Claridge’s Hotel in London has unveiled plans to create a five-floor ‘ice berg’ basement beneath the Art Deco portion of its Grade II-listed Mayfair building.

The basement will house a new swimming pool and spa in the first lower level.

The second basement level will house the in-house bakery and chocolatier at Claridge’s as well staff changing and dining and the kitchen preparation area.

Unsightly roof-top plant will also be relocated in the lower basement levels along with a boiler room. This will allow the top floors of the building to be rebuilt and extended with 40 more bedrooms and suites.

Claridge’s has lodged its plans with Westminster city council just as the local authority begins a crackdown on basement conversions. Neighbours complain about the disruption to traffic and the construction noise.

The Maybourne Hotel Group, which owns Claridge’s, is arguing that an in-house laundry, spa and swimming pool are ‘must-have’ facilities for a modern five-star hotel.

The plans have been submitted to the council. A consultation period closes next week.

Details: http://www.claridges.co.uk/


Autumn 2016 sees the arrival in London of another Montcalm-branded hotel. The Montcalm Royal London House is opening, overlooking Finsbury Square, with 256 bedrooms and suites.

The Montcalm Royal London House has resulted from a £15 million upgrade of Royal London House, a listed building on the north side of Finsbury Square, which was an underused and dated office building.

The Montcalm Royal London House will include the Burdock bar and Aviary rooftop restaurant. There will also be a spa and gym. Extensive meeting and events facilities will include a banqueting suite on the lower ground level.

Two of the ninth floor suites will have their own terrace which will be available for private events.

The Montcalm Royal London House will join four other Montcalm Hotels in London. These include: The Montcalm at the Brewery, The Montcalm London Marble Arch not to be confused with The Marble Arch by Montcalm London and M by Montcalm in London Shoreditch Tech City.

Details:  http://www.themontcalm.com/hotel-montcalm-royal-london-house-city-of-london-130.html
 


Construction work is underway building the new 220-bedroom Holiday Inn Express on a 1.75-acre site adjacent to EventCity on Manchester’s TraffordCity development.

Holiday Inn Express TraffordCity is expected to open in Spring 2017. The bedroom modules, fully fitted out with all interior fixtures and fittings, are currently being factory-manufactured off-site. These will be delivered to site and the hotel completed ‘lego-style’.

In addition to its position on the doorstep of intu Trafford Centre and EventCity, Holiday Inn Express TraffordCity will also service the planned 3.5 million sq ft of leisure, retail and commercial space forming the wider TraffordCity development.
 


Plans to build a new 25-storey Bloc Hotel near Birmingham New Street Station and Grand Central shopping centre have been given the green light by city planners.

Gallan House, a 1960s office building on the corner of Hill Street and Station Street in the centre of Birmingham, will be demolished to make way for the 238-bedroom hotel.

The new Bloc Hotel will include a lobby café or restaurant at ground floor level which will operate separately to the hotel and will be open to both guests and the general public.

The Bloc Hotel at New Street Station will be the group’s third property and second development in Birmingham. The business launched initially in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter in 2011. A second Bloc Hotel followed at Gatwick Airport.

Details: https://www.blochotels.com/birmingham


AC by Marriott Belfast is a new 188-bedroom hotel planned in the City Quays district of Belfast, on the city’s waterfront and with views of the Titanic Belfast museum. The hotel is expected to open in early 2018.

AC by Marriott is the group’s ‘lifestyle’ brand with each hotel designed to reflect the uniqueness and character of its urban location.

City Quays is an area along the Belfast waterfront currently undergoing regeneration. The finished project is expected to include a mix of offices, retail units and residential space as well as the new hotel.

The hotel will join the former Ramada Manchester in Salford Quays and the former Ramada Birmingham City in the city’s canal quarter - the first two AC by Marriott Hotels in the UK.

Details: http://achotels.marriott.com/