Some of the news stories you may have missed during the week include:

Plans have just been approved for a new hotel in the centre of Chester. It will have 162 bedrooms and suites over four floors and will feature a rooftop restaurant and balcony plus a gym and meeting and events facilities. We will monitor its progress and report further news when we have it.

The Lowry Hotel Manchester plans to open a ‘technology spa’ in November – the first of its kind in the UK. The new spa will feature four treatment rooms, a space with loungers, fitness studio and a brow and lash bar. 

Malmaison Manchester Deansgate will open April 2023. It will be the second Malmaison in the city centre following Malmaison Manchester Piccadilly.  Malmaison Manchester Deansgate will have 70 bedrooms, a Chex Mal Brasserie, a rooftop bar plus a terrace and events space.

The refurbishment of Travelodge Wincanton hotel in Somerset is now complete. It is one of 60 properties in the budget hotel’s portfolio currently being upgraded with a new 'budget-luxe' design. The budget-luxe design features include a number of sustainable initiatives including new carpets made from recycled fishing nets, low-energy lighting, motion sensing controls and aerated showers and taps. Wincanton will be one of the first Travelodges to be upgraded to the new budget-luxe premium look.

L+R Hotels has announced a completion date of May 2023 for The Mole Resort in Devon. The Mole Resort is set in 125 acres on Exmoor near the River Mole. The resort will include 58 new lodges plus hotel rooms and dining facilities. A range of indoor and outdoor activities will feature swimming, fitness classes, golf and tennis.

The St Kilda Hotel in Llandudno has just been acquired by the expanding Inn Collection Group – its third property in Wales. St Kilda Hotel dates from the mid nineteenth century. It has 60 bedrooms and is located on the resort’s central promenade.

Staying in Wales we finish this roundup with a animal story with a difference. Next summer will see the opening of the first boutique hotel for dogs. It is the Cwtch Animal Homestay Cwmbran. The Homestay will feature twelve individually designed guest suites each with a doggy lounge and a TV. Communal areas will feature a pool and a spa plus an indoor play area. The site’s existing Cwtch Animal Homestay adventure park features climbing frames plus obstacle courses for dogs. Human guests will definitely not be welcome. Men will just have to stay in their existing doghouses.

A brief summary of some of the hotel/conference venue stories you may have missed during half-term.

Construction work has just started on a new 221-bedroom hotel behind the Metropole on Brighton’s seafront. The new hotel will be operated by the Maldron hotel group. The new hotel is being built on the site of the former Metropole conference centre. It will include a restaurant and bar. Details of meeting and events facilities await publication. A 2024 opening date is envisaged The site also includes the 323-bedroom Hilton Brighton Metropole which is currently undergoing refurbishment.

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A new multi-purpose events centre is planned in Southport. If approved the new Marine Lake Events Centre would include a 1,500-capacity theatre as well as exhibition and conference facilities. It would replace the existing Southport Theatre and Convention Centre, which closed in 2020.

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A new hotel, bar and restaurant is set to open in Alnwick in the grounds of Charlton Hall Estate in Northumberland.  The hotel - The Tempus - will have 15 bedrooms, each with a design inspired by the Alice in Wonderland. The hotel will also include a restaurant and bar. It is set to open in early 2023.

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Great London Hospitality has announced it will rebrand as the 'Clermont Hotel Group' this autumn. The rebranding, which marks the culmination of £90 million worth of investment over the past four years.

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Proposals have been published for a new 150-bedroom hotel in central Manchester hotel. If approved it will operate under the Motto by Hilton brand. The location is on the corner of Great Ancoats Street and Laystall Street, between Piccadilly, Ancoats and the Northern Quarter. Plans envisage a 150-bedroom hotel housed in a 20 storey building. A planning application is expected later this year and assuming no hiccups the construction could begin in spring 2023.

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The Inn Collection Group has begun refurbishment work on three Lake District hotels: The Wateredge Inn, The Waterhead Inn and The Angel Inn. All three will have new restaurants and bars plus refurbished bedrooms, whilst maintaining the fundamental character of the buildings.

