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.