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Construction starts on London Chiswick Travelodge

Construction starts on London Chiswick Travelodge

Construction work has started on the London Chiswick Travelodge. The 113-room hotel will feature the group’s on-site restaurant and is located next to the Chiswick Roundabout, one of London’s best known road junctions. London Chiswick Travelodge is the company’s fourth hotel currently under construction in London. The other three sites

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Ragged Edge Rebrands Qbic Hotel

While most affordable hotels are bland and impersonal, Qbic hotel celebrates individuality. Branding agency Ragged Edge partnered with Qbic to redefine their brand, creating a bold and distinctive platform with the power to bring their unique vision to life, all over Europe. A brand built to deliver an ambitious goal

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Historic Hotel Has Been Refurbished

A year-long refurbishment of The Green Dragon Hotel, a Grade II listed building in Herefordshire, is underway; transforming a neglected city centre gem into a stunning 83 bedroom boutique hotel. The hotel is now seeking top hospitality talent to deliver its ambitious plan to be at the forefront of the

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Partnership to Bring ‘Green’ Initiatives to Hotel

Five-star lifestyle hotel Andaz London Liverpool Street, is launching a unique collaboration with world leading eco fashion duo VIN + OMI, to further the hotel’s sustainability efforts and support its vision to operate in an environmentally conscious way. This will be achieved through various creative initiatives to reuse and recycle

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Old Trafford Welcomes New Development

One of the UK’s leading housebuilders and construction groups, Galliford Try has scooped a £12m contract to build a hotel at the Emirates Old Trafford Ground. The project will be the final instalment in a string of redevelopment projects at the iconic cricket ground. Following plans submitted last year, Galliford

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Latest Issue

BDC 319 : Aug 2024

hospitality

Construction starts on London Chiswick Travelodge

Construction starts on London Chiswick Travelodge

Construction work has started on the London Chiswick Travelodge. The 113-room hotel will feature the group’s on-site restaurant and is located next to the Chiswick Roundabout, one of London’s best known road junctions. London Chiswick Travelodge is the company’s fourth hotel currently under construction in London. The other three sites include the group’s 600th Travelodge, a 95-room hotel at the Kia Oval Cricket Ground (in partnership with Surrey County Cricket Club). A 73-room hotel in Bermondsey and a 72-room hotel in Beckenham are also being constructed. With the opening of these four hotels, Travelodge will operate 84 hotels in London, making it one of the Capital’s biggest hotel chains. Travelodge secured forward funding in November 2022 for the development of the hotel. The funding partner, RTP Global Real Estate Investments, purchased the site and committed to fund the development for £19.4m and retain Travelodge as the development manager for the scheme. Barnes Construction, which has a long-standing partnership with Travelodge and recently constructed Travelodge’s London Wimbledon Central hotel in 2022, has been appointed as contractor for the new, six storey Chiswick development. The hotel is expected to be completed in Q1 2025 and will be let to Travelodge on a new 35-year lease, with five -yearly, index-linked rent reviews with caps and collars. London Chiswick Travelodge is being developed to the group’s new, premium look and feel design specification and will be built to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standards and with an EPC rating of ‘A’. The new Travelodge hotel design has been created in response to the feedback from the Company’s largest consumer study – which surveyed around 5,000 UK business and leisure travellers to find the psychographics of the modern budget traveller. Steve Bennett, Travelodge, Chief Property & Development Officer, said: “We are delighted to be expanding our London hotel network with the construction of our first hotel in Chiswick. The new Travelodge will be in a fantastic location on Chiswick High Road, 400m from Gunnersbury underground and railway line, 450m from Chiswick Business Park and within easy walking distance of the Gtech Community Stadium, home of Brentford FC; so a great place for business and leisure customers to stay, either visiting the local area, or Central London.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Ragged Edge Rebrands Qbic Hotel

While most affordable hotels are bland and impersonal, Qbic hotel celebrates individuality. Branding agency Ragged Edge partnered with Qbic to redefine their brand, creating a bold and distinctive platform with the power to bring their unique vision to life, all over Europe. A brand built to deliver an ambitious goal “Qbic was already doing something remarkable. Our London and Amsterdam hotels were the greenest in their respective cities,” says Julie Fawcett, Managing Director, Qbic Hotels. “But to achieve our ambitions, we knew we needed to build a rich, meaningful brand with the power to drive the whole business.” Welcome Character Ragged Edge helped create a strategic platform that could inform every part of the Qbic hotel experience, internally and externally. “We wanted to take Qbic’s desire to do good, and amplify it into something bigger and more emotional” says Max Ottignon, Co-founder, Ragged Edge. “This led us to ‘Welcome Character’, a brand idea that’s as distinct in the category as it is relevant to guests who want to be treated as individuals, not room numbers.” An identity that celebrates individuality The new visual identity is inspired by the hotel’s physical layout, and the coming together of different people and ideas. And the tone of voice celebrates guests’ quirks and eccentricities: weird is welcome. Introducing Motley While Qbic’s rooms are for overnight guests, the shared space is for everyone. So Ragged Edge and Qbic created a sub-brand with its own distinct character: Motley is a place for locals and guests to come together to eat, drink, work or play. Spreading good character The brand gave Qbic the platform to relaunch its London and Amsterdam hotels, followed by imminent new openings in Brussels, Manchester and beyond. “The result is so much more than a visual identity,” Julie explains, “it’s a platform that enables us to bring our unique character to new cities, and new people, all over Europe.”

