We start the New Year with a brief look at some of the recent new hotel developments plus a few details about what to expect from around the UK in the not too distant future. We start in London and then head northward.
In London:
27–28 Clements Lane is the site of a Grade II-listed Victorian-built office block in the heart of the City of London. Formerly an office block, the building is set to become a luxury 180-bedroom hotel with a lounge, restaurant, café and bar at ground level. Further details to follow in due course. Redevelopment work is scheduled to start on-site summer 2026, with the hotel expected to open in early 2028. More details in due course
The Shepherd Mayfair is a new boutique hotel set to open in 2026 in London’s Shepherd Market, in the heart of Mayfair. The six-storey hotel will have 82 bedrooms and suites and will be a member of the Elegant Hotel Collection. Whilst The Shepherd Mayfair will offer small meeting spaces its sister property, 1 Hotel Mayfair - a 10-minute walk away - is equipped for more formal business meetings with a range of fully equipped rooms for events up to 70 people.
The former Seraphine Kensington in London’s Kensington is set to reopen in mid-January as The Kensington Hideaway Hotel on Kensington High Street - following completion of a major renovation project. Now a boutique-styled hotel, it will feature 59-bedrooms inspired by authors like Agatha Christie and T.S. Eliot plus a restaurant and bar.
In the South of England:
Down Hall Hotel, Spa & Estate located on the Hertfordshire/Essex border near Bishop’s Stortford. Down Hall has reported major growth in its conference and meetings business with conference revenues rising 75% between 2022 and 2024. A new landscaped outdoor extension designed for special events is set to open in Spring 2026 with space for 180 delegates. The hotel is also investing in its leisure activities menu.
Wyboston Lakes Resort Meeting Point has opened three flexible fully equipped meeting rooms plus a break-out area located within the Drift Inn. The largest room will seat up 40 delegates. The Resort is located between Milton Keynes and Cambridge, close to the A1.
In Cornwall:
Polurrian Hotel located on Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall has temporarily closed for a major expansion of its facilities. It is planned to reopen at the end of March with a new meeting and events suite - with a capacity for 120 delegates plus 10 new bedrooms. The hotel currently has 40 bedrooms, all recently refurbished and with ocean views.
Staying in Cornwall, The Great Western Hotel, the oldest hotel in Newquay, will be undergoing a major refurbishment in three phases this year. The hotel currently has 66 bedrooms, a sun terrace and a restaurant overlooking the beach plus one meeting room accommodating up to 100 delegates.
In the Cotswolds:
House of George is a new boutique hotel and fine-dining restaurant. It opened at the end of 2025 in the village of Broadway in the Cotswolds. It is a ten-bedroom hotel set within a restored, historic limestone building on the High Street. The restoration is the brainchild of George Davies, founder of Next and George at ASDA – hence the name of the hotel.
In Birmingham:
Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham is about to undergo a major ground redevelopment project which will include a new 146-bedroom Radisson Red Hotel with extensive meeting and banqueting facilities including a rooftop terrace and pitch-view rooms with balconies. Building work is expected to start this September with an scheduled opening date at the start of the cricket season in 2027.
Brightstar Hospitality opened a new Garner branded hotel in the Acocks Green area of Birmingham last autumn. Formerly Bridge House Hotel, the property has 51 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar plus flexible meeting spaces for up to 100 delegates. It has undergone a recent extensive refurbishment of the bedrooms and public areas. The hotel is around 15 minutes from the centre of Birmingham and its location, on the south side of the city, means it offers good access to Birmingham Airport and the NEC.
Hopefully, 2026 will see the opening of the Dean Hotel in Birmingham. Located in Corporation Street in the city centre, the new hotel will take over the city’s Grade II listed Central Methodist Hall. It will have 155 bedrooms and suites plus a rooftop restaurant. More details to follow.
In Manchester:
Probably the major new development of the year in Manchester will be the development of Manchester City FC’s Etihad Stadium into a major entertainment and conference centre including a new 400-bedroom Radisson Blu hotel on the campus. Late 2026 is the anticipated opening date.
IHG's new Manchester Deansgate Hotel located in the city’s Beetham Tower is the former Hilton Manchester Deansgate, which transitioned to IHG in August 2025. There are plans to rebrand it as an InterContinental Hotel by 2027 following completion of renovations which will include offering panoramic city views from its central location.
On Merseyside:
A late 2026/early 2027 is the anticipated opening date for the new Southport Marina Lake Events Centre. It will be located on the site of the previous Southport Theatre and Convention Centre and will feature a 1500 capacity flexible theatre auditorium, an Exhibition Hall which can be subdivided into 3 smaller halls, plus meeting rooms, a restaurant and café. We will monitor developments.
In Leeds:
The Met Hotel Leeds has re-opened following a major refurbishment. The Grade-II listed building which opened in 1899 has retained its historic links. The hotel has 125 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant and bar, a gym and nine meeting and events suites including the Met Ballroom seating up to 250 delegates theatre style. It is located in King Street in the centre of Leeds, a short walk from Leeds Station.
In Edinburgh:
The Social Hub encompasses hotel rooms, student housing, coworking spaces, meeting rooms, gyms, and restaurants. It opened its first site in Glasgow last year and is now planning a second in Edinburgh on a plot of land at the former Fountain Brewery site in Fountainbridge – a site which has been vacant for around 20 years. We will monitor progress.
We will be back at the start of February with further updates. In the meantime, we wish all our readers a very happy and prosperous New Year.