Stakis puts £90m into London Metropole convention centre

Stakis is investing £90m in developing its London Metropole Hotel and Conference Centre. The move will mean that for the first time the capital can compete on the international convention scene, claims chief executive David Michels.

"We will be able to sleep, feed and provide conference and exhibition facilities for 1,000 people under one roof. Big American cities have convention centres but there is nothing like it in London," he said.

Development work at the 749-bedroom hotel in Edgware Road has already begun. By September 2000 the hotel will offer 1,073 bedrooms and 40 meeting rooms, employing 475 full-time and 300 part-time staff.

The announcement by Stakis comes after business group London First called last month for £50m of public funds to build a convention centre at King's Cross to accommodate 11,200 delegates (Caterer, 12 February, page 16).

Andrew Hawkins, director of policy at the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said there was room in the market for both projects. "They are two quite different propositions that can coexist happily. It is ludicrous that London's nearest large convention facility is in Lille, France," he said.