What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 18 June 2018

Welcome to another week and unless you have been hiding under a rock, you may have noticed a little event taking place, The World Cup 2018, in Russia.

It's a while since we bought you a guide to some of the hotels and venues that fall under a theme, but with football fever (at least until we knocked out of the tournament - fingers crossed we go all the way) we thought it a reasonably good idea!

So the Cloud 9 guide to Football Hotels begins...

We start with Hotel Football in Manchester, which was founded by two of the major names from Manchester United. Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs first came up with the idea of starting a hospitality company,  after travelling the world during their footballing careers and as they have experienced more restaurants and hotels than most, it has given them an innate understanding of what makes an outstanding establishment.

They have a range of meeting spaces available for up to 350 delegates, including a roof top terrace called Heaven, which can cater for parties of up to 200 guests and offers spectacular views of Old Trafford.

Just over the M62 in Liverpool is The Shankly Hotel, a tribute to the life and career of one of football's finest managers. The rooms and suites are as unique as Bill Shankly himself, offering comfortable, stylish and spacious accommodation as well as a spacious conference and events centre  known as Eden, which can hold up to 350 delegates.

A little further afield and you can discover a relatively new hotel from Cristiano Ronaldo who has teamed up with Portuguese hotel group Pestana for the first of four hotel collaborations, with the  memorabilia-filled Pestana CR7 Funchal. 

It's more of a lifestyle hotel than a MICE Hotel but guests can discover a personalised training programme and yoga mats in the rooms, along with Smart TV's and all of the latest luxury amenities. 

Over in Prague however, if you want to be right on top of the action (assuming you are a fan!) then you could try the Iris Hotel Eden, which is set in an eastern part of the Eden Arena,  a football stadium of famous Prague club Slavie Prague. The hotel has 150 guest rooms, and event space for up to 400 guests. 

The trend for Football Hotels seems to have started in Argentina, with the Hotel Boca in Buenos Aires,back in 2012, when Argentina’s most revered football club, Boca Juniors, had a hotel dedicated to them. It's probably a trend that will continue and for the MICE industry, if we have sports mad clients it can only be a good thing!

Fear not if your client is not into football at all, not only are there a range of hotels attached to golf, rugby, cricket and golf and after all, the World Cup only lasts four weeks.

Here in the events industry we can create a legacy with our events that lasts a lot longer!

Have a great week.

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 5 October 2015

Welcome to another week and its still all go here at Cloud 9 Towers, and we're off to Manchester at the back end of the week for both the Fresh PR & Fresh Creative Awards at the Piccadilly Hotel.

Whilst we are on the subject of Manchester, it looks like there will be another 622 hotel rooms to add to the mix as there are five new hotels planned for the City. 

We've already seen Hotel Gotham, Hotel Football and the new Melia Hotel open as part of the huge First Street Development, all this year and yet there are more to come!

First up is The Trafford City Hotel which will be a 203-room hotel covering a 1.75-acre site opposite Trafford Centre's EventCity. Work on the hotel is anticipated to start early next year prior to the planned Metrolink extension to the Trafford Centre set for 2018/19.

Budget airline easyJet have announced plans to convert a Grade II listed building in the Northern Quarter into a six story 116 room budget easyHotel. They already have easyHotels in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow (plus lots of International ones) and Manchester is next. 

Work on Bradley House which is know locally as The Flatiron Building and sits on the corner of Dale Street and Newton Street is due to start next Summer.

Travelodge has plans for two additional hotels in South Manchester. One with 86 rooms in Stockport on Heaton Lane and one in Sale on Cross Street, with 67 rooms and work on both should be up and running before the end of the year, with plans to open late in 2016.

Travelodge already have 16 hotels throughout Greater Manchester and long term they have plans to look at further seven new sites to increase their portfolio. Potential sites include two in in Manchester central, plus locations in Cheadle, Oldham, Rochdale, Wigan and Worsley.

Last but by no means least, Hilton are starting work on a new 150-room, four-star hotel at Emirates Old Trafford. The existing 68 room lodge is being replaced and the new hotel will feature a bar, cafe, ticket office, glazed bridge link to the pavilion and balconies overlooking the cricket pitch. Now news yet on an opening date, but exciting times ahead in the City all round!

We are also aware that there are other plans afoot, throughout Manchester and the Thistle on Portland Street is being rebranded as a Mercure, plans have been submitted for a new

350-room hotel planned for the 24-acre Mayfield Quarter development at Manchester Piccadilly and there are also plans for a 'major five-star hotel by Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville.

Additionally Allied London are looking at the potential for two or three new hotels in Manchester, Crown Plaza with a new 210 room hotel and the Staybridge Suites with 116 Rooms both on Oxford Road to be near the Manchester campus redevelopment. There are also plans in place for a new four-star hotel within Urban & Civic's £75m Gay Village development, with plans for another 200-bed hotel for a scheme at the Marriott Rennaisance hotel on Deansgate.

There might already be 11,000 hotel rooms in Manchester with around 7000 of these in the City Centre, but you can guarantee when you want a room you might struggle, such is the popularity of Manchester as a destination for both business and leisure. Good job we're around to help you make an informed choice!

Have a great week!