Whilst it is an accepted fact that ‘football is a game of two halves’, the same is also true of Hotel Football. Manchester United Supporters Club will be housed on the lower ground floor with its own entrance. This space will be heavily football-themed with wall-to-wall memorabilia. It will available for private hire for meetings and events such as sporting dinners. However in the main body of Hotel Football, whilst there is some very subtle theming, even a guest from another planet who was totally ignorant of football and Manchester United would feel at home.
The main facts: Hotel Football will have 133 bedrooms, 90% of which will be standard doubles, stylishly decorated and furnished with the latest in-room technology, a 40 inch LED television with Sky channels, a small mini-bar and a walk-in power shower. The remainder of the bedroom stock will be executive rooms; larger rooms located at the ends of the building. There will be a brasserie-styled restaurant and bar - and breakfast will be cooked to order! There will be a fitness suite on the second floor. Wi-fi will be free of charge throughout the hotel.
The Players Lounge on the mezzanine floor will accommodate up to 160 guests and can be used as a reception area, space for pre-dinner drinks or as a meeting room in its own right.
Access-wise Hotel Football is a short drive to the M60 and the Greater Manchester motorway network. It will have 110 complimentary car parking spaces. It is a five-minute walk to the nearest station on Manchester’s Metrolink with a regular service to MediaCityUK one way and central Manchester the other. Hotel Football is built alongside the Bridgewater Canal and there will be a stopping off point for pleasure craft on the canal.
I first viewed the site Hotel Football was about to fill twelve months ago when it was still a hole in the ground and I wouldn’t have thought it was possible to build much more than a couple of semi-detached houses on the site – yet here we have a four-star ten-storey, open, bright and spacious hotel. ‘It’s a funny old game’ - as they say.
Details: www.hotelfootball.com
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- Published: 10 February 2015
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It must be disconcerting for patients in Moorfields Eye Hospital in London to look across Old Street to the new M by Montcalm Hotel Shoreditch London Tech City gradually taking shape on the other side of the road. The design with its angular architecture and sloping windows gives the effect of a building about to topple over.
Once inside though, whilst still a hard-hat site, the hotel is gradually taking shape and is planning to open 30th March 2015. It promises to be just as futuristic inside as out. The five-star luxury boutique hotel will reflect its location at the heart of London’s Tech City, a stone’s throw from Silicon Roundabout.
First of all M by Montcalm Hotel Shoreditch London Tech City - the facts:
The 269 bedrooms will be sleek and stylish. They will comprise 100 deluxe and 100 club doubles plus 69 suites. They will each be tech-ready with an in-room i-pad to control the mood lighting, the electronic curtains, the wall mounted 37" HD LCD television with international cable and satellite channels. Lifestyle amenities will include a pillow menu, an in-room aroma selection, a fresh fruit selection on arrival and a luxury rain shower in the bathroom The décor was described as ‘masculine’ and whilst it comprises various shades of grey I think chic and contemporary is a better description.
The mezzanine floor will share a brasserie restaurant and cocktail bar with an open staircase down to additional restaurant seating on the ground floor. The lower ground floor spa is close to completion and promises to be very impressive with a 20 metre swimming pool and gym plus a range of spa treatment rooms. Spa and pamper days will be on the menu.
But probably the highlight of M by Montcalm Hotel Shoreditch London Tech City will be its 17th floor roof-top Sky Lounge and Restaurant - this will boast some magnificent views across London and is sure to have people talking.We look forward to viewing again once M by Montcalm Hotel Shoreditch London Tech City is open.
Meanwhile, walking back to Old Street tube station I passed ‘Silicon Roundabout’. It struck me that considering its name the roundabout could really do with living up to its image, rather than being simply a workmanlike traffic roundabout – and apparently it is. Plans are afoot to transform it into a pedestrian and bike-friendly zone as part of £4bn road modernisation plan, effectively demolishing the roundabout. We will arrange a site inspection in due course.
Details: www.mbymontcalm.co.uk
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- Published: 02 February 2015
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IHG has just published a report entitled ‘Trust Capital’ which highlights the importance of hotel brands building ‘trust’ in their brand. They identify it as the ‘4th C’ of organisational value - alongside Human, Financial and Intellectual Capital.
IHG highlight what they believe is an erosion of trust in public and private sector institutions. Their report unveils a blueprint that organisations can follow to rebuild trust with different demographics and across different geographies. The report is the result of a three year study involving nearly 40,000 interviews and provides some interesting insights into our rapidly changing world.
One key trend is that consumers are getting older and younger all at the same time but not in all the same places. The study took a large group of Boomers (defined as those born between 1946 and 1964) and a large group of Millennials (born between 1982 and 2000).
These two groups have very different mind-sets, world-views, different desires when travelling, and different approaches to brands and trust. IHG believe that successful hotel brands must manage the sometimes conflicting needs of both of these groups at the same time.
For example: research has shown that:
Millennials prefer close, experiential relationships with brands whereas Boomers look for brand relationships that go smoothly, with no hitches or glitches.
Millennials are more apt to be ‘invisible travellers’ than Boomers – in that they can travel without caring for people-enabled contact. 67% of Boomers say they would prefer to call a hotel and speak with ‘real’ people for information, versus 56% of Millennials.
Millennials will look for places that have family-centric activities where their children will be well taken care of and will have fun. Boomers prefer everyone to be together in a multi-generational way.
The report argues that the changing nature of the family is also impacting on how the consumer builds trust.
IHG conclude their report with a suggested seven-point blueprint for generating Trust Capital - a list which highlights the importance of distinguishing repeat behaviour from real brand loyalty.
Details: www.ihgplc.com
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- Published: 26 January 2015
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IHG has announced the location of its first two Hualuxe Hotel and Resort properties in China. ‘Hualuxe’ is the IHG hotel brand specifically designed for Chinese consumers, first launched in 2012.
The first hotel will be Hualuxe Nanchang High Tech Zone located in Nanchang, the capital of the Jiangxi Province in southeast China. The hotel is situated between the 39th and 56th floor in one of the city’s tallest buildings and will feature a sky lobby overlooking the city. The hotel will have 281 bedrooms, three restaurants plus conference and banqueting facilities.
The second will be Hualuxe Yangjiang City Centre located in the heart of Yangjiang overlooking Yuanyang Lake in China’s Guangdong Province. The hotel will have 282 bedrooms, a range of restaurants plus conference and banqueting facilities.
IHG has 24 Hualuxe Hotels in the pipeline in 20 cities across China including Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. All 24 hotels are due to open over the next three to five years. The group also has plans to introduce the brand into key international destinations including London and New York.
Details: www.ihgplc.com
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- Published: 28 January 2015
- Hits: 3706
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- Published: 21 January 2015
- Hits: 3926
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