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Published: 30 April 2025

The latest hotel and venue news starting as usual in London:

London is planning the largest hotel development programme in Europe, according to hospitality data firm Lodging Econometrics, with 77 hotel projects and over 14,00 rooms at various stages of development.

Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch has just opened with 120 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant and bar plus an outdoor pool and terrace. The hotel has seven meeting rooms including private dining areas – with the largest accommodating up to 300 guests. It is close to Liverpool Street Station and Old Street Station in central London. 

The Newman is a new hotel opening in London’s Fitzrovia summer 2025. It will have 81 bedrooms and suites, a European brasserie, a spa and fitness facility on a dedicated wellness floor plus two meeting and events suite.

Hilton London Bankside is to add 76 bedrooms to its stock, bringing the total number of rooms to 368. The first quarter 2026 is the expected completion date. The hotel is located in Great Suffolk Street, London SE1.

The July London Victoria is new aparthotel opening this July. It will have 114 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar, a gym, wellness area plus three meeting rooms. It will be located within a five-minute walk of London Victoria underground and coach stations.

Valor Hospitality has refurbished and rebranded two hotels in the South of England:  voco Southampton and voco Fareham-Solent.  voco Southampton has 133 bedrooms, voco Fareham-Solent has 130 bedrooms. Both hotels have a restaurant and bar plus upgraded meeting and events suites.  voco Fareham-Solent also has a leisure club. The hotels join the recently refurbished voco Zeal Exeter Science Park in the group. Valor Hospitality is planning further voco rebrands later this year. voco is one of IHG's premium brands.

West Court Retreat is a new 49-bedroom luxury hotel which has recently opened in a former army special operations base in Wokingham, Berkshire. It has a restaurant and bar, an outdoor swimming pool and meeting facilities.

The Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff with 170 bedrooms has opened a new meeting and events space - The Mail Room - seating up to 40 delegates.  The room compliments the hotel’s larger Postmaster Suite accommodating up to 360 delegates.

Hotel Indigo Leeds is a new hotel opening on Lower Briggate in Leeds city centre. It will have 107 bedrooms and suites, The Banksia Restaurant and Bar, a gym, and meeting spaces. It is set to open at the end of July 2025. This will be the 20^th Hotel Indigo to be opened by IHG Hotels & Resorts in the UK.

Bradford South Travelodge has just opened between Bradford and Leeds with 130 bedrooms. It is close to the M62 and just eight miles from Leeds Bradford International Airport.

Dakota Newcastle Hotel opened at the end of March. It is located on the city’s St. Ann’s Wharf, overlooking the River Tyne. The hotel has 118 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar. The main Tyne Suite will seat up to 60 delegates for a theatre style meeting with three smaller rooms seating from 10 to 30 delegates plus a private dining room.

Bailiffgate Hotel is the latest new hotel from Bespoke Hotels and is scheduled to open in Alnwick, Northumberland in late May 2025. The hotel overlooks the entrance to Alnwick Castle. It will have 48 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant and bar plus two private meeting/events suites one seating up to 25 delegates, the other 10 delegates.

Egremont, Cumbria. A derelict building and former bake house in the centre of Egremont in Cumbria has just reopened, fully refurbished as  No.27 Conference & Event Centre & Nashville Bar. The building had not been used for a number of years and was in a poor state of repair. Capacities and further details to follow.

IHG Hotels and Resorts is planning to launch its latest mid-market range hotel brand - Garner Hotels - in Edinburgh in June 2025. Garner Hotel Haymarket, Edinburgh will be located directly opposite Haymarket Station in the city centre. It will have seven floors, 195 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar.

Marriott International is buying the lifestyle hotel brand CitizenM with its 36 hotels in more than 20 European cities., including six in the UK.

Two Football clubs are opening hotel and conference facilities - in Manchester and Oxford. They are:

In Manchester: The Medlock is a new 401 bedroom hotel planned - the collaboration of Radisson Hotel Group and Manchester City Football Club. The new hotel is expected to open at the end of 2026 and will form part of the Club’s £300 million development at the Etihad Campus. The hotel is named after the River Medlock that runs underneath the Etihad Campus. Further details to follow.

