Tom Aikens, the Michelin-starred chef, is set to launch a restaurant in Birmingham's Mailbox development: Tom's Kitchen at The Mailbox.

It will be the chef’s first restaurant in the UK outside London.

Tom’s Kitchen serves modern British brasserie style food from breakfast to dinner, seven days a week.

Tom's Kitchen at The Mailbox is expected to comprise dining space, a bar and deli, as well as space for private and semi-private events.

Tom's Kitchen at The Mailbox is scheduled to open in December 2016.

Tom Aikens currently has five sites across London in Chelsea, Somerset House, St Katherine Dock, HMS Belfast and Canary Wharf.

Tom's Kitchen at The Mailbox is located in the centre of Birmingham, around a five minute walk from Birmingham New Street Station.

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


Hilton London Hyde Park has reopened following an extensive £5.4million revamp. The refurbishment has included all guest rooms, public areas and meeting rooms.

Hilton London Hyde Park has 136 bedrooms and suites.  Four new suites have been added - these are all housed on one floor with their own entrance and can be hired exclusively by large groups.

All bedrooms in Hilton London Hyde Park are air-conditioned, some have floor to ceiling windows with park views. All rooms are equipped with LED HDTVs with BT Sports Channel, a media hub plus work space.

Aubaine Hyde Park is the hotel’s French restaurant.

The Coburg Suite is the meeting room at Hilton London Hyde Park. This is a lower ground floor room seating up to 22 delegates for a boardroom style meeting. The room is designed for training, brainstorming sessions, meetings and private dining.

Hilton London Hyde Park is a Grade II-listed Edwardian townhouse located in Bayswater Road directly facing Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

Queensway and Bayswater are the nearest tube stations – both of which are a short walk away.

Details: http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/united-kingdom/hilton-london-hyde-park-LONHPHN/index.html


Stirk House is a historic hotel near Gisburn in Lancashire. It dates back to the 17th century and is currently undergoing a major refurbishment programme.

The original Stirk House was built in 1635 using stonework from the former Sawley Abbey, dismantled a century earlier during Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries. It became a hotel in 1933.

Stirk House has 33 bedrooms, a 70-cover restaurant which was totally refurbished at the beginning of this year, a bar, lounge and private dining rooms plus a conservatory - all situated in 22 acres of Lancashire countryside.

Stirk House has three separate conference rooms to accommodate meetings from 2 to 200 delegates. The leisure club at Stirk House includes a fully equipped gym, a heated pool and a full sized professional boxing ring.

The bedrooms at Stirk House are being upgraded and refurbished in a modern boutique style. A new lounge bar is currently being fitted. Future plans include additional bedrooms and additional leisure facilities.

Stirk House is located near Clitheroe in the heart of the Ribble Valley with good access to Preston, Blackburn, the M6 and M65 motorways.

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


Sketchley Grange Hotel and Spa is about to start the second phase of its refurbishment programme.

So far five new bedrooms have been added taking the total number of rooms at Sketchley Grange Hotel and Spa to 100.

Another two rooms will be added in phase two. In addition the hotel lounge and bar has been totally stripped back and revamped. (Picture: refurbished Garden Bar and Lounge.)

Phase two will see the refurbishment of all 42 classic bedrooms. This will start in July and should be complete by October 2016.

Sketchley Grange Hotel and Spa has nine conference and meeting rooms with the largest suite seating up to 300 delegates theatre style.

Sketchley Grange Hotel and Spa has a restaurant and bar plus leisure facilities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, steam room and solarium.

Sketchley Grange Hotel and Spa is located in Hinckley on the Leicestershire and Warwickshire border, minutes away from the M69 and around 30 minutes from Birmingham NEC, Birmingham Airport and East Midlands Airport.

Details: http://sketchleygrangehotel.co.uk/


Dunster Castle Hotel which nestles at the heart of the Somerset village of Dunster has new owners.

They have plans to refurbish the eight bedroom hotel and to create a function and events space in the hotel. They also plan to redevelop the hotel garden.

Dunster Castle Hotel lies in the shadow of Dunster Castle on the edge of Exmoor National Park and within walking distance of the West Somerset coastline.

Details: http://dunstercastlehotel.co.uk/