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Published: 10 February 2023

News items you may have missed this week include:

New Openings: The Holiday Inn Manchester Airport has just opened. It has 280 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar plus the group’s signature open lobby. There are three ground floor meeting rooms with a pre-function lounge. The hotel is located directly opposite Terminal Two, and just a few minutes' walk from both Terminals One and Three.

The Birch branded hotels group is expanding. Birch Cheshunt was its first, now Birch Selsdon is taking over what was the Selsdon Park Hotel in Croydon. It is opening this spring, with 181 bedrooms, two restaurants, three bars, a lido and a wellness space plus eight event spaces – ranging from 10 to 200  delegate capacity. It is all set within 200 acres of rewilded landscapes.

The Dower House Hotel and Spa in Knaresborough, Yorkshire will reopen this spring as The Knaresborough Inn. The Grade-II listed building has been renamed by its operators, Inn Collection Group, following completion of a major refurbishment. The Knaresborough Inn will have 57 bedrooms including 16 new additions plus new-look ground floor food and beverage spaces.

This week has seen the Pride of Britain Hotels relaunched as PoB Hotels still with 54 independent luxury and boutique hotels but now with a new website and a host of initiatives.

At the planning stage: Plans are afoot to convert the MFN (Miles From Nowhere) Club, the former biker bar set up by Showaddywaddy drummer Malcolm Allured into a boutique hotel and events venue complete with an artificial lake. The venue, on the Nottingham/Derbyshire border, would see 21 shipping container glamping pods added plus a catering area inside a refurbished train carriage. We will follow progress and report any positive news.

Plans for a new boutique hotel – The Dean -  with a rooftop pool and restaurant in Belfast city centre have just been submitted to Belfast City Council. The hotel would have 91 bedrooms and would be located next to Ulster Hall in the city centre. The Dean is one of Ireland’s leading boutique, design-led hotel groups and now has properties in Dublin, Cork and Galway. Plans for the new hotel have been submitted by Irish Hospitality Group.

Planning approval has been granted by Liverpool city council for a new food hall and events space with BOXPARK its operator. BOXPARK will be located in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle. The 21,000 sq ft venue will include 10 internal units on the ground floor seating up to 400 guests inside and 200 on its alfresco terrace.

Carlowrie Castle in Scotland, dating from the 1850’s, currently includes 21 bedrooms plus meeting and events facilities. A planned £3million investment will see a derelict stables block in the castle grounds restored to house seven bedrooms plus five modern cabins and a sauna to accommodate a further 10 guests in the castle’s 32 acres of grounds. Carlowrie Castle is located on the outskirts of Kirkliston, around 10 miles from Edinburgh.

The Guildford Pavilion is taking steps to raise its profile and has recently joined Venue Directory. The event space at Guildford Pavilion includes two floors accommodating up to 120 delegates for an indoor event plus outside space for marquees and larger festival style events up to 4500 delegates. Its location in the centre of Guildford is its unique selling point.

We finish with a story which has nothing to do with hotels or the meetings market, but it could possibly influence your selection of a post-event ‘relaxation spot’ in central London because Bierschenke, the LondonGerman beer hall brand, is opening a 12,000 sq-ft site in London's Covent Garden this spring. It will serve a menu of German beers, sausages, Schweinshaxe and Schnitzel all served by staff wearing traditional leather lederhosen. Sounds to us like the perfect end to a successful day.

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Published: 27 January 2023

News items you may have missed this week include:

The Maybourne Hotel Group is to open its fourth London Hotel this winter – the Emory Hotel in Knightsbridge. It will be an all-suites hotel with 60  across nine floors. It will feature a wellness space set across four floors below ground with a 22-metre pool. The restaurant will be run by acclaimed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The Emory will also feature a rooftop space with a 360-degree view of the capital for the exclusive use of hotel guests. Opening date to follow.

The Bay Horse in Wigan has reopened following an extensive refurbishment. The hotel now has 28 bedrooms all with a new décor, furniture and bathrooms. The hotel has two meeting spaces: a marquee to seat up to 80 guests and a front beer garden with new lighting and seating up to 120 guests. The Bay Horse is located in Warrington Road, Wigan.