Oxford United Football Club have also teamed up with Radisson Hotel Group to create a 180-bedroom Radisson Blu hotel. It will be part of a sustainable sports and lifestyle landmark north of the city. The site will also include a 16,000-capacity stadium and exhibition centre, with restaurants, bars and fitness areas plus entertainment facilities. Proposed opening date to be advised.

Finally, Unique Venues report that only 8% of the UK’s 37,000 public electric vehicle charging locations are found at hotels​. With now more than 1.3 million fully electric vehicles (EVs) on UK roads, a total which is predicted to rise to over half of all vehicles by 2030, the hotel market is in danger of missing out on potential guests and revenue.

Details

Published: 31 March 2025

We start our latest round-up of hotel and venue news in London as usual - and then head westwards and northwards.

The Barbican in London, in partnership with caterer Searcys, is now offering an exclusive private dining experience for between 60 and 120 guests in its Conservatory which also features over 1,500 species of exotic plants.

The RIBA, headquarters of the Royal Institute of British Architects, based Portland Place, will temporarily close from this June to undergo a two-year modernisation programme. 

The National Army Museum is the latest member to join the Unique Venues of London’s portfolio. The organisation now has over 80 member venues.

IHG Hotels: has opened voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, its first branded net zero carbon hotel – with 142 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar, meeting space and a mini-gym.

A new Radisson branded hotel is part of a development at Oxford United’s proposed new stadium near Kidlington. The hotel will have 180 bedrooms and is part of a wider development which includes a Conference and Exhibition Centre with a capacity of over 1,000 delegates. A summer 2026 opening is anticipated.

Fallow House events space has just opened at Estelle Manor in Oxfordshire. The two-storey building houses 540 sq-mt of events space. It includes a Grand Room accommodating up to 100 delegates, three meeting rooms seating between 10 and 20 delegates and two bars.

Escapade Silverstone is a new hotel complex which has just opened at the Silverstone Racetrack – ‘the home of English motor-racing’ in Northamptonshire. It has 184 ensuite bedrooms including Trackside rooms, a restaurant and bar, a 24-hour gym, swimming pool, sauna and wellness suite plus meeting and events

spaces.

Nobu Hospitality is venturing outside London. They have plans to open a 160-bedroom hotel in a 76-storey tower in Castlefields in the centre of Manchester. The hotel will also include events spaces plus a Nobu restaurant and bar. No anticipated opening date has been published yeRadisson Hotel Group:  has announced the opening of the 154-bedroom Radisson Blu Hotel in Pinstone Street in Sheffield city centre with 154 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar, fitnescentreand six meeting and conference suites with the largest seating up to 190 delegates theatre style.

Dakota Newcastle is a new hotel which has just opened on St. Ann’s Wharf, overlooking the riverside promenade in Newcastle on Tyne. It has 118 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant and bar plus a main events suite to seat up to 60 delegates, three smaller rooms and two private dining rooms.

Plans have been approved for the first Zedwell Hotel in Scotland. It is planned to open in the former Debenhams building on Princes Street, Edinburgh, with over 600 bedrooms. It will be the brand’s first hotel in Scotland. No anticipated opening dates have been published yet.

The Malmaison Hotel in Queens Road, Aberdeen has completed a £1.8 million refurbishment of all 79 bedrooms and public areas, including the bar and grill. The hotel has a main events suite seating up to 30 delegates plus two boardrooms.

Hilton Hotels have announced the signing of DoubleTree by Hilton Belfast City Ten Square. The hotel is about to undergo a multi-million refurbishment. The hotel includes 131 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant and bar plus a range of meeting and events suites. The hotel is the 1,000th property in the group’s EMEA region.

Staying in Belfast and with Hilton, the group is planning a European brand launch with Tempo by Hilton Belfast City Centre, the first Tempo by Hilton hotel outside the US. Expected to open late 2026, it will have 144 bedrooms and suites plus a fully equipped fitness centre.

ASM Global Europe are planning to open four new UK venues by 2027. They are: Becketwell Performance Venue, Derby with a 2,100-theatre style auditorium set to open Spring 2025.  The Sage ICC, Newcastle Gateshead with 5,000+ sq-mt exhibition space plus 17 conference and meeting spaces, opening 2026.   The New Olympia Conference Centre located alongside the existing Olympia complex in London. It will include 14 meeting rooms plus 2,000sq-mt of flexible space, opening 2026.  Southport Marina Lake Events Centre (MLEC) accommodating 1,200 theatre style plus 1,500m2 of exhibition space – also expected to open in 2026.

