Latest News Update: September 2026
Group news: We start this month’s roundup with news from the major hotel groups operating in the UK.
Accor Hotels: has just opened its first UK hotel in the group’s Handwritten Collection. The Queen at Chester Hotel – Handwritten Collection is located in City Road directly opposite Chester Railway Station. It has 218 bedrooms and suites and various dining options including a Terrace for alfresco dining, a fitness centre plus eight meeting and events suites with the largest seating up to 400 delegates.
The Elysium Collection: is a new hotel grouping launching with three hotels plus spa and health clubs. The hotels include: The Elysium St Mawes opening this autumn in Cornwall followed by The Elysium in Windermere in the Lake District and The Ship and Castle Hotel also in Cornwall.
Hilton Hotels: is expanding its presence in Ireland. It is planning to open DoubleTree by Hilton Ashbourne, near Dublin, in early 2027. The hotel will have 156 bedrooms and suites, restaurants and bars, leisure facilities plus meeting and events facilities.
Hyatt Hotels: Hyatt Hotel London Stratford has reopened its Elondi Terrace following a major refurbishment. Designed for F&B and private outdoors events, the 150 sq-mt terrace will accommodate up to 50 guests seated or 100 standing.
IHG Hotels: The Hari London located in Chesham Place in the heart of London’s Belgravia has joined the groups Vignette Collection. The hotel has 85 bedrooms including 14 suites plus various restaurants and bars and four events spaces.
The Landmark Collection: The Lancaster Landmark Hotel Company grouping has rebranded as The Landmark Collection. The group includes The Landmark London, the Royal Lancaster London and K West Shepherd’s Bush among others.
Maybourne Hotel Group: in partnership with Flexjet is offering complimentary helicopter transfers for guests arriving at Farnborough, Biggin Hill, Luton or Stansted Airports and booking Signature Suites at any of its London hotels including: Claridge's, The Connaught, The Berkeley and The Emory.
NYX Hotels: has opened its first Scottish hotel. NYX Hotel Edinburgh is located in Jeffrey Street in the centre of the city. near the Royal Mile. It has 125 bedrooms and suites plus a restaurant and bar.
QHotels Collection: is opening Reformer Studios in six of its Health Clubs enhancing its fitness and wellness programme. The hotels include: Crewe Hall, The Park Royal, Hampshire Court, Westerwood, Forest Pines and Belton Woods.
Radisson Hotel Group: have just launched ‘Long Stays by Radisson Hotels’ designed to meet the needs of the extended-stay travel market with guest access to dedicated long-stay rates and personalised hotel contacts.
Stay Original Group: the group’s planned extensive refurbishment of The Eastbury in Dorset is expected to start this September with a reopening scheduled for spring 2027. Work will include a redesign of all 25 bedrooms plus the creation of a new restaurant and bar as well as their own in-house bakery
Travelodge: has exchanged contracts to develop a new hotel in Abbey Wood in south-east London. The new hotel, adjacent to Abbey Wood railway station, will have 132 bedrooms and will offer good transport connections by rail and bus into central London. We will monitor and report its progress.
Travelodge Wakefield has officially opened in Lower Warrengate in the city centre - adding to the group’s current 600+ hotel collection. It is a 73-bedroom hotel on the site of the former CitiLodge. It features new self-service food and beverage options, including a pizza vending machine, a hot bakery machine and a barista-style coffee machine.
Other hotel news from around the UK
The Imperial Hotel in central London reopened on 14th August following a major refurbishment project. The hotel, overlooking Russell Square, now has 357 redesigned bedrooms and suites plus a 10th-floor rooftop bar and a new restaurant.
Construction work has just been completed on a new 40-bedroom luxury aparthotel to be operated by Numa Stays on Fulham Palace Road in London’s Hammersmith. The scheme also includes the refurbishment of a public house. Opening date to be advised.
Selsdon Park Hotel - A £30million restoration project at the historic Selsdon Park Hotel in Croydon has been approved. Vacant since 2023 the new owners, BH Group, are planning to reopen the property as a luxury staycation property under its Elysium Collection. Summer 2027 is the target opening date.
THE NICI Bournemouth has been awarded five AA Stars. The hotel overlooking the seafront has 91 bedrooms and suites, restaurant and bar, a luxury spa including an outdoor pool and three meeting and events suites with the largest seating 150 delegates theatre style.
The Birmingham College of Food, part of University College Birmingham, has taken over the former Cube Hotel and Marco Pierre White restaurant with plans to transform it into a 52-bedroom hotel and restaurant. It is located in Wharfside Street by the canal in the city centre alongside The Mailbox development.
The Chester Grosvenor Hotel is to close at the end of September for a major refurbishment prompted by safety concerns following the discovery of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete above their function suites.
The former St James Hotel in Nottingham is now the Four Points Flex by Sheraton Nottingham, following completion of a major refurbishment. The hotel, located in the heart of the city alongside Nottingham Castle, has 87 bedrooms and suites plus a restaurant and bar.
Point A Edinburgh has just opened in St Andrew Square in central Edinburgh, minutes from Edinburgh Waverley Station. It has 149 double and single-bedded rooms and a breakfast room. It has no dedicated private conference rooms, but it does have a versatile main space for casual meetings with free wi-fi.
The Bass & Barrel is the new name of the former Nether Abbey Hotel in North Berwick – on the south bank of the Firth of Forth. The hotel reopens in October following a major refurbishment with 12 boutique-style bedrooms, a pub and a restaurant.
…and finally:
Long Lane is to become the UK’s first alcohol-free hotel and members’ club. It is planning a late 2026 opening within the South Downs National Park, in West Sussex. The hotel will have 30 bedrooms, extensive leisure facilities including a natural swimming pool, plus a restaurant offering nutrition-led menus.
On the other hand, the Hotel Sheraton in Blackpool has teamed up with a local distiller to create two bespoke spirits - Hotel Sheraton Gin and Vodka - exclusively for hotel guests. Hotel Sheraton Gin is infused with orange, vanilla and star anise, while the accompanying premium vodka offers a smooth, classic serve – reports The Hotel Magazine.