The Birch brand opens its second hotel at the former Selsdon Park Hotel in Croydon this spring. It follows the opening of the Birch in Cheshunt in 2020.The hotel has been closed for refurbishment since December 2021. The Birch Selsdon Park will have 177 bedrooms and suites, two restaurants, three bars, a lido, a wellness space, a co-working hub, several communal areas, all set within 200 acres of rewilded landscapes.

Hyatt Hotels have just opened SCHLOSS Roxburghe, marking the UK debut of its Destination by Hyatt brand. SCHLOSS Roxburghe is a 102-room resort which has recently completed an extensive transformation, including the addition of 58 new rooms and suites plus 12 cottages. SCHLOSS Roxburghe has two restaurants alongside a tearoom, three bars and two lounges. In addition, the hotel has a spa, infinity pool, saunas plus a Championship Golf Course with practice facilities and Clubhouse. There is a selection of rooms for corporate meetings and events. SCHLOSS Roxburghe is located in the market town of Kelso, around an hour from Edinburgh and Newcastle.

Plans have been approved to convert former warehouse space in central Manchester into a 117-bedroom aparthotel. Located in Oldham Street, the aparthotel will be a mix of two/three and four person apartments with a kitchen facility and luggage store plus a gym, laundry and roof terrace. We will monitor progress.

News from the hotel groups:

Hotel group, Accor has launched a new branding - Handwritten Collection - described as: ‘a global portfolio of charming bespoke hotels that offer an intimate and stylish hospitality experience’. 12 properties have already been secured with the portfolio expected to reach more than 250 hotels by 2030. There are none planned in the UK so far.

Virgin Hotels have joined forces with Virgin Limited Edition – the private global collection of retreats, hotels and exclusive islands with both now trading under a new brand - Virgin Hotels Collection.

Hilton Hotels have just launched ‘Spark’, its 19th brand. Spark is a premium economy brand targeting a more affordable spot in the hotel price range. Spark bedrooms will feature clean design schemes, an in-room refrigerator, bright bathrooms and a workstation. The hotels will offer a simple free breakfast. There will also be a 24-hour market for grab-and-go food options. There are currently more than 100 Spark hotels in various stages of development across the U.S. but none so far in the UK.

Travelodge has completed the first phase of its property-upgrade programme. Sixty-five hotels now sport the brand’s “budget-luxe premium” design. These include the three new-builds which have all opened in the past six months, including two in London — in Docklands and Wimbledon, and one in Hexham, Northumberland.

…and unusual venue news includes:

Oceandiva London is a floating events space opening on the River Thames in London in Spring 2023. It will be the UK’s first CO2-neutral venue. Oceandiva London spans three decks and offers 2625sq-mt of events space for meetings, conferences, receptions, gala dinners, cutting edge product launches and brand activations. Oceandiva London can host events for up to 600 seated or 1,500 guests standing and offers extensive exterior space. Oceandiva London allows guests the unique opportunity to view London’s famous landmarks through its main artery – the River Thames. Oceandiva London is located at Butler’s Wharf on the south bank of the Thames, just east of London's Tower Bridge.

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Published: 13 January 2023

Brief summary of some major news items this week include:

A major refurbishment project has completed at The Bond in Birmingham - a fully refurbished Victorian warehouse featuring exposed brick, steel and glass and is set on the Grand Union Canal in the heart of Digbeth. The Bond has seven fully equipped meeting rooms. A full in-house catering package is available. The Bond has parking facilities. It is a short walk from Birmingham New Street Station and Birmingham Moor Street station. Alternatively, delegates can arrive by barge along the canal.

This week saw the opening of the Hyatt Regency London Albert Embankment - the eighth Hyatt-branded property in London. The hotel has 142 bedrooms with a range of executive suites on the 14^th floor with private balconies. There is a restaurant and bar plus a rooftop restaurant and an onsite fitness centre. Five technology-enabled meeting rooms offer 15,273 square feet of events space. The hotel is located at 10 Albert Embankment.

Travelodge, currently operating 79 hotels in London has announced major expansion plans with a search on for an additional 127 hotel sites across the city.