In recent years, the UK has witnessed a growing trend in the hospitality industry: the rise of stadium hotels. We have highlighted one above - a new Radisson-branded hotel at Oxford United’s proposed new stadium. See ‘The rise of the Stadium hotel – how UK venues are redefining hospitality’ in the HotelOwner magazine/website.

Finally, Hatters Hotel in Skegness, which has been named Britain’s ‘Most Unique Hotel’, is to go up for auction this month. The 29-bedroom hotel has been converted into an Alice in Wonderland-themed property, with characters from the Disney film installed throughout the venue. £650,000 is the guide price if you are interested.

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Published: 28 February 2025

We start our monthly hotel news update in London before moving south and then north.

The Welbeck Hotel has just opened in Welbeck Street, in central London. It is near to Harley Street and fittingly has close connections with the medical professions offering health-focused amenities. The hotel has 164 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant and bar, a fully equipped mini gym plus six dedicated meeting rooms seating up to 20 guests and events spaces for up to 60 delegates.

Miiro will be opening their fourth property in the world in April in London’s Kensington, a short walk from Earls Court Exhibition Centre. The Templeton Garden Hotel will have 156 bedrooms, a restaurant, cocktail bar and a state-of-the-art gym.

Plans have been approved for a new capsule hotel at Elephant & Castle in London.  Operated by CoDE Concepts, the hotel will include 568 capsule pods, a rooftop co-working lounge and gym. It will be located within walking distance of Elephant & Castle station and is expected to open in 2027.

The future of the Chiltern Firehouse Hotel in central London is in doubt following a major fire which has closed the five-star hotel in Marylebone.

Britannia Hotels Group has acquired the Crowne Plaza Felbridge close to London Gatwick airport.

The spa brand Nirvana Collection will open its first hotel this Spring. They are transforming former halls of residence for military officers in Sindelsham, Berkshire into a 49-bedroom hotel, with a restaurant and bar - to be operated as part of the Nirvana brand. The hotel will be the first property for the group, which runs the Nirvana Spa in Sindelsham. The building is a Grade-II listed property which dates back to the 1600s.

Estelle Manor in Oxfordshire has launched Fallow House, a dedicated 540 sq-mt events space at the centre of the 85-acre estate. It has two floors with three meeting areas, two bars and a double-height Grand Room. The largest room will seat up to 100 delegates.

Holiday Inn Gloucester-Cheltenham has completed a refurbishment of its health club and gym.

The Hyll is a new hotel due to open in the North Cotswolds this summer in a Grade-II listed 17^th century manor house. It will be the first Hyll Hotel under the ‘Madfabulous Hotels’ grouping apparently named after the old English word for an elevated position. The Hyll will have eight bedrooms in the main manor house with 14 additional rooms and four suites in an adjoining former outbuilding. Early next year the owners plan to open new catering space for both private and corporate events. More details to follow.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has confirmed that work is expected to start on the new Radisson Red Hotel at Birmingham's Edgbaston Stadium in September and will complete in time for the men’s Ashes Test against Australia at Edgbaston in 2027. The hotel will feature a rooftop restaurant and bar, 146 bedrooms of which 85 will feature pitch-facing balconies and some fully convertible into hospitality spaces.

Park Regis Birmingham has launched a new visitor experience enabling guests and meeting bookers to have a show round of the hotel without the need to step inside the venue. It’s a concept – ‘Hyybab’ – which is described as “fully immersive” empowering bookers, planners and buyers to sample the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of a location, from the comfort of their home or office.

Treehouse Hotel Manchester, part of SH Hotels and Resorts, will officially open on 19 March - with 224 bedrooms and suites, an event space for up to 400 guests plus private meeting rooms, a screening room, restaurant and gym. It is located on Deansgate in central Manchester.

The Lowry Hotel in Manchester has just joined Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ Leng’s Collection of independent properties. Situated on the banks of the River Irwell in central Manchester, The Lowry Hotel has 165 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar, a fitness centre and spa, a grand ballroom seating up to 400 guests and seven meeting rooms seating between 35 and 90 delegates.

Plans have been approved to build a new Hampton by Hilton hotel in St Helens on Merseyside. It will have 120 bedrooms over four floors, a restaurant and bar, fitness facilities and ground floor meeting rooms. No proposed opening dates have been published. 

