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Bodmin Jail Hotel opens May 2020
Bodmin Jail on the edge of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall starts its new life as a hotel and visitor attraction in May 2020.
Built in 1779 during the reign of King George III, Bodmin Jail has played an important role in Cornwall’s history. The last person to be hanged at the jail was in 1909. The jail finally closed back in 1927.
Bodmin Jail starts a new life as a visitor attraction and a hotel following completion of a major £40million investment. The hotel will be of a four-star standard with 70 bedrooms and retaining many of the original, less gruesome, features of the Grade II-listed building.
The hotel will sit alongside a visitor attraction - the ‘Dark Walk’ experience. Here visitors will be able to discover Cornwall’s most haunting histories in an immersive and interactive way.
The Dark Walk will use theatrical effects and the latest technology to transport visitors back to Cornwall’s murky past, enabling guests to witness at first-hand the brutal experiences of the penal life in a working 18th century prison on the fringes of Bodmin Moor.
Bodmin Jail Hotel will be operated by Interstate Hotels and Resorts.
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The Newt to open The Farmyard
The Newt in Somerset is an independent hotel which opened near Bruton in Somerset last August with 23 bedrooms. It is based in Hadspen House, a 17th century Grade II-listed country house which nestles amongst gardens, orchards, lakes and woodlands in the Somerset countryside. Since its opening the Newt in Somerset has garnered near universal acclaim.
This summer The Newt in Somerset is set to open The Farmyard. This is a former dairy farm on the estate which has been converted into hotel accommodation.
The Farmyard will have 17 bedrooms plus a swimming pool and dining facilities. It will be separate from the main Newt in Somerset Hotel.
The Newt in Somerset is close to Castle Cary station with its direct rail service to Bristol and London Paddington.
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Hotel Brooklyn opens in Manchester
Hotel Brooklyn has just opened on Portland Street in the centre of Manchester. Hotel Brooklyn is a design-led hotel with 189 innovative bedrooms.
Hotel Brooklyn pays homage to Brooklyn’s history from early 20th century to the present day.
Hotel Brooklyn includes Runyon’s bar and restaurant, named after American writer Damon Runyon and famous for his depictions of Brooklyn characters. It also features an expansive 9th floor banqueting space with its own bar – Brooklyn Heights - accommodating up to 220 guests.
Hotel Brooklyn is operated by Bespoke Hotels and is the sister property to Manchester’s Hotel Gotham: a hotel inspired by New York City between the 1920’s and the 1940’s.
Hotel Brooklyn is a short walk from both Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Road stations.
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St Austell Brewery acquire two hotels
St Austell Brewery has just announced the acquisition of two hotels in Devon as part of its ongoing strategy to expand and develop its inns and hotels business.
Dartmouth’s Royal Castle Hotel with 24 bedrooms and The Royal Seven Stars in Totnes with 21 bedrooms will be managed as part of the group’s 182-strong estate, based in South West England.
Both hotels have a restaurant and bar as well as private dining and events space.
Both hotels enjoy landmark locations and waterfront views over the River Dart.
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Meininger Liverpool plans approved
Planning approval has been secured for the proposed new Meininger Hotel in Liverpool.
Meininger Hotel Liverpool will open with 87 bedrooms. It will be housed in a converted office building at Liverpool's 1 Union Court. A two-storey roof top extension is also planned
This will be the Meininger Group’s second hotel in the UK after the opening of Meininger Hotel London Hyde Park in 2006. A new Meininger Hotel Manchester is also underway and is expected to open at the end of 2021.
Meininger Hotel Liverpool will sit within a conservation area in central Liverpool, close to all the major transport links. Proposed opening dates and further hotel details await publication.
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Travelodge planning 20 new hotels in London
Travelodge has announced plans to open 20 new hotels in London. The new hotels will take the group’s portfolio in London and its boroughs to nearly 100 hotels. The ambitious project will cost in the region of £350million.
The first batch of new hotels includes the recently opened 113-bedroom hotel in Beckton close to London City Airport plus the new 78-bedroom Travelodge in Dagenham.
Travelodge already operates 77 hotels in the Greater London area. It is now targeting sites in outer boroughs such as Bromley, Croydon and Merton as it attempts to cash in on London’s budget accommodation market.