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Marriott has just opened their first AC Hotel brand in Scotland on the banks of the River Ness in the centre of Inverness. The four-storey AC Hotel by Marriott Inverness is the largest hotel in the city with 191 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant and bar, leisure facilities and one meeting room to seat up to eight delegates.

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Finally, we are hearing very good reports regarding D&D London’s first Birmingham venture - Orelle Restaurant. Orelle is located on the 24th floor of 103 Colmore, the city’s tallest office building lying at the heart of the city’s business quarter.  As well as stunning views across the city, Orelle also features an all-day cafe and terrace with 88 covers and a standing capacity of up to 150 as well as a 12-seater private dining room – for meetings with a difference. Oh! and the food is excellent as well according to our spies.

A short summary of the venue news stories you may have missed over the last week include:

Ellenborough Park Hotel, the five-star country house hotel in Gloucestershire is currently upgrading all 61 bedrooms with completion set for March 2023.

Dalata Hotel Group have just opened the Maldron Hotel Merrion Road in the centre of Dublin. The seven-storey hotel has 140 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar plus a range of meeting and events suites. It is located close to Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Blackrock areas of central Dublin.

Hyatt Regency London Stratford is opening an additional seven meeting rooms on the top floor of the hotel one of which will feature an outside terrace and will seat up to 80 people for a private dinner or social event. Hyatt Regency London Stratford has 225 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant and bar, a 24-hour fitness centre plus an existing three meeting rooms on the third floor of the hotel. Hyatt Regency London Stratford is located in the heart of the Westfield Stratford City Shopping Centre within walking distance of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.

A reminder that the new Clayton Hotel Glasgow City opens this month with 303 bedrooms, Custom House Bar & Restaurant and a range of meeting and events suites. It is located in Clyde Street on the banks of the River Clyde - a five minute walk from Glasgow Central Station.

The plans have been published to build a new 16-storey block above the concourse at Liverpool Street station in central London. Along with office the development would also include a six floor new Andaz Hotel operated by Hyatt. Public consultation starts in mid-November with a planning application anticipated next year.

Planning approval has been granted for a proposed new luxury events space on the site of a Leicestershire farm. Plans would see a full renovation of the derelict Scraptoft Lodge Farm, converting the farmhouse, rebuilding the outbuildings and adding an extension. The finished complex would facilitate a 350-capacity events space plus a restaurant and bar. Scraptoft Lodge Farm is 15 minutes from Leicester and with good access to Melton Mowbray and Oakham.

Some of the venue news stories you may have missed over the last week include:

 All Jurys Inns in the UK are set to be rebranded as Leonardo Hotels. The first three on the list are: Jurys Inn Edinburgh is set to become Leonardo Royal Hotel Edinburgh; Jurys Inn Cheltenham will become Leonardo Hotel Cheltenham and Jurys Inn Oxford will be renamed Leonardo Royal Hotel Oxford. The transitioning of the remaining Jurys Hotels in the UK will be taking place from the end of October through until the end of December 2022.

The Greenway Hotel and Spa a boutique16th century manor house located on an eight-acre site in Shurdington near Cheltenham has begun a major refurbishment of its 21 bedrooms. It is set to be completed by early next year and the hotel will remain open throughout.

Boutique hotel operator, GuestHouse Hotels, is planning to open its fourth property - No. 42 Margate - in spring 2023. The hotel will feature 21 bedrooms plus a restaurant, rooftop terrace and a spa. It will join No. 15 Bath, a 37-bedroom Georgian townhouse in the centre of Bath and No.1 York in the same group.

The Hobson is a new hotel set to open shortly in the centre of Cambridge. The Hobson was formerly Hobson House and before that a Victorian Police Station. The Grade II-listed building has now completed a total renovation. The Hobson will be a five-star hotel with 56 suites with a breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea served in a glass enclosed courtyard. The Hobson is a Rogue City Hotel and is located in St Andrews Street on the banks of the River Cam in Cambridge.

x+why, the flexible workspace specialist has just opened its second Birmingham site in the city’s tallest office building - 103 Colmore Row.  The site includes 31,500sqft of flexible workspace across the first, second and third floors which includes meeting rooms, events space, break-out areas as well as private offices plus an eighteenth-floor lounge and bar with unrivalled views across the city.