In Blackpool, plans have been approved to convert a former post office, a Grade II-listed building in Abingdon Street, into an Indigo branded hotel with 148 bedrooms. Further news on the development to follow.

In Northern Ireland, Ten Square Hotel in the centre of Belfast is set to undergo a major refurbishment before its rebranding later this year as DoubleTree by Hilton Belfast City Ten Square.

The Resident Edinburgh: The group’s sixth UK property is now open and is situated on Drumsheugh Gardens in Edinburgh’s West End. It features 164 bedrooms, a range of meeting spaces with the largest room seating 30 delegates theatre style,  as well as public spaces including a library and lounge with a double fireplace.

This month sees the opening of Seaton House Scotland’s newest five-star hotel. It is located near the first tee and the 18^th green of the Old Course at St Andrews, which will host 155th Open at St Andrews in July 2027. Seaton House will have 42 luxury bedrooms and suites – some with sea views, others with garden view, some with their own private terrace.  There will be two meeting rooms accommodating up to 180 and 60 delegates theatre style respectively.

AC Hotel by Marriott Glasgow on George Street in Glasgow City Centre have published plans to retore the historic Victorian Collectors Hall alongside. It will form a new events space for the four-star hotel. The Hall will accommodate up to 120 guests for a meeting or exhibition. It will have its own private entrance, a canopied courtyard, an exclusive bar and restaurant plus private dining space for up to 14 guests. Development work has already started. We await details of the proposed opening date.

Finally, Marriott Hotels: and Manchester United Football Club are inviting the Club’s Most Passionate Fans for a ‘Once-in-a-Lifetime Stay’ in The Captain’s Suite inspired by ‘Legend’ - Gary Neville. They will meet the player, sleep over in the Marriott Hotels’ Suite of Dreams at Old Trafford and take in the matchday experience of the Manchester Derby. Can’t wait? – then check out the Marriott website.

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Published: 14 April 2025

Group News:

Hilton Hotels: The Football Association and Hilton have announced a three-year partnership with Hilton becoming Official Hotel Partner of the England football teams. Loyal fans can expect Hilton Honors perks on hotel stays when they travel to support the teams at home and abroad.

Forte Hotels: The new Crowne Plaza East Midlands Airport is taking bookings from 18^th April. It is located in Kegworth less than 2 miles from East Midlands Airport. It has 114 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant and a fully equipped fitness centre.

Village Hotel Group: has launched of a major investment programme aiming to upgrade over 50% of its portfolio starting with its bedrooms and leisure facilities. An additional 48 bedroom  extension is also planned at Village Hotel Clubs in Ashton, Manchester and Solihull.

Classic British Hotels: has added four new hotel partners to its portfolio: The Alfriston in the South Downs, Lindeth Fell Country House in the Lake District, The Ridings in Hertfordshire and Haycock Manor Hotel in Peterborough.

Sheraton: two additions to Four Points Flex by Sheraton grouping in the UK include: Four Points Flex by Sheraton Cardiff and Four Points Flex by Sheraton Newcastle with further additions following in Dundee and Edinburgh.

Marriott:  Marriott Luxury Collection is planning a £100 million refurbishment of The Park Tower Knightsbridge Hotel. Plans include adding six storeys to the hotel’s tower to house up to eight residential apartments overlooking Hyde Park.

Hoxton Group: A new Hoxton hotel will be opening in Edinburgh on 23 June. It will house 214 bedrooms and suites, including three self-contained houses, an all-day Italian restaurant, a cinema, six meeting and conference suites with the largest seating up to 100 theatre style.

Zetter Group:  are planning their first new opening in 10 years - Zetter Bloomsbury hotel in London. It is scheduled to open autumn 2025 with 68 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant and bar plus an outdoor garden, parlour and terrace.

Travelodge – has just opened its 85^th hotel in London: Travelodge London Chiswick High Road  -  a new build hotel with 113 bedrooms.

Other news:

The Grade-II listed  Atlas House on the corner of Cheapside and King Street in the City of London is to be converted into a new luxury hotel by Blue Orchid Hospitality, a new private collection of independent luxury hotels located in the heart of London. The new hotel will have 104 bedrooms and suites, a ‘destination’ restaurant, cocktail bar and health club, spa, pool and gym plus meeting rooms and workspaces.