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Historic Hotel Has Been Refurbished

A year-long refurbishment of The Green Dragon Hotel, a Grade II listed building in Herefordshire, is underway; transforming a neglected city centre gem into a stunning 83 bedroom boutique hotel. The hotel is now seeking top hospitality talent to deliver its ambitious plan to be at the forefront of the regional food and drink scene. Work started this month to refurbish both the exterior and interior of this landmark building, with exciting plans to bring it into the 21st century whilst being sympathetic to its significant centuries-long history. As well as improving the building’s amenities there are exciting opportunities for hospitality professionals who have a clear passion for food and drink. The hotel is currently seeking an Executive Chef, two Head Mixologists and world-class Baristas. Managing Director Julian Vaughan comments “ We are looking to bring something different to Hereford and this major landmark deserves only the best talents we can find. Herefordshire is abundant with high-quality produce as a major farming county and it is the perfect place for an Executive Chef to maximise their talents with the best ingredients right on their doorstep. Herefordshire also benefits from a lower cost of living than major cities and is perfect for someone looking to live a more rural lifestyle.” Two Head Mixologists will be appointed to lead the hotel’s new cocktail bar which is being supported by locally produced Chase Vodka. As well as overseeing the creation of new drinks menus, the role will also include recruiting and developing new talent and brand relationships. The historic Offa bar is set to be a talking point for visitors to the hotel. It is one of the most stunning rooms in the hotel and has for decades been mothballed. Plans are set to transform it into a buzzing and atmospheric cocktail bar, adding sparkle and glamour back into the Herefordshire nightlife. The focus will be on unique serves and cocktails that celebrate Herefordshire’s finest ingredients and rural inspirations. Plans for a fast-paced new coffee shop are also underway, and there will be roles available for passionate, experienced baristas to deliver a contemporary coffee experience and manage the transition from daytime espresso to an evening wine bar, serving both hotel guests and the busy local business community.

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Partnership to Bring ‘Green’ Initiatives to Hotel

Five-star lifestyle hotel Andaz London Liverpool Street, is launching a unique collaboration with world leading eco fashion duo VIN + OMI, to further the hotel’s sustainability efforts and support its vision to operate in an environmentally conscious way. This will be achieved through various creative initiatives to reuse and recycle waste. VIN + OMI are well known for their innovative approach to eco-fashion and have received international acclaim for their sustainable practices and circular social impact projects. Their clothing is regularly seen on global icons and influencers such as Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga and Beyonce. They have been working with Andaz London Liverpool Street since 2016 and have hosted a number of their eco fashion shows at the hotel. ”We are proud to have a long term relationship with the Andaz London. Choosing a partner venue for our shows is a carefully thought out process. The Andaz’s creative and eco approach makes them a perfect partner” said VIN+OMI. Over the last couple of years, Andaz London Liverpool Street has been active in making daily changes to operational procedures, from energy saving practices to the elimination of plastic and the reduction of food waste, transitioning to more sustainable processes and biodegradable alternatives. In 2018, Andaz London Liverpool Street was also awarded for its efforts by the Association of Energy Engineers for their Monitor & Save project. This was achieved on the back of their Western Europe Region Energy Project, which kicked off in 2016 and, within a year, saved 21% of electricity and 27.1% of gas consumption. 2019 will see the implementation of a number of environmentally-conscious procedures and the hotel will encourage guests and staff to become more aware and sustainable. The collaboration with VIN + OMI is another step to introduce a ‘green’ mindset all around. “We love VIN+OMI’s passion for sustainability and the incredible creativity they bring to address environmental issues. We feel they are the perfect partner to support the hotel in its mission to become more sustainable. Through this collaboration, we aim to raise more awareness of the issue and educate our team and guests in reducing waste, focusing on small steps every day across all areas of the business,” said Amanda Richter, Director of Food & Beverage at Andaz London Liverpool Street.

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Old Trafford Welcomes New Development

One of the UK’s leading housebuilders and construction groups, Galliford Try has scooped a £12m contract to build a hotel at the Emirates Old Trafford Ground. The project will be the final instalment in a string of redevelopment projects at the iconic cricket ground. Following plans submitted last year, Galliford Try’s North West Business will complete a major overhaul of the site, replacing its existing hotel, Old Trafford Lodge, with a 150-bedroom, four star design to be branded Hilton Garden Inn. Engineered so as to mirror The Point, the ground’s existing hospitality venue adjacent, the new hotel has been designed to offer fans an enhanced experience at the ground. It will feature floor to ceiling glazing in field-facing rooms, terraces and balconies for pitch-facing suites, and a glazed walkway linking the hotel with the pavilion. Alongside provided 82 further accommodation suites, the five storey building will house a restaurant, café, bar and fitness centre as well as a ticket office and club shop on the ground floor. The Hilton Garden Inn development will be funded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Trafford Council and the Lancashire Country Cricket Club (LCCC). GMCA has provided a loan of £5m, Trafford Council – £4m, and £3 from LCCC. It will be operated by LCCC under the franchise and is expected to create 76 new jobs. LCCC has hosted some of the most high profile ties in cricket, and will hold two of England’s test matches against Pakistan later this year. The contract award follows Galliford Try’s high profile development at the Old Trafford football ground last year. The company was the main contractor on the £24m, 133-bed Hotel Football in Greater Manchester. The hotel is owned by former Manchester United top-scorers, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Gary Neville, Phillip Neville and features nostalgic football references throughout.

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