Hotel & Venue News

Construction work has started on a new £12.5million, 204-bedroom Holiday Inn Express hotel using converted shipping containers as bedrooms. The containers are being transformed into hotel modules in China before being shipped to the UK for assembly on site.

The first batch of modules, which come complete with decoration, furniture and all fittings, are now in place as the hotel gradually takes shape at the Royal Albert Dock in London.

Holiday Inn Express at Royal Albert Dock is located adjacent to London City Airport in an area undergoing extensive regeneration. It will not be the first shipping container hotel in the UK. That honour goes to the Travelodge at Uxbridge which opened in 2008; however Holiday Inn Express Royal Albert Dock will be the largest.

Details: www.constructionenquirer.com

Details: Published: 19 November 2014; Hits: 1575

Research from Thistle Hotels has shown that almost half of hotel guests have requested to change their room (48%), and that nearly ninety per cent (88%) would choose their own room if they could. As a result, Thistle is trialling a ‘Choose Your Own Room’ service at Thistle Euston in London.

This is a free online service which allows guests to take a 360° virtual tour of the bedroom they will be staying in with photographs of the actual bedroom.

Thistle Hotels, who also claim that nearly a third of guests on business admit to having a ‘quiet word’ with check-in staff to get away from colleagues, are confident the discreet new service will save guests embarrassment whilst staying on either business or pleasure.

‘Our ambition is that all Thistle Hotels across the UK will have the Choose Your Own Room service and we are working on rolling this out now’ says David Grosfils, Chief Operating Officer from Thistle Hotels.

Details: http://www.thistle.com/group/about_us/press_office/thistle_launches_worlds_first_choose_your_own_room_service.html

Details: Published: 18 November 2014; Hits: 1585

The Preferred Hotel Group has added five London hotels to its portfolio bringing the company’s total offering in London to 13 properties. The new members include the Exhibitionist Hotel (pictured left) which is scheduled to open late November 2014 in South Kensington.

The Exhibitionist, with 37 guestrooms, is housed in a restored 18th century townhouse that was originally built for officials of the Royal Family. The Exhibitionist will feature an ultra-modern décor and artsy furnishings, an experimental cocktail lounge and eight art galleries. The luxury bedrooms will include private balconies and wet rooms. The spa and penthouse suites will also include plunge pools and terraces with outdoor cinemas.

The Exhibitionist takes its name from the adjacent Exhibition Road, home of the Victoria & Albert Museum, Natural History Museum and the Royal Albert Hall.

The other London hotel to join the Preferred Hotel Group include the Beaumont Hotel which has recently opened in Mayfair plus the more established Stafford London in St. James’s, the Bentley London in Kensington and the Hotel Xenia in South Kensington.

Details: www.preferredhotelgroup.com

Details: Published: 17 November 2014; Hits: 1478

Regus, the global workspace provider, has increased its London network opening four new business centres. The centres in Blackfriars, Regents Park, High Street Kensington and Broadgate bring Regus’ London portfolio to 85.

The services available at the business centres include a drop-in business lounge, private offices, meeting rooms, virtual offices and administrative support.

The new centres are:
Regus, London High Street Kensington, 239 High Street Kensington - already open.
Regus, London Broadgate Circle, 1-2 Broadgate, EC2 - opens 17th November.
Regus, London Regents Park, Bentinck House, 3 -8 Bolsover Street, W1 – opens 24th November.
Regus, London Blackfriars, Tallis House, 2 Tallis Street, EC4 - business lounge, meeting rooms and co-working spaces open 27th November.

Details: www.regus.com

Details: Published: 17 November 2014; Hits: 2181

The £55million Ocean Plaza project in Rhyl has been given the go-ahead by planners from Denbighshire Council. It centres on a major 150,000 sq-ft site in the North Wales coastal resort. The scheme will convert a former funfair into a 62-bedroom, three-storey hotel plus a supermarket, restaurant and retail units.

Details: www.insidermedia.com

Details: Published: 14 November 2014; Hits: 1657

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Refurbishment Round-up