It appears that concrete in some of its conference rooms pose a potential safety risk.
Bob W is a new aparthotel expected to open in the centre of Manchester in summer 2027. Converted from a former ground-level car park, Bob W will have 83 self-contained studio apartments plus a lobby lounge, washateria and luggage storage. It will be located in Bloom Street near Manchester Cathedral, the AO Arena, the National Football Museum and is a 10 minute walk from Manchester Victoria station.
Staying in Manchester, Ascott Hotels whose brands include Citadines, lyf and Oakwood are opening lyf Piccadilly Manchester this autumn. Located in Portland Street, overlooking Piccadilly Gardens, the hotel will include 280 bedrooms and suites, 13 meeting and conference rooms with the largest seating up to 800 delegates, a restaurant and bar plus fitness facilities and a car park.
A new Moxy-branded hotel is planned in Hull. If approved the hotel will be built next to the recently restored Castle Buildings and opposite the city's Connexin Live arena. Plans outline a seven-storey hotel with 122 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar, gym and a business section.
The former Court Inn Hotel in the centre of Durham has just reopened after being closed for nearly six years. It is now Sanctuary Knocker boutique hotel with four luxury suites complete with an oven and microwave and a washing machine for self-catering - plus free wi-fi .
Plans have been published for a new five-star hotel in Angus in Scotland on farmland adjacent to an existing 18-hole championship golf course at the Shank of Omachie site. The hotel, to be operated by Hyatt, would include around 450 bedrooms, restaurants, bars, meeting and conference facilities plus extensive leisure activities. We will monitor developments
Other Group news:
Nici Hotels: currently with just the one hotel in Bournemouth is opening two new hotels on 15th June: in Newquay with 82 bedrooms and suites and two meeting rooms plus Lymington in the New Forest with 80 bedrooms and suites, also with two meeting and events suites.
The new Hampton by Hilton Manchester City Centre will be opening in April overlooking the Castlefield Viaduct in the city. It will be the largest of the brand’s portfolio in both the UK and Europe, with 358 bedrooms and suites, an all-day restaurant, a bar, a 24-hour fitness centre plus one main meeting room to seat up to 35 delegates plus syndicate rooms.
Classic British Hotels has added Whittlebury Park to its portfolio. Located on a 700-acre Northamptonshire estate, the hotel has 254 bedrooms and suites, a 3-AA Rosette restaurant, a spa and wellness suite. The hotel has 19 meeting and events suites with the largest seating up to 500 delegates, plus three private dining rooms.
Classic British Hotels has also added Holdsworth House to its collection. This is an historic Jacobean manor house - now a 33-bedroom hotel in Halifax, West Yorkshire. The hotel, with a restaurant and bar, has four flexible meetings and events suites for up to 120 delegates.
Finally - St Ermin’s Hotel in central London has opened The Terrace – ‘bringing the elegance of an English garden into the heart of Westminster’ – ‘an outdoor terrace for relaxation, serving seasonal English sparkling wines, served at their most refreshing’ – weather permitting.
Thank you for following us. We will be back in mid May with the latest hotel and conference venue news.