The Selwyn is a new 50 bedroom townhouse hotel which has just opened in the centre of Richmond upon Thames with a restaurant and bar

Plans have been submitted for a new luxury hotel in the South Bank regeneration area of Leeds city centre.  The plan is to build four multi-storey office blocks alongside a 19-storey luxury hotel with a sky bar and extensive leisure space. We will monitor developments.

New Holgate is a new boutique hotel which is opening in the centre of York in March. The Grade 2 listed townhouse formerly traded as Holgate Bridge Bed and Breakfast. New Holgate will have 11 individually designed bedrooms plus a dining room.

Plans have been unveiled to build a 160-bedroom hotel plus retails outlets at Teesworks, near Redcar in North Yorkshire. The hotel has been designed to serve the needs of thousands of construction workers which the authorities anticipate will be coming to the Tees Valley as work gathers pace on major projects in the coming years. We will monitor progress.

Devon’s Burgh Island Hotel set just off the south Devon coastline is about to undergo a major upgrade. The hotel, currently with 25 bedrooms and suites, is set to be extended to accommodate 12 new en-suite bedrooms. A new restaurant is planned. The hotel’s Grade II-listed Nettlefold bar is to be extended to host events and a spa is planned on the ground floor. The developments are part of a ten-year redevelopment plan.

The Insurance Hall, the historic Grade II listed venue located in the heart of the City of London, is inviting event organisers to view its wide range of meeting and events facilities during an open day on Wednesday 18^th January. Check their website for further details.

Hospitality students from a college in Cheshire will take over the running of the Devonshire Fells Hotel in North Yorkshire for a couple of days in February. They will be working under supervision to gain hands-on experience of the industry. The Devonshire Fells Hotel is located in the village of Burnsall within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The hotel has 16 fully equipped bedrooms and two meeting rooms both with natural daylight and complimentary wi-fi.

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Published: 03 February 2023

The Maybourne Hotel Group is set to launch its fourth hotel in London this winter -The Emory.  The Emory will be located in Old Barrack Yard in London’s Belgravia. It will have 60 suites and a penthouse set over nine storeys. As well as a restaurant and bar, The Emory will also feature a rooftop terrace with 360 degree views of the London skyline. A wellness space including a 22-metre swimming pool will fill four floors in the hotel basement. We await confirmation of the opening date.

This week has seen the opening of the Roseate Edinburgh Hotel – a luxury hotel   with 35 bedrooms and suites spread across two newly refurbished, heritage Victorian townhouses in Edinburgh's West End. Facilities include a bar and restaurant, lounge, garden conservatory and private gardens plus the fully equipped Club Prive Room and Club Prive Conservatory for boardroom style meetings. Roseate Edinburgh is five minutes from Edinburgh Haymarket station.

Ruby Molly, the first Irish hotel from the Ruby Hotels group, is scheduled to open in Dublin in Q1 2024. It will open with 272 bedrooms plus a ground floor bar, cafe and lounge. It will be centrally located at the intersection of Arran Street East and Mary Street Little in the heart of Dublin.

Jurys Inn Belfast is to be renamed Leonardo Hotel Belfast from the end of January. It will be the first of 35 Jurys Inns across the UK which will switch branding by the end of this year – all part of the group’s investment programme and growth strategy.

Plans have been submitted to Kirklees Council for the redevelopment of The George Hotel in Huddersfield. The Grade-II listed hotel dates from the 1850’s and is known as the birthplace of rugby league - but has been vacant since 2013. Plans envisage 91 bedrooms, a bar and restaurant, banqueting and events space plus two conference rooms and a gym and fitness suite. The hotel will be operated by the Radisson Hotel group

Spanish tennis player, Rafael Nadal, is set to launch Zel Hotels, a new branding from the Melia Hotels group. Melia claim that Zel Hotels are a ‘new concept with a Mediterranean aesthetic based on the outdoor living’. The first Zel branded hotel is set to open in Mallorca with 20 international locations set to follow including London, Madrid, Paris, Asia and the Middle East.

