One of Europe’s largest airport hotels and convention centres will open alongside Heathrow's Terminal 5 next spring. The 600-room Sofitel, which is being built at a cost of £180 million (US$360 million), will be capable of handling gatherings of up 2,800 people at any one time, making it the third-largest meetings and events venue in the UK. A total of 41 function rooms ranges from a presidential boardroom with adjoining salon privé for 14, up to a full-scale conference suite with a capacity of 1,700, seated theatre-style. There will also be a tiered theatre/cinema/presentation suite with capacity for 117 people, and three dedicated organisers’ offices. The layout will enable events to be zoned so they can be held in complete privacy. Larger spaces, such as the Arora Suite, will be able to accommodate anything from major product launches and ceremonies to fashion shows. Extra large items, including cars and other dramatic exhibits, can be imported via a heavy goods lift. Explains John Donaldson, executive director of Sofitel London Heathrow: “It will be a MICE hotel like no other. The hotel's unique location makes it the most accessible destination for both international and domestic audiences.” Five-star luxury for Luton
Travellers using London's Luton airport will have a 5-star hotel option from this autumn with the reopening of Luton Hoo, following a US$120 million (€87.5 million) refurbishment. The historic mansion and surrounding 1,000-acre estate, created by landscape gardener Capability Brown, are a 10-minute drive from the airport. Acquired by Elite Hotels in 1999, it will offer 144 bedrooms and suites, divided between the main mansion, two wings and a separate Robert Adams-designed Stable Building. The latter will also provide the setting for a golf clubhouse, spa and leisure facilities, with a further 12 suites designed specifically with the golfer and spa visitor in mind. A fitness centre, hydrotherapy pool and six treatment rooms will be among the facilities. Elite, an independent UK-based hotel group, also owns Tylney Hall in Hampshire, Ashdown Park Hotel in East Sussex, and The Grand, Eastbourne. Langham Places another in China
Hong Kong-based Langham Hotels is to manage a second property in mainland China. Just three months after unveiling plans for a hotel at Chaoyang, Beijing, the group has announced it is to open a 5-star, 350-room Langham Place in Changchun, the capital city of Jilin Province in the north east of the country. The latest development, which is due to open in 2009, will also feature 100 serviced apartments. Meanwhile, the Langham in Hong Kong is embarking on a US$22 million (€16 million)
makeover which will take three years to complete. Gatwick hotel rebranded
London Gatwick airport’s Clarion hotel has been rebranded as a Crowne Plaza under a franchise agreement with the Intercontinental Hotels Group. A dedicated Club lounge with complimentary business services is being added to the hotel, along with eight new guest rooms, bringing the total room count to 236. A further three new meeting rooms, enabling the hotel to accommodate up to 400 delegates, and a block of 50 extra Club rooms, will be added within the next 12 months. More Marriotts for India
Marriott International is planning to more than treble its presence in India in less than three-anda-half-years, with 21 hotels across six brands. The newly announced projects are a 371-room JW Marriott for Chennai; a 328-room Renaissance in Bangalore’s IBC Knowledge Park; a 129-unit Marriott Executive Apartments in Gurgaon; and three Courtyard by Marriott properties in Ahmedabad (170 rooms), at Mumbai International Airport (299 rooms), and in Pune City Centre, (210 rooms). News in brief... Iceland Express is seeking permission to construct a new airport close to the centre of the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik. The plan includes its use for both domestic and international flights on a site located close to the existing city centre airport, which currently allows only local services. Jetstar becomes the latest airline to move into Hong Kong International’s recently opened Terminal 2 when it switches services from the main terminal on August 13. Oasis Hong Kong Airlines and Emirates are already operating from the new facility, which officially opened in June on the 10th anniversary of the handover of the former British colony and the creation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Air Berlin is offering discounted flights from within Germany as well as from Vienna and Zurich for visitors to the fourth Business Travel Show, which takes place in Düsseldorf on September 5-6.
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