Hotel & Venue News

Hastings Hotel group has modify its plan for the new 200-bedroom Grand Central Hotel in Belfast currently under development.

The hotel will now have 304 bedrooms, making it the biggest hotel in Northern Ireland.

The building, the 23-storey Windsor House in the centre of Belfast, is undergoing a £30million redevelopment by the Hastings Group with a scheduled opening for the hotel in 2018.

Grand Central Hotel will include a restaurant and bar, meeting facilities and a range of serviced apartments.

Grand Central Hotel is located in Bedford Street in Belfast.

Hastings is one of Northing Ireland's leading hotel groups. Its portfolio includes the nearby 272-bedroom Europa Hotel as well as the five-star Culloden Estate and Spa plus the Slieve Donard in Newcastle, Co Down.

Details: http://www.hastingshotels.com/

Details: Published: 23 November 2016; Hits: 543

The International Centre in Telford has just completed a £395,000 investment to create a new state-of-the-art auditorium.

The new Ironbridge Suite Auditorium at The International Centre has the capacity to host up to 1,450 delegates.

The auditorium’s tiered seating unit is retractable, enabling complete flexibility for a variety of event formats including the option to have a ready-to-go auditorium and the potential to convert day theatre space to an evening cabaret gala dinner.

The new auditorium also has built-in audio visual production systems, a high-definition projector, advanced full line array sound system and LED lighting with control desks; thus ensuring events are supported by the latest technology.

The Ironbridge Suite Auditorium at the International Centre will be open for full use from December 2016.

The International Centre in Telford is part of the Southwater Event Group, a group which also comprises an on-site production company, catering company and three hotels, two on-site and one within walking distance – all within easy reach of Telford town centre, the station plus the major road and motorway routes.

Details: http://www.theinternationalcentretelford.com/

Details: Published: 23 November 2016; Hits: 516

Sheffield: Sheffield's Central Library building could be redeveloped into a five-star hotel as part of an investment deal with the China-based Sichuan Guodong Construction Group.

The Central Library building is considered to be in a poor state of repair with an estimated bill of around £30million needed to fully refurbish it.

The plan would involve the library services moving to another site in Sheffield city centre.

Plans are still at the discussion stage

Burnley: Final planning approval from Burnley Council is all that is needed to build a new £10.5million four-star hotel in Burnley.

Crow Wood Leisure intend to build an 80-bedroom hotel at its existing 100-acre site off Royle Lane in the Lancashire town. The site already houses a spa, restaurant and leisure facilities.

Development work on site is not expected to start before May 2017.

Blackpool: Plans have been unveiled for a new luxury hotel on Blackpool’s Golden Mile.

The multi-million pound investment will see the extension of The Sands Entertainment Venue which is located close to Blackpool Tower.

The planned 96-bedroom hotel will include penthouse suites with views over Blackpool Promenade and the Irish Sea.

The new hotel will be on the site of the former Palatine Hotel which stood on the promenade until the 1970s.The Palatine was defined by its circular tower. The design of the new hotel will echo its predecessor with a glazed pinnacle creating a reflective skin changing appearance depending on weather conditions.

A planning application has been submitted to Blackpool Borough Council and is set to be discussed later in the year.

Details: Published: 23 November 2016; Hits: 471

The former St. Olave’s Grammar School near Tower Bridge in the centre of London will be reopening this December as the 70-bedroom luxury boutique Lalit London hotel.

It is the Indian-based hospitality group’s first venture in Europe.

The former school is a Grade II-listed Victorian building which has completed a £50million overhaul.

Lalit London will feature an Indian bread bar — known as the Naanery — serving only breads from the subcontinent such as roti and kulcha matched with wines.

The traditional English afternoon tea will come with an Indian twist with options such as Cutting Chai tea and samosas and kathi rolls.

The restaurant in Lalit London will be located in the vaulted former Great Hall where pupils once ate school dinners and will feature an Indian-inspired menu.

The basement spa will offer traditional Indian ayurvedic therapies including yoga.

Bedrooms described as ‘classrooms’, together with meeting rooms ‘Laboratory 1’ and ‘Laboratory 2’ reflect the building’s school heritage.

Lalit London is located on the south side of the Thames near City Hall, a five-minute walk from London Bridge station for underground and national rail services. Tower Hill Station is a 15-minute walk from the hotel with the London Bridge City Pier a three minute walk away.

Details: http://www.thelalit.com/the-lalit-london/

Details: Published: 23 November 2016; Hits: 576

In summer 2016 the Rugby Football Union published plans to redevelop Twickenham Stadium’s east stand to improve the match day experience for supporters.

The £54million redevelopment plan will double the available space on the east stand, extending the stand outwards to add six levels for hospitality and conference events.

Subject to planning approval, construction could start in March 2017 with the project aiming for completion in June 2018.

Details: http://www.englandrugby.com/news/rfu-redevelop-twickenham-east-stand/