Travelodge has just completed upgrades of two of its hotels in south Wales: in Swansea city centre and Whitchurch in Cardiff. The refurbishment is part of the group’s UK-wide multi-million pound upgrade to create "budget-luxe" hotels.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (or MTC) is a new conference venue based in Liverpool City Centre. It is situated in the heart of the Knowledge Quarter and features a multi-functional, reconfigurable conference room fully equipped with state-of-the-art AV which can host up to 60 delegates plus a large exhibition space and workshop area providing 1,923 square feet of space. On-site catering can be arranged and a range of Liverpool city centre hotels are within walking distance. MTC is a 10-minute walk from Liverpool Lime Street Station.

The refurbishment of the 42-year-old Harrogate Convention Centre is expected to start this autumn and will include improving conferencing facilities, its 2,000-seat conference auditorium plus its more than 13,000 sqmt of exhibition space.

The refurbishment work currently underway at Brighton Dome Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre is almost complete. The refurbished Grades-I and II listed Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre will reopen in May with a Van Gogh Alive exhibition. Conferences and private events will be returning from autumn 2023..

We finish with a note about Landing 42. Located in the ‘Cheesegrater’ building in central London.   Landing 42 offers private use of the 42nd floor with 5,000 square feet of flexible, uninterrupted space with unrivalled views across the Capital. It is available for film, television and photography shoots plus product launches and brand showcases with reduced rates during quiet periods.

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Published: 20 January 2023

We start this week’s news summary with some group news.

Radisson Hotels group is planning to bring its Prizeotel branded hotels to the UK.  Prizeotels offer a lifestyle, midscale experience. The brand which Radisson first launched in 2009 operates 16 properties principally in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Watch this space for updates.

Meanwhile, Accor Group has launched its latest brand - Handwritten Collection – “elegant hotels with genuine personality”. The Collection is expected to reach more than 250 hotels by 2030. As yet no openings are planned in the UK.

Kew Green Hotels group is planning a multi-million-pound investment across its portfolio of hotels primarily to elevate their technological capabilities. At the same time they are planning to introduce the Open Lobby concept, transforming the traditional hotel lobby by combining all public spaces, from the reception area, the restaurant, bar and lounge into one open lobby. Hotels due for the transformation include the Holiday Inns in Reading, Rochester, Leeds/Wakefield, Lincoln and Derby/Nottingham.

In other news:

The Hyatt Regency London Albert Embankment has just opened. Located on the banks of the River Thames, it is the group's eighth property in London. The hotel has 142 bedrooms and suites, a cocktail bar and two restaurants, a fitness centre and three fully equipped meeting rooms seating up to 62 delegates. The hotel was formerly a Crowne Plaza property.

Private member’s club Soho House is opening in Manchester in the former Granada TV studios in Spinningfields. It will include a rooftop pool and bar area, events spaces, wellness facilities and a bar and dining room. Mollie’s Manchester will also be opening in the former television studios. It will include 140 bedrooms, a restaurant, cocktail bar, events space, lounge, workplace plus an outdoor terrace. Opening dates ‘some time in 2023’.

Cameron House, 30 minutes north of Glasgow and overlooking Loch Lomond, has just opened its new Lomond Wing extension. It marks the final phase of its extensive transformation following the hotel fire five years ago. The Lomond Wing includes 68 new luxury, contemporary styled bedrooms and suites plus a new events suite/ ballroom seating up to 500 guests theatre style as well as a new loch-facing terrace.

A major expansion of the Grand Hotel Swansea is planned this year. A four-storey rear extension will add 42 bedrooms to the current 53, and there will be an expanded rooftop bar area on the fifth floor with conference and events space.

easyHotel has just opened its first hotel in Ireland. easyHotel Dublin City Centre is in Benburb Street in the Smithfield area in the heart of Dublin. It has 160 fully equipped en-suite bedrooms. There is no breakfast or dinner restaurant in the hotel although there are plenty of options on the doorstep. Heuston Station in central Dublin is a 10 minute walk away. Dublin Airport is 7 miles away.

The former Holiday Inn Express Liverpool Knowsley has changed its name to the Knowsley Inn & Lounge following completion of a £250,000 refurbishment programme. The hotel has 86 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar and four meeting rooms. It is located at junction 4 of the M57 near Liverpool FC’s Anfield stadium.

Finally, Neverland a ‘diverse and unforgettable’ events venues, next to the River Thames in London and with a sandy beach, is hosting a VIP showcase event on the 26th January as an opportunity for events and corporate travel agents to view the unusual events spaces.

