American-based Nobu Hospitality is set to open its first European hotel - a 156-bedroom hotel in Shoreditch in London. Nobu Hotel Shoreditch will be located in Willow Street. It will feature a restaurant, banqueting and meeting rooms plus a fitness centre. Preparation work is now underway on site and Nobu Hotel Shoreditch is expected to open in early 2016. The hotel’s unusual five-storey design is described in architectural-speak as ‘fractured into angular, fair-faced concrete balconies, which combined with cantilevered corten steel beams to form a seemingly frayed edge to the northern facade. Six protruding slab edges penetrate the glazing and accentuate the horizontality of the volume. An intimate landscaped garden at the site's eastern edge is articulated into terraces, seating and planting, and provides natural light and access to the generous lower triple height restaurant and bar space’.

Details: www.nobuhotels.com


20 Bedford Way is a new conference and events space which has recently opened in London’s Bloomsbury. The main event space at 20 Bedford Way is Logan Hall, a 930 seater, single tiered theatre with professional stage lighting, sound and AV system, a dedicated green room and rehearsal spaces. There is an adjoining bar area, a Costa Coffee café and a range of catering options. The hall also has a dedicated street-level conference entrance. Logan Hall has just undergone a £2.4million refurbishment. It is owned by the Institute of Education and is a Grade II-listed building, opened in 1977 and designed by Denys Lasdun, architect of the National Theatre. It is also one of the finest examples of “Brutalist” architecture in the UK. In addition to Logan Hall, 20 Bedford Way also features three first-floor meeting rooms accommodating between 120 and 320 delegates theatre style, a drama studio to accommodate up to 120 people and 23 small seminar rooms all with natural daylight and built-in AV.

20 Bedford Way is located within a five-minute walk of Russell Square tube station. Euston, Kings Cross and St Pancras International mainline stations are within a ten minute walk.

Details:  www.20bedfordway.com

Z Hotels open its third London hotel in June 2014 in Orange Street off Haymarket and close to Piccadilly Circus. Z Piccadilly will have 112 bedrooms each equipped with a 40” LED HD television plus free wi-fi, an en-suite wet room with a power shower and luxury linen. Z Café, open to guests and non-residents alike, will be on the ground floor. Z hotels claim to be high on style and low in price.
Z Piccadilly will join Z Victoria and Z Soho both in London together with Z Liverpool. Z Glasgow is opening shortly.

Details: www.thezhotels.com


DoubleTree by Hilton London - Chelsea has just opened. The hotel, formerly Jurys Inn Chelsea, has re-branded as DoubleTree by Hilton under a franchise agreement and will be operated by Jurys Inn. The 172-bedroom hotel has undergone a major refurbishment over the past six months and now features stylish new bedrooms. The Grill restaurant will serve a redesigned menu in addition to the signature ‘Wake Up DoubleTree Breakfast’. Wi-fi is complimentary throughout the hotel.
DoubleTree by Hilton London-Chelsea becomes the seventh Doubletree hotel to open in central London. It is located in Imperial Road, a two minute walk from Imperial Wharf overground station.

Details:  www.londonchelsea.doubletreebyhilton.com


Bloc Hotels have just opened their second UK hotel at Gatwick Airport. Bloc Gatwick, located within London Gatwick’s South Terminal has 245 bedrooms. Bloc claims their hotels are where ‘technology meets luxury’. Hence the bedrooms are fully-soundproofed, sleek and small, air-conditioned with a king-sized bed, a wet room with a power shower, an HD LED television and super-fast wi-fi.
Bloc Hotels work on the understanding that many guests don’t want to eat in a hotel or even unpack their bags – so there is no restaurant and little storage space.
Bloc Hotel Birmingham in the city centre was the first hotel in the group to open with 73 bedrooms and it is now adding 24 long-stay apartments later in 2014.

Details: www.blochotels.com