The former Thistle Grand Hotel in the centre of Bristol has just rebranded. It is now the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel.

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel has 182 bedrooms and suites, Tyrells brasserie restaurant and bar plus a health and leisure club.

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel has ten recently refurbished meeting and events rooms with the largest accommodating up to 500 delegates for a theatre style meeting.

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel is located in the heart of the old city of Bristol, minutes from Bristol Temple Meads station and around eight miles from Bristol International Airport. The hotel has its own car park with 150 spaces.

Details:  www.mercure.com


A £2.5million expansion is planned at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Lincoln. The plans include an additional 39 bedrooms and a new conference and banqueting suite.

The investment will create a new bedroom wing on land at the rear of the hotel. It will take the total number of bedrooms at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Lincoln to 154.  

The existing ballroom will be extended to accommodate up to 350 guests for dinner. An additional conference and banqueting suite is planned on the 4th floor with a skyline terrace with views across to Lincoln Castle and Lincoln Cathedral.

The expansion plans are currently before the City of Lincoln’s planning committee.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Lincoln opened in 2011 overlooking Brayford Marina. As well as the Cathedral Ballroom, the hotel has two smaller flexible meeting rooms seating 110 and 100 delegates theatre style, both of which will subdivide into two self-contained rooms - with natural daylight and complimentary wi-fi access.

Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Lincoln is less than a mile from Lincoln Central station.

Details:  www.doubletree3.hilton.com


Andaz London Liverpool Street has just introduced ‘SpacetoStartup’. The hotel is opening its doors to a number of startup businesses, offering them event spaces.

A growing number of successful startups were launched as side-projects, worked on when their founders weren’t at their day jobs.

Like many busy metropolitan cities, London has a shortage of comfortable, affordable and quiet spaces for entrepreneurs and their teams to meet, especially after work.

Andaz London Liverpool Street has recognised this issue and formulated a plan to address this demand.

This month Andaz London Liverpool Street will be offering their meeting rooms as exclusive and flexible workspaces, which are only available in the evenings after work; giving startup businesses a chance for growth and success.

With a membership to SpacetoStartup, teams can use the space to meet, code and brainstorm from 6.00pm till 10.00pm every week night.

Andaz London Liverpool Street is just a stone’s throw from Silicon Roundabout, also known as Shoreditch area. It is the vibrant hub for dynamic techies such as Google, Amazon and Facebook.

Spaces are limited and memberships can be requested via SpacetoStartup on a first-come first-serve basis.

Andaz London Liverpool Street is alongside Liverpool Street mainline and tube station.

Details:  www.london.liverpoolstreet.andaz.hyatt.com


Ten Square Hotel in the centre of Belfast is set for a multi-million pound extension. The 22-bedroom boutique hotel will see a further 71 bedrooms added in the near future. The £3million addition will be based at Lancashire House beside the hotel.

Ten Square Hotel has already undergone a facelift since its change of ownership earlier this year.

As well as the bedrooms Ten Square Hotel also has The Grill Room Restaurant and Bar plus the Porcelain Suite which will accommodate up to 200 delegates for a conference.

Ten Square Hotel overlook Donegall Square and Linen Hall Street in the centre of Belfast. The Grade I-listed building was a former Victorian linen warehouse and dates from 1862.

Details:  www.tensquare.co.uk


Liverpool City Council is due to grant planning consent to the mixed-use regeneration of a five-acre site next to the city’s Chinatown and in the shadow of its Anglican Cathedral.

Marketed as ‘New Chinatown’, the development will include a 140-bedroom hotel as well as residential apartments and office accommodation.

The project has been recommended for approval at the planning committee meeting on Tuesday 15 December.

Meanwhile staying in Liverpool a new 77-bedroom easyHotel in Liverpool has been given the go-ahead by city planners.

The hotel, the first easyHotel in the north of England, will be located in the former Equity and Law Building in Castle Street - in the centre of Liverpool. The building is currently vacant office space.

easyHotel Liverpool is expected to open spring 2016.

Details: www.easyhotel.com