Industry News, January 2010

Ricoh Arena has announced plans for a multi-million pound expansion of its events centre in 2010. The £3m expansion will begin in January and is due to be complete before June. Included in the investment is the addition of three halls at the Coventry venue. A 650-seat auditorium and 2,500sqm of events space will be added to the existing 6,000sqm Jaguar Exhibition Hall. The Jaguar Exhibition Hall will also be enhanced by a new entrance, boosting its capacity to 10,000 visitors. Ricoh Arena chief executive Daniel Gidney said the development would allow individual events held at the venue to be self-contained.

A hotel company has unveiled plans to build Cumbria’s largest convention centre on the banks of Lake Winderemere. English Lakes Hotels already obtained planning permission in 2004 for a 600 seat venue at its Low Wood property, but is now seeking permission for a new marine-influenced eco design. The £4m Winderemere Convention Centre would have a 750sqm conference hall. The design contains numerous enviromental features, including an innovative heating system that would use ground source heat pumps to extract thermal energy from the lake. The new venue is due for completion in 2012 and will create five full time and 30 part time jobs.

Following an investment by Sodexo Prestige of £250,000, HMS Belfast is undergoing an intensive restoration and refurbishment programme and welcomed its first guests in the new catering surroundings just before the New Year. The Admiral’s Quarters are now an exclusive private dining room and conference space, which offers views over the Thames.

Jurys Inns is hoping to be named the UK’s greenest hotel group after 29 UK and Ireland hotels have been awarded either a gold or silver from the Green Tourism Business Scheme. The group has just received its 14th Gold award from the GTBS and the remaining 11 hotels to be assessed will all be completed with the aim to achieve gold in all of them.

Gary Rhodes has launched a new bar and private dining room at Rhodes W1 in London’s Cumberland Hotel.  The new look art deco Rhodes W1 private dining room is able to cater for 40 for dinners or boardroom lunches. The Ambassador of Slovenia declared the new facility open and introduced many wines from his country.

Following the refurbishment of the west wing of its impressive town house location, The King’s Fund is now offering a further nine rooms for hire. The venue is situated in a Grade II Georgian town house overlooking Cavendish Square in the heart of London’s West End. Each room in the refurbished wing maintains its Georgian period features, including decorative fireplaces and cornicing, adding a historic charm and elegance. Large windows mean that all rooms are light and airy while many include stunning views across Cavendish Square. With room capacities ranging from 4 up to 40 theatre style, they are suitable for a wide range of events, from small meetings and product launches to receptions and sit-down dinners. With a total of 29 rooms available, ranging from classic to contemporary styling.

This Spring, Cedar Court Grand Hotel & Spa is aspiring to become York’s first five-star hotel. This £20m project revives one of the city’s most iconic buildings – the prestigious railway headquarters – and will set new standards of service and style in one of the UK’s most popular business tourism destinations.

Anise Restaurant at The Felbridge Hotel and Spa was crowned ‘Best Eating Experience in Sussex’ at a glamorous Sussex Food & Drink Awards 2009/10 dinner on January 28. Over 9000 people voted for more than 300 top quality Sussex food and drink businesses in this fourth year of the Sussex Food & Drink Awards, which is run by Natural PR with A Taste of Sussex to promote and reward the best Sussex producers and the outlets which support them.

The Apex International (Edinburgh) is one of just 17 properties nationwide to qualify for the VenueVerdict Gold Standard Award, a new quality mark designed to signify the highest standards of service for meetings and events. The hotel has achieved in excess of 80 points in the Overall Performance Index in 2009.

imago, the leading conference and events business based at Loughborough University, has announced that it has acquired the Compass Hotel Loughborough on New Ashby Road (formerly the Quality Hotel) and its land, approximately four acres. imago is expected to officially be in possession of the hotel on 29th January, as the contract completes.
Under imago’s ownership, the hotel will be refurbished and renamed The Link Hotel, Loughborough. It joins the other venues within imago’s portfolio, including Burleigh Court, the first-class international conference centre; Holywell Park, the versatile day conference centre; plus the extensive conference and sports facilities at Loughborough University.

International

Dubai’s Burj Khalifa tower was opened officially on 4th January and will soon become the location of the world’s first Giorgio Armani hotel. At the launch of the world’s tallest tower, it was announced that the building’s Armani Hotel is scheduled to open on 18 March. The Armani Hotel, a £925m partnership between Armani and Emaar Properties, will occupy 37 floors of the 160-storey landmark, and will offer facilities including designer shops, spa and lounge. Online booking for the property is due to become available later this month. Armani is also reported to be planning a resort in Marrakech, a villa development in Egypt and further properties in New York, Tokyo, Shanghai and London.