Plans have been submitted for the redevelopment of Custom House on Lower Thames Street, City of London, into a hotel. It is an historic Grade-I listed building on the north bank of the River Thames and was most recently the headquarters of HMRC. We will monitor developments.

Miiro Templeton Garden – is a new lifestyle hotel brand, which has just opened its first UK hotel in London - in Templeton Place, Kensington, a short walk from Earls Court. It has 156 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant and a private dining room plus a gym as well as a landscaped garden.

Leeds Castle near Maidstone in Kent is offering two 24-hour delegate packages. One is standard and includes the usual: room hire, accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner and two servings of tea/coffee. The second rate incorporates the above plus team building exercises with activities including: a falconry experience, a wine tasting and private entry to adventure golf.

The People’s History Museum in central Manchester has relaunched its events spaces following a refurbishment. The new Riverside Room event space overlooking the River Irwell will seat up to 45 guests for a banquet. It joins the main Engine Hall seating up to100 theatre style and The Coal Stores seating up to 50 delegates theatre style.  The Museum is a 20-minute walk from both Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations.

Also in Manchester, The Midland Hotel in the city centre has just partnered with award-winning chef, Adam Reid, to launch a new private hire and events offering – EVENTS by Adam Reid at The Midland, designed for larger groups and corporate networking events.

A Finnish company, Meyer Floating Solutions, have published plans for a new 120-bedroom floating hotel to be moored in Roath Basin in Cardiff Bay with an anticipated 2027 opening.

Finally, we are aware that ‘good news coming from Birmingham’ is a rare event at the moment but allow us to share one piece of good news from our home city. According to Colliers UK Hotel Market Index Birmingham and Cambridge have emerged as two of the UK's fastest-growing hotel markets.

 

 

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Published: 14 March 2025

Latest Group News:

IHG Group: has purchased the Ruby Hotel brand which features ‘a premium urban lifestyle’. The group operate 20 hotels currently in Europe, the majority of which are in Germany, but is aiming to increase that total to 120 worldwide over the next decade - with a hotel in Edinburgh scheduled to open within the next three years.

IHG Group has introduced its midscale brand, Garner Hotels, to the UK. Garner Hotel Preston Samlesbury is the first in the UK - just off M6 junction 31. It has 80 bedrooms over three floors, a bistro restaurant, several conference and events spaces and a fitness suite.

 voco Zeal Exeter Science Park is now open. It’s IHG's first net zero carbon hotel. It has 142 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar, a mini gym, gardens and one meeting space for up to 10 delegates.

Radisson Hotels: The group is planning to open a new 401 bedroom Radisson Blu hotel at Manchester City’s Etihad stadium set for a 2026 opening - part of Manchester City’s £300m stadium development.

Zedwell Hotels: The Criterion Capital group plan to expand their Zedwell Hotel brand into York, Manchester, Edinburgh and the City of London – all part of a masterplan to operate 8,500 rooms by 2028.

The group has just launched its fourth Zedwell hotel in London’s Knightsbridge. It joins existing London units in Piccadilly Circus, Tottenham Court Road and Greenwich.

Staycity Group: is another hotel brand with expansion in its plans. They are looking to open new properties in London, Oxford and Cambridge – in effect tripling their size over the next five years. The group has two aparthotel brands, Staycity Aparthotels and Wilde -  its lifestyle  branded units. The group currently operates a total of 36 aparthotels across the UK and Europe.

Hyatt Hotels:  have opened Hyatt House  Leeds and Hyatt Place Leeds  a 12 storey hotel complex with 305 bedrooms.

 The group has plans to open several more new hotels in the UK, including:. Hyatt Regency London Olympia opening in early 2026 and Hyatt Place London Paddington opening in late 2026. Finally, Hyatt Centric Haymarket Edinburgh opening in late 2026.

Hyatt Hotels has launched Hyatt Select - a new upper-midscale brand designed to meet the needs of modern traveler. The hotels will have between 70 and 200 bedrooms and will include a complimentary breakfast plus a 24/7 self-serve, grab-and-go market. No plans to open in the UK have been published yet.

