Global hotel giant Hilton signs deal to operate new hotel as part of the £90m transformation of St Helens town centre. Tony McDonough reports
Global hotel giant Hilton is to operate a 120-room hotel in the centre of St Helens as part of the £90m regeneration of the town.
Work on Hampton by Hilton St Helens is set to begin in 2025 with the hotel scheduled to open in 2027. It will offer 96 guest rooms over four floors, plus 16 long-stay guest rooms for families and business travellers and eight accessible rooms.
In August LBN revealed that main contractor on the regeneration project, Vinci, had awarded the first three contracts for enabling works following the closure of the 115,000 sq ft Hardshaw Shopping Centre.
St Helens Council is partnering with ECF on the major scheme. ECF, a partnership between Homes England, Legal & General and Muse. This mixed-used development will include 64 new homes, a new market hall and 11,000 sq ft of retail space.
These elements will be brought together with new public spaces and represent phase one of the St Helens town centre transformation. They will be built on land currently occupied by the shopping centre.
The hotel, in Bickerstaff Street, will be located opposite a new bus station which will replace the existing dated facility and is a two-minute walk from St Helens train station as part of an extended multi-modal transport interchange.
Hotel guests will also have access to fitness facilities. Two flexible ground floor meeting rooms are expected to be available for hire by business and leisure guests, as well as non-residents.
Cllr Anthony Burns, leader of St Helens Council, said: “We have strong ambitions for the future and the Hampton by Hilton brand fits perfectly into our vision.
“A new high quality hotel brand offering will help St Helens to retain, grow and attract businesses and boost our visitor economy. This is part of a journey we are on to provide opportunities for people to live, work, visit, stay and invest in our fantastic borough.
“It is also a further endorsement of our transformation strategy with Hilton having the confidence to associate its trusted brand with a return to the town centre after a lengthy absence.”
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Graham Dodd, managing director, development, UK & Ireland, Hilton, added: “As St Helens town centre undergoes a significant regeneration, we are delighted to partner with the council to bring this fantastic hotel to life.
“Hampton by Hilton St Helens will provide an ideal base for the growing number of business travellers visiting the local area, and we look forward to being part of the council’s vision to create a thriving new town centre development.”