Let’s finish with something totally different – it regards the Ambassador Theatre Group. Their portfolio includes many of the world’s most historic theatres and music venues, from London’s West End to a range of regional venues across the UK as well as overseas in USA and Europe. With their shows they are offering a private room for companies to entertain their guests for the evening with catering and drinks plus VIP seats to watch the show. It sounds like an interesting and unusual way to entertain clients.

 

The major story of the week is the reopening of Battersea Power Station in London. The art-deco, Grade-II listed building with its enormous chimneys is a London landmark but had been derelict for decades before completion of a £9billion regeneration. Battersea Power Stion is now a shopping centre and food court with its own tube station. The first new hotel to open will be art’otel London Battersea Power Station opening this autumn. The hotel will be located within Battersea Roof Gardens with164-bedrooms, a range of meeting and events facilities plus a skyline destination restaurant and bar. Leisure facilities will include a rooftop swimming pool, as well as a gym and a spa.

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Now we have three hotel stories from Scotland:

Operators of the Irish-based Address Hotels group are opening a hotel in Glasgow. The group has acquired the recently refurbished former Pocotel hotel in West George Street in the centre of Glasgow. It will be renamed The Address Hotel Glasgow. The six storey Address Hotel Glasgow has 91 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar plus meeting rooms and a fitness suite.

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The new Hoxton Edinburgh is set to open in Edinburgh’s Haymarket summer 2023. It will have 211 bedrooms and suites in the main hotel building and across  10 joined-together Georgian townhouses. Hoxton Edinburgh will include a restaurant and bar plus a range of event suites. More details to follow.

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Cameron House Hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond in Scotland is set to open its new extension – the Lomond Wing. The wing has 68 new bedrooms, a 700 sq-mt ballroom and events suite which can seat up to 300 guests plus a loch facing terrace.

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The Dilly Hotel in London’s Piccadilly has been acquired by the Fattal Group – operators of the Leonardo Hotels brand.

The Dilly Hotel has 283 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant and basement bar, an indoor swimming pool and squash courts. 894 sq-mt of events space includes seven events suites and four breakout rooms. 

A decision on whether the new owners will change its name has not been published yet. It opened as The Piccadilly Hotel in 1908, and in recent years it became a Le Meridien Hotel before emerging as The Dilly hotel.

Millennium Point in the centre of Birmingham is setting out its stall to attract last minute end of year meetings, catch-ups and interviews. Millennium Point is equipped with 11 versatile events spaces – the largest seating up to 95 delegates. They range from outdoor networking spaces to one of Birmingham’s biggest screens.  Millennium Point is a short walk from both Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Moor Street stations.

Formerly Wolverhampton Civic Hall, the building is now reopening as The Halls Wolverhampton in June 2023 following completion of a major multi-million-pound refurbishment programme. Whilst primarily hosting leading music and entertainment performers, The Halls Wolverhampton will also host business events and conferences. The Halls Wolverhampton is located in North Street in the city centre.

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Plans have been published to convert Denton Hall, a country house in Ilkley, West Yorkshire into a hotel. The Grade I-listed main Hall plus the Grade II-listed former Stables and Coach House are currently used as a training centre. The new hotel, if approved, would feature 27 bedrooms plus a reception, restaurant and bar, a gym and meeting rooms.

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Hardwick Hall Hotel near Sedgefield in County Durham has published plans to add an extra 35 bedrooms to its existing 50+ rooms, as well as adding a new luxury spa and health club. If successful building work will start late 2023. The £13million plan envisages 33 premier rooms, with Juliet balconies on the upper level using existing buildings in the grounds which have been derelict for some considerable time. Hardwick Hall also has four fully equipped meeting and events suites accommodating between four and 350 delegates.

Birmingham has been in the news all week so let us start this weekly news roundup with two hotel/conference related stories from this fine city. Further details have been published of Birmingham's Grade II-listed Methodist Central Hall which has recently secured planning approval for conversion into a hotel: The new hotel will feature 150 bedrooms and suites, eight bars and restaurants, a gymnasium and events space. The design will preserve many of the building's original features, including the rejuvenation of its 1,500-seat events space. A new three-storey rooftop extension will see the creation of a rooftop restaurant with views across the Birmingham skyline. Completion expected early 2025.

