Marriott to acquire smart hotel brand CitizenM for £266m April 28, 2025 Marriott International will acquire hotel and lifestyle brand CitizenM for £266m as it looks to expand its select-service and lifestyle lodging offerings. CitizenM, which opened its first hotel in 2008, currently operates 36 open hotels – with 8,544 rooms – across more than 20 cities. The brand’s current pipeline includes three under-construction hotels comprising over 600 [...]
Duncan Bannatyne: Former Dragons’ Den star’s empire toasts record sales April 11, 2025 The health club and hotels empire run by former Dragons’ Den star Duncan Bannatyne has posted record sales as its profits surged in 2024, it has been revealed. The Bannatyne Group has reported a revenue of £149.6m for its latest financial year, up from the previous record of £138.9m which it achieved in 2023. The Darlington-headquartered group’s [...]
Britannia: Millionaire ‘Asylum King’ hotel tycoon rakes in the cash April 11, 2025 The millionaire hotel tycoon dubbed the ‘Asylum King’ is still raking in the cash despite his Britannia chain being ranked the worst in the UK. Alex Langsam founded Britannia Hotels in 1976 after opening his first site in Manchester. Langsam remains the company’s chief executive and largest shareholder while his empire also extends to budget [...]
Tallest UK skyscraper outside London approved April 10, 2025 Plans to build the tallest skyscraper in the UK outside of London – which are backed by Hollywood legend Robert De Nero – have been given the green light. The Manchester city centre building will be developed by Salboy, which was co-founded by Betfred billionaire Fred Done, and will rise to 76 storeys. Land between [...]
Lush to pass tariffs onto US shoppers as it sinks further into the red April 8, 2025 Lush has revealed plans to open a UK hotel as it detailed its response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs amid the ethical cosmetics retailer sinking further into the red. The Dorset-headquartered company has included scant detail in its annual accounts about its plans for a new hotel but did say it is working with a [...]
New plans submitted for Custom House hotel development April 2, 2025 New plans have been submitted for the refurbishment of Custom House after years of hold-ups. The proposals include a 179-bed hotel, spa and restaurant offering, alongside a public access scheme. The Grade I building, on Lower Thames Street in the City of London, was the home of customs and trade for more than 200 years [...]
Boutique Leicester Square hotel handed £42m price tag April 1, 2025 A recently-converted boutique hotel in London’s Leicester Square has been put on the market for £42m. The former office building on 2-5 Charing Cross Road has undergone a significant conversion project and is set to be fully operational by June. The announcement comes as former Natwest bank on London’s Piccadilly is also set to become [...]
Sir Andy Murray’s five-star hotel significantly cuts losses March 21, 2025 The five-star luxury hotel owned by Sir Andy Murray significantly cut its losses during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The business behind Cromlix Hotel, which is located near the two-time Wimbledon champion’s hometown of Dunblane in Scotland, has reported a loss of £369,045 for the year to 31 March, 2024. The figure [...]
Robert De Niro backs plans for tallest skyscraper outside London March 20, 2025 A company co-founded by Hollywood legend Robert De Niro has signed up to open a hotel, restaurant and residences in a planned skyscraper which would be the tallest building outside London. Nobu Hospitality has partnered with developer Salboy on the £360m scheme in Manchester city centre. The project, known as Viadux 2, has been earmarked [...]
Home Bargains billionaire promises Liverpool its first five-star hotel March 13, 2025 Liverpool could be set for its first five-star hotel if plans for a 60-storey skyscraper are approved for the city, it has emerged. The update, delivered to investors at international property conference MIPIM in the south of France, comes after plans for the development were first revealed last year. KEIE Limited, a subsidiary of TJ [...]