A 250 room hotel complex going up in Leicester will help symbolise the city’s resurgence as a tourist destination following the 2015-16 Premier League win and Richard III discovery.
James Conaghan, new general manager of the vast complex opposite Highcross shopping centre, said the city was crying out for new hotel space thanks to the interest caused by two of the biggest events in its recent history.
Construction is in full flow on the 154 room, 10-storey Novotel and six-storey Adagio aparthotel, which will open their doors to paying guests early next year.
They are part of a £50 million scheme which also includes a five-storey office block and the redevelopment of the run down Great Central Station into a new shopping area.
Mr Conaghan, who previously managed the city’s landmark Grand Hotel, believes that when the two part hotel complex is complete, it will be one of the top places in the city to stay.
He even hopes the longer-stay aparthotel – which will have 95 studio and one bed apartments – will attract the odd City footballer.
The sites will boast a 120-seat, independently run restaurant, a bar and a feature staircase in the lobby, conference and events facilities, a board room and even a “presidential suite”.
There will also be a large, ground level car park.
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Work started in March 2018 and although the buildings are still shells, the first show apartments are finally ready, some with views over the city, including the Tigers and Leicester City grounds.
While the Novotel might attract corporate clients through the week, the Aparthotel Adagio could attract people wanting a base for three or four months, maybe on secondment in the city or looking for a medium-stay base in between new and old homes.
He said: “People have said for a long time Leicester needed a new, high quality hotel and it’s being built now.
“It’s all on the back of when Leicester won the league. Occupancy levels in the city are 70 per cent plus.
“Will it take bookings away from other hotels? Only time will tell.
“But I think more people will come and more hotels will be built in the area.”
Though part of the Accor brand, and run by hotel operator Interstate, the buildings will continue to be owned by the Leicester developer, Charles Street Buildings.
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Mr Conaghan said: “Most hotels are going the way of franchises, because management companies have the buying power and the expertise to run them well.
“I’ve been with the business since April, putting the management team together, which will probably be 11-strong across both the hotels, plus me.
“We will be outsourcing housekeeping, and there will be at least 24 of them. There will be probably 65-70 core full-time staff and maybe another 30-40 at peak times taking it up to maybe 100.”
He said things had come a long way since the cheap-a-cheerful reputation Novotel’s once had on the continent.
He said: “All you have to do is Google the one at Canary Wharf or the one at Heathrow to see what they look like.
“We are going to have the highest standard Novotel in the 海角视频 – it’s going to be stunning.
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“The whole Novotel brand is changing dramatically. Our owners are fantastic and throwing everything, including the kitchen sink, at this.
“It’s been great to have been involved for so long. It means you can put your stamp on things.
“You can change things that you know will make it better for staff, from changing where the refuse area will be to moving the bar cellar around, making the kitchen better or changing the store rooms to offices.
“Even picking the cutlery was down to me.”