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A masterplan has just been published seeking to develop Edgbaston Stadium, the home of Warwickshire County Cricket Club in Birmingham. The masterplan would see the creation of a renewed stadium which would combine elite sport, plus conferencing and events facilities. Plans also include a stadium-based multi-use community hub with the potential for facilities such as an NHS walk-in centre. We will monitor developments and report progress

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French-based, B&B Hotels, has published plans to extend its operations into the UK. The group is planning to open up to 100 UK hotels by 2035. B&B Hotels is the leading and fastest growing independent hotel chain in Europe with more than 600 hotels in 14 countries. B&B Hotels claim to offer: ‘warm, modern and affordable accommodation for both business and leisure clients, a combination of comfort, design and high-quality services at an attractive price: comfortable beds, high-speed wi-fi, gourmet buffet breakfast’.

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The latest addition to the Bespoke Hotel portfolio – the 5-star Sun Street Hotel is opening in London next month. Sun Street Hotel will have 41 bedrooms and suites, a 40-cover restaurant, plus an outdoor courtyard for dining and the Orangery, which are also open to non-residents for daytime coffees and pre-dinner drinks. Sun Street Hotel is located on the border of Shoreditch and the City of London and is a short walk from both Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations.

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St James Quarter is a 1.7m sq-ft lifestyle district in the heart of Edinburgh, which has just been officially opened by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal. The St James Quarter will soon feature the new W Hotel Edinburgh plus a 75-bedroom Roomzzz aparthotel. The Quarter has been designed to integrate with Edinburgh’s transport network and its cultural and historic background. W Edinburgh is set to open winter 2023. It will be a 12-storey building with 214 bedrooms and suites including an Extreme Wow Suite. Other features include a signature restaurant, leisure and spa facilities plus 2,450 sq ft of events space.

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The redevelopment of the Grade II-listed George Hotel in Huddersfield is set to continue following completion of remedial works to make the building safe and watertight.Redevelopment of the 1850s Grade II-listed building, currently sheathed in a scaffolding wrap, has stopped but should recommence in the spring.George Hotel, famous for being the birthplace of rugby league, is expected to reopen in the summer of 2024 as a new member of Radisson Hotel Group.

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Plans have just been approved to build the new Ashton Gate Sporting Quarter alongside Ashton Gate Football Stadium in Bristol. The Ashton Gate Sporting Quarter will include a sports and convention centre, a 232-bedroom hotel plus125 apartments, offices, shops, a gym, a club museum and a multi-storey car park. Bristol City Council have approved the plans, but the project will need a final sign off from the government before work can begin.

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Schloss Roxburghe, country estate in the Scottish Borders, is going to join the Destination by Hyatt brand – the brand’s first outing in the UK. Currently a 22-bedroom property, the Schloss Roxburghe Hotel & Golf Course is set to become a luxury retreat with an additional 58 rooms and suites planned  as well as 12 cottages, two restaurants, three bars and two lounges. Development work is expected to be complete by late 2022. Further developments include a spa facility with two saunas and an outdoor infinity pool plus a purpose-built banqueting suite. Schloss Roxburghe Hotel & Golf Course will be the second Hyatt-branded property in Scotland and is set to join the Hyatt Centric Edinburgh Haymarket with its planned opening in 2025.

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Finally, possibly the world’s most unusual hotel opens shortly in Ongar in Essex. Hotel Hyundai is the world's first car-powered hotel with all power supplied by an Hyundai Ioniq 5, through an adaptor. Hotel Hyundai features cabin accommodation, a restaurant, and a makeshift cinema, with all electricity harnessed through an adaptor from the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Hotel Hyundai is open for 14 nights, from October 19 to November 5.

If you have scrolled this far down the page you will have a good idea of the services we offer. We simply believe in finding the right venue for the right meeting at the right price - because the venue and the services provided are the most important component of a successful meeting. Ring us today 0121 749 7575