Six new hotels for London's Docklands
Conference and exhibition centre ExCeL, in London's Docklands, has unveiled plans for six hotels with more than 1,200 bedrooms between them.
A decision on the seventh and final hotel is expected in the spring.
Newly-built hotels will include a 210-bedroom Holiday Inn, a 202-bedroom Howard Johnson and a 279-bedroom three-star property.
Developer Snowgold is to convert an existing warehouse into a 57-suite boutique hotel, while developer Marylebone Warwick Balfour (MWB) expects to spend a total of £300m building two hotels and apartments.
MWB may also build the seventh hotel, but it is still in negotiations with ExCeL.
Construction of the four-star Holiday Inn hotel has just started and is due for completion in spring 2002. It is being developed by Mango Hotels in conjunction with BDL Hotels, which also operates the Holiday Inn Heathrow and several Express by Holiday Inns.
The Howard Johnson is being built by Premier Hotels, which has the rights to the brand name in the UK. Building work will start in the summer and is set to finish in autumn 2002. The development also includes 50 serviced apartments.
The three-star hotel, called the Custom House Hotel@ExCel, is from developer Lakehurst. The first phase of 123 bedrooms opens this month and the other 156 should be finished by the autumn. Facilities will include two restaurants, two café/bistros and a health club.
Snowgold's contribution will be a five-star, designer hotel, with suites of up to 800sq ft in size.
MWB's development will comprise 750 hotel bedrooms and suites, 150 serviced apartments and 660 private flats. The project is a joint venture with the Maccon Group from South Africa and Sunrise Berhad from Malaysia.
MWB says it has already been approached by several companies to manage the hotels, which are expected to open from winter 2003.
ExCeL commercial director Keith Greetham said the company aimed to provide a wide range of hotel accommodation, from two star to four star.
"We believe that even the seven hotels planned for this site won't be sufficient to meet demand."
