HOTELS Man Utd legends backing hotel


Manchester United Football Club legends Paul Scholes, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt, have joined for- mer teammates Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs as investors in the Hotel Football development near the club’s stadium in Manchester. Te five players, who together with David Beckham are oſten referred to as ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’, are the main backers behind the estimated £23m complex, which will also serve as the official home of the Old Trafford Supporters’ Club (OTSC). Te project is the brainchild of GG Hospitality, the company set up by Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville, which opened the 120-seat themed restau- rant Café Football in the Westfield Stratford mall, east London in December 2013. The 8,000sq m (86,111sq ft) building – designed by AEW Architects – will incorporate a 133-bedroom hotel with public space for OTSC members and spectators, a new Café Football and a club shop. Tere will also be a rooſtop 5-a-side pitch and the players joined forces recently to test out the setting in a kick- about with the project’s construction workers. The 11-storey Hotel Football is due for


Hospitality and tourism sector has found its voice


UFI IBRAHIM is chief executive officer of the British Hospitality Association


T Fergie’s Fledglings are behind the football-themed project


completion in Autumn 2014 and will be run by general manager Stewart Davies, who has pre- viously headed up several Manchester venues. Like Café Football, Hotel Football is expected to eventually become a global brand. Scholes said: “When Gary and Ryan men- tioned the idea of Hotel Football and Old Trafford Supporters Club I was really keen to get involved - the hotel is our chance to create something special for the fans.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=G5q3F


Gormley’s giant statue becomes guest suite


London’s Mayfair area is to become home to a new luxury hotel guarded by a giant Antony Gormley struc- ture, which also serves as a suite for guests to spend the night in, when the Beaumont opens later this year. Te hotel – the first to be operated


by restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King under Corbin & King Hotels – features a signature suite labelled the Room, which has been designed by renowned artist Gormley, who also created the iconic Lady of the North sculpture in Gateshead. Te suite appears as a large steel fig-


ure perched on the side of one of the hotel’s wings, with guests being treated to an artistic experience once inside. Trough the use of a sparsely designed bed-


Te hotel’s Room suite is designed by artist Antony Gormley Te site’s spa is to feature a hammam with


room and dimly lit corners, guests of the Room are able to enjoy the experience of sleeping under an illusionary night’s sky when all the curtains in the suite are closed. Along with Gormley’s structure, the hotel


features 73 rooms, inclusive of 22 suites, a grill room, American bar, separate residents’ bar & lounge, boardroom and a gymnasium and spa.


© CYBERTREK 2014


dry heat, steam and therapy rooms, while a resident’s gymnasium – which is open seven days a week – is also situated on-site. Designed by ReardonSmith Architects, with


interior provided by Richmond International, the Beaumont seeks to take visitors back to Mayfair as it was prior to the Second World War, with its elegnace-focused style. Details: http://lei.sr?a=t7X9V


Twitter: @leisureopps


he unveiling of Hospitality News at the annual Hospitality & Tourism Summit on 5 June was a proud moment for our industry.


The culmination of months of hard


work, the programme made with ITN Productions is a showcase for our industry. It is also a visual testament to how hospi-


tality and tourism businesses are working collaboratively with government and min- isters to help shape the future of hospitality and tourism. Finally, the hospitality and tourism sector has found its voice. Showcasing a hard-hitting mix of educa-


tion and news, the show includes interviews from leading politicians and industry com- mentators including twelve partners and the British Hospitality Association. ITN senior producer Elizabeth Fisher-


Robins, who was pivotal in bringing the programme together concurs, saying: “Tere’s so much good news happening in the hospitality and tourism industry right now that we felt, from the outset, it’s impor- tant to shine the spotlight on the key issues; from the thousands of new jobs being cre- ated everyday; to the huge contribution to the UK economy; and the innovation that’s improving guest experiences.” What really springs to mind when you


watch the programme is the sheer scope and breadth of this industry and the pas- sion of the people working in it. Indeed, at the Hospitality & Tourism


Summit the overriding focus was shap- ing the future of our industry, examining the core issues. Issues include job creation, growth and increasing competitive advan- tage. Shining a spotlight on these issues is crucial if our industry is to gain the recogni- tion it deserves. We need to educate and raise awareness of why hospitality is important; explain how it is having a positive impact on job creation and economic growth and we should focus on breaking down the barriers undermining our competitiveness. Initiatives like the recently announced


Tourism Council, brought into focus by Hospitality News, serve to demonstrate what can be achieved when our industry works collaboratively and with passion.


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital 13


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