Hotel Gotham: plan to open in Bristol in Autumn 2025, with 75 bedrooms, a restaurant, spa and a  rooftop terrace bar.  Hotel Gotham Newcastle is planning an autumn 2025 opening in the Old Fire Station with 60 bedrooms with The Police Station side of the building opening in late 2025, with 30 additional bedrooms.

Travelodge:  has opened a new 59-bedroom hotel in Bromley town centre, in south-east London.

Village Hotels: planning to add 33 bedrooms at Its Ashton-under-Lyne Hotel. The group is aiming to add a further 20 hotels to its collection by the end of 2025.

Other Hotel News:

The Belfry Hotel in Sutton Coldfield is planning a September opening for their new Master Suite - the centrepiece of a major expansion at the hotel featuring 852sqm of events space accommodating up to  648 guests, pre-function space and an outdoor terrace. 140 new bedrooms plus a new leisure and fitness club are part of the hotel’s expansion plan.

Orida Hotels: The former DoubleTree by Hilton Newbury has resurfaced as the Orida Hotel Newbury - located just over 10 minutes from central Newbury with 113 bedrooms.

Estelle Manor country house hotel in Oxfordshire has launched a dedicated 540 sq-mt events space with three meeting areas, two bars and a double-height Grand Room.

Plans have been unveiled for a new five-star hotel in Liverpool. It is part of a £1bn King Edward development scheme linking the city's business district with the waterfront. Two hotels are envisaged with up to 400 bedrooms. A planning application is anticipated in the next few weeks. More details to follow.

The Grade-II listed former headquarters of Oxfordshire Council in Oxford are to be converted into a new hotel when the County Council relocate offices in spring 2027.

RIBA at 66 Portland Place, home of the Royal Institute of British Architects, will temporarily close from this June 2025 for a two-year restoration of the building which will see enhanced events spaces.

A new automotive-themed hotel - The Bicester Heritage - is planned near Silverstone in Oxfordshire. It will be based on a former RAF base and will include 252 bedrooms plus a 92-unit aparthotel. No proposed opening date has been published yet. The hotel will include a restaurant and bar, gym, swimming pool and sauna plus bedrooms with views across the airfield and race track.

Park Hall Resort and Spa in Preston has become the first in the UK to adopt an AI concierge. Guests will be able to call on the hotel’s artificial assistant who will work alongside hotel staff.

Finally,  Conference News magazine is reporting on the rise of non-hotel conference venues. They argue that whilst hotel ballrooms have historically served as a go-to venue for planners of large conferences and events many other venue spaces give planners alternative options to “wow” guests with the flexibility they provide and the unique atmospheres they offer. 

In addition, whilst hotels typically have rigid guidelines around what can and cannot be brought into event spaces - venues, on the other hand, are more flexible.

Non-hotel spaces can provide a unique atmosphere making the event feel fresh and exciting. They are often located in convenient, metropolitan areas, always in the heart of a city’s business or entertainment district, near public transportation.

Some venues such as sport-focused ones also have spaces for conferences and corporate day delegate meetings with mini-golf courses for example, and sporting greens for team building under the same roof.

Details

Published: 15 February 2025

Hotel Group News Update: 

Hilton Hotels Group:

Hilton added 973 hotels and nearly 100,000 rooms to its worldwide portfolio in 2024, the single biggest increase in rooms.

Tapestry Collection by Hilton - the first in Northern Ireland is set to open in Portrush spring 2025 with 80 bedrooms in a town which will also host the 153rd Open Golf Championship in 2025,

Spark: is a new branding from Hilton aimed at the Travelodge end of the market. The second Spark hotel in the UK opens in Luton this month. Spark Luton will have 87 bedrooms and a premium location close to the railway station with its direct link to central London.

Admiralty Arch Waldorf Astoria, London: you will have to wait until next year for Hilton's first Waldorf Astoria in London, the hotel is expected to open with 100 bedrooms in 2026.

IHG Group:

Holiday Inns: Holiday Inn Wrexham – with 87-bedrooms - is expected to open in early 2025.

Holiday Inn Express: New hotels opening this year include Holiday Inn Express Reading Oxford Road – with 104-bedrooms. The hotel is scheduled to open in the second half of 2025 in the centre of Reading. The group is also set to launch its new ‘Holiday Inn Express Generation 5’ public space design following research into guest behaviour, the future of work, entertainment, wellbeing, food and drink plus digital experience. It will make its debut in the new Holiday Inn Express Riyadh opening next year with ten Holiday Inn Express properties in the UK set to follow.