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Published: 06 January 2023

We start the New Year with a short summary of the new hotels you can expect to see opening  in the UK this Spring. We start in London and continue with the rest of the UK.

Hotels expected to open in London this spring include:

Peninsula London will be a five-star hotel overlooking Hyde Park Corner and the Wellington. It will include 190 bedrooms and suites plus multiple restaurants and bars including a rooftop restaurant and bar. The Peninsula Spa will also provide wellness and beauty treatments and the Grand Ballroom will accommodate up to 650 delegates for a theatre style meeting.

1Hotel Mayfair is expected to open this Spring - overlooking Green Park. It will be the first UK outpost of the 1Hotel brand. Facilities will include 181 bedrooms and suites, a communal lobby bar, restaurants and a garden terrace plus a fitness and wellness centre.

Dao By Dorsett Hornsey Town Hall opens in the restored Grade-II listed Hornsey Town Hall with 68 apartments and suites plus events space, co-working spaces, a cinema plus restaurants and bars.

Ruby Zoe, the second Ruby branded hotel in London opens in Notting Hill in February with 173 ‘lean and luxury’ bedrooms and suites plus restaurants and bars.

Raffles at the OWO will be the first Raffles-branded hotel to open in London. It opens within the Old War Office in Whitehall. Raffles at the OWO will have 120 bedrooms and suites, 85  branded residences plus 11 restaurants and bars. It will also feature a ballroom with a seating capacity of over 600 guests.

The St Regis London is the first St. Regis branded hotel to open in London. It will be located on the site of The Westbury Hotel which has just completed a £90 million redevelopment. It will include 196 bedrooms and suites, plus a signature restaurant, speakeasy jazz bar, fitness centre and a spa.

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair is planned to open on Hanover Square. The Mandarin Oriental Mayfair will include 50 bedrooms and 79 private residences, a restaurant and bar plus an urban spa, an indoor 25-metre swimming pool, sauna, vitality pool and relaxation rooms.

Planned hotel openings in the rest of England include:

Marriott Hotels will launch The Reach at Piccadilly at the meeting point of the Rochdale and Ashton Canals in central Manchester this Spring. The hotel will be part of the group’s Tribute Portfolio collection. The Reach at Piccadilly will have 215 bedrooms, a fully equipped fitness centre plus a restaurant with canal views.

The Treehouse Hotel Manchester opens this Spring on Deansgate with 224 bedrooms and suites, restaurants and bars, meeting space and a gym.

Boutique hotel group GuestHouse will open No. 42 Margate in the former Sands Hotel and Restaurant. 42 Margate will be home to 21 bedrooms, a restaurant, rooftop and spa.

Wildes Chester is set to open in the spring in the centre of Chester.  It will feature 18 bedrooms, a rooftop pool and a spa complete with a nail bar, relaxation area and multiple treatment rooms.

The second Bike and Boot Hotel opens in the Hope Valley in the Peak District’s National Park this Spring – 20 minutes from Chatsworth House. It will feature 60 bedrooms designed to appeal to bikers, hikers and dog owners and will include bike storage and dog grooming.

Barnsdale Lodge in Oakham, Rutland is a new hotel from the Signet Collection. It is in a 30-acre site a stone’s throw from Rutland Water and five minutes from Oakham.   Barnsdale Lodge has 46 individually furnished and fully equipped bedrooms plus a restaurant and bar.

The Tempus, Alnwick is expected to open in early 2023 in the grounds of the Charlton Hall Estate in Alnwick. The hotel is inspired by Lewis Caroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and will feature 15 individually styled ‘Alice in Wonderland’ bedrooms plus a ground-floor bar, restaurant and orangery.

Planned hotel openings in Scotland and Northern Ireland:

100 Princes Street in central Edinburgh will be the first Scottish site for The Red Carnation Hotel Collection when it opens this Spring. It will have 30 bedrooms and suites plus ‘uninterrupted views of Edinburgh Castle’.

The first room2 hometel in Northern Ireland opens in central Belfast late Spring. It will feature 175 bedrooms across nine floors plus a cafe/restaurant, coffee roastery, meeting and work spaces, gym, bar and lounge.