Latest hotel and venue news as follows:
The former Grange Lancaster hotel in London’s Bloomsbury has been fully refurbished and restyled and is set to open January 2026 as Bertrand’s Townhouse – a luxury townhouse with 43 bedrooms plus Ottie’s Salon, serving fresh pastries and coffees in the morning and an all-day dining menu.
The new Hyatt Regency London Olympia is set to open in spring 2026. It will be located within Emberton House, which was previously one of Europe’s largest five-storey car parks. The five-star hotel will have 204 bedrooms and suites, two food and beverage outlets, a fitness centre and three events suites. The hotel is part of the wider £1.3 billion Olympia regeneration project.
The former K West Hotel is set to reopen in February 2026 following a major refurbishment as: Hotel Indigo London K West Shepherd Bush. The hotel, now part of the IHG Hotels portfolio, has 231 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant and bar, meeting and events facilities plus an urban spa.
The Derby London City, Curio Collection by Hilton has an anticipated February 2026 opening. It will be housed in a former office building on Great Tower Street with 234 contemporary guest rooms, including 13 suites, an all-day restaurant, fitness centre and two meeting rooms with the largest at 56 sq-mt
Plans have just been approved to create a new hotel in Cardiff. The new hotel will be located above a range of retail outlets in Queen Street in the city cente. Plans outline a 158-bedroom hotel with a roof-top pavilion, sky-bar, gymnasium, lobby and reception area. We will check its progress through the planning process.
Brownsover Hall Hotel in Warwickshire is set to reopen 6th December following a major refurbishment. Brownsover Hall is a luxury hotel set in a Grade II listed building in Rugby, on a 7-acre estate of parklands and gardens. It has 28 bedrooms and a brasserie restaurant and bar plus three meeting and events suites.
New World Hospitality has purchased the 105-bedroom BLOC Hotel Birmingham from Arora Group. It now joins the 245-bedroom BLOC Hotel Gatwick in the group.
It is not scheduled to open until 2031 - yet there has recently been a groundbreaking ceremony on the site of what will become Nobu Hotel Manchester. The project will deliver 160 hotel rooms, 452 residences and premium amenities including Nobu dining, spa, swimming pool, podium garden and a gym. The restaurant will occupy the ground floor and will be set within restored Grade‑II listed Victorian viaduct arches.
Mollie’s Manchester is due to open on 8 December 2025 in the Old Granada Studios building on Quay Street. The hotel will have 128 bedrooms and suites, restaurants, private dining facilities and bars, a gym plus four meeting and events spaces.
Duke Street Boutique Hotel in Liverpool has just reopened following its purchase by new owners - Golding Group. The hotel described as ‘a chic, modern and purpose-designed hotel’ is perfectly situated in Liverpool city centre. It has 30 bedrooms plus a breakfast restaurant and a bar.
CODE The Court is a boutique hotel built in a former courthouse and police station dating from 1845. It is located in the centre of Edinburgh overlooking the city’s historic Parliament Square. A multi-million-pound transformation has created a new floor of signature luxury en-suite rooms upgrading the property to one designed to appeal to ‘discerning travelers’.
The Arthouse Glasgow will be the first hotel to open in the UK from Oberland Group. It is planned to open in Bath Street central Glasgow in April 2026. It will be housed in a 19th century townhouse with 76 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar.
Group News:
New World Hospitality has purchased the 105-bedroom BLOC Hotel Birmingham from Arora Group. It now joins the 245-bedroom BLOC Hotel Gatwick in the group.
Novotel has become the first hospitality brand to join ‘Seafood Task Force’ - expanding its commitment to focus on sustainable tuna and farmed shrimp sourcing across Southeast Asia.
citizenM hotels group is to change its name to ‘Another Star’. Another Star will continue to operate all current citizenM hotels in Europe and the United States through a long-term franchise agreements with Marriott International.
Boutique Hotelier magazine is reporting that Apex Hospitality Group has just launched a new brand of luxury countryside hotels- the Monogram Collective. The new group comprises three properties, Pine Trees in Perthshire plus Meldrum House and The Vineyard in Newbury.
Radisson Hotels is steadily advancing its transformation towards becoming one of the world’s most prominent hotel companies – with more than 210 signings and new openings secured this year.
The first Hoxton-branded hotel has just opened in Ireland. The Hoxton Dublin has 129 bedrooms, a range of restaurants and bars, a late-night music venue plus private meeting and events space. It is located in Exchequer Street in the Irish capital.
And finally, the world's tallest hotel has just opened, where else but in Dubai. Ciel Dubai Marina by IHG is 377 metres high with1,004 bedrooms and suites over 82 floors. It features one of the world's highest infinity pools, with views across Dubai's coastline.
We will be back in the New Year with the latest hotel and venue news – provided we survive the Christmas celebrations and high spirits. In the meantime, we wish all our readers a very happy Christmas and New Year.