Hotel Indigo London K West Shepherds Bush opens with 252 bedrooms in Spring 2025, the group’s the sixth Hotel Indigo in London. Meanwhile, The Cosmopolitan Hotel is set to open as Hotel Indigo Leeds in spring 2025 with 107 bedrooms, situated in the centre of Leeds.

Six Senses: the brands first opening in the UK – it opens on Queensway in west London with 109 bedrooms in the first half of 2025.

Accor Group: Set to open Adagio Original London City East in the first half of 2025, the brand’s 9^th aparthotel in the UK and 4th property in London - with 132 studios and apartments.

Britannia Hotels: Have acquired the Crowne Plaza Felbridge close to London Gatwick airport.

Best Western Hotels: have published a five-year plan which aims to add 100 hotels to their UK hotel portfolio. Major Northern cities are being earmarked as target locations.

World Hotels: Hotel Velvet and Hotel 47, both in Manchester, are joining its luxury WorldHotels Crafted brand. The group represents Great Britain’s largest group of independent hotels and includes Best Western.

Radisson Hotels Group: The group now incorporates: Radisson, Radisson Blu, Radisson RED and Prize by Radisson. The group is specializing in sports and events-related hospitality. It has opened The Bolton Stadium Hotel, a member of its Radisson Individuals collection. Radisson RED London Twickenham Stadium is set to open in 2025 with Radisson RED Birmingham Edgbaston Stadium set to open in 2027. Radisson Hotel Group added almost 40,000 rooms to its global portfolio last year.

Immersive Hospitality Management: a rebranding from Corus Hotels – the group is set to open two hotels in the UK. The recently totally refurbished Burnham Beeches Hotel in Buckinghamshire is the first property in this new branding. A second hotel will follow later this year (or early 2026) in central London in partnership with Marriott – more details to follow in due course.

Marriott Hotels: London Marriott Hotel Marble Arch is set for refurbishment of all 240 bedrooms across its 12 floors with additional rooms planned. No dates yet for when the work is due to start and finish. Meanwhile London Marriott Hotel County Hall opened 35 new river-view rooms and suites on 1^st January. Marriott International Hotels added a record 123,000 guest rooms to its portfolio last year.

Jurys Inns / Leonardo Hotels: The group have acquired London's four Grange Hotels and renamed them: Jurys Inn London Holborn, Leonardo Royal Hotel London St Pauls, Leonardo Royal Hotel Tower Bridge and Leonardo Royal Hotel London City.

Oberoi Hotels and Resorts: Plan to open their first UK in 2025 – a 20-bedroom property on London's Brook Street, Mayfair, opposite Claridge’s hotel.

PIG Hotels group: There are currently nine PIG hotels in the UK. A tenth – The Pig on the Farm, is scheduled to open near Stratford on Avon is autumn 2025.

Staycity Group:  The Irish-based group is aiming to triple in size over the next five years. The group recently opened in London's Dalston with 124 apartments. It is planning to open Wilde aparthotels in Cambridge and London, with another site in Oxford under development.

Village Hotels: The group is planning to upgrade 50% of their portfolio including bedroom and facilities extensions. The former Crowne Plaza site at Caversham Bridge in Reading is set to be converted into a Village Hotel property. Construction will soon start on extensions to Village Hotels in Ashton, Manchester and Solihull, with an additional 48 bedrooms in each.  As well as looking to acquire new hotels, Village will also be upgrading more than half its portfolio, which will include extensions to bedrooms and other facilities, refurbishments to existing bedrooms and upgrading leisure and fitness offers. Ultra rapid electric vehicle charge points will also be installed across all Village’s 33 UK locations.

Zetter Hotels: The Zetter Bloomsbury Hotel in Seymour Street, central London, will be the group’s first new opening in 10 years. Opening autumn 2025, the hotel, previously the Grange White Hall hotel, will have 68 bedrooms plus a restaurant and private dining facilities. It will join Zetter Marylebone and the Zetter Clerkenwell in the group.

Finally, The Times is reporting that the ‘British hotel industry went into overdrive in 2024’ recording a record number of deals. In the final three months of the year 87 hotels with more than 12,800 rooms changed hands with the greatest activity coming in London.