Plans for a £48m hotel on Gateshead Quayside have moved forward following the appointment of a main contractor.
Manchester based Russell WBHO has been enlisted by Ask:PATRIZIA to construct the 344 bedroom dual branded hotel at Baltic Quarter, which is set to be operated by Accor under its Novotel and ibis brands.
Hotel specialist Russell WBHO plans to start the two-year construction programme before the end of the year, following Gateshead Council’s approval of the plans for the nine-storey building in March. The hotel – which will be managed by Vine Hotels – has been designed by AHR Architects, also based in Manchester, and will feature restaurants, bars and business meeting rooms as well as a resident’s gym.
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The hotel, based on half-acre site at the corner of Quarryfield Road and Hawks Road in Gateshead, will create around 75 full time hospitality jobs as well as 40 new roles within its regional supply chain. It forms part of the multimillion-pound regeneration of the area, which will include The Sage International Conference Centre and Arena being developed next to the site. A network of pedestrian footpaths and crossings will link the hotel to the wider Quayside development areas and to Gateshead town centre.
It’s estimated the hotel will host around 210,000 visitor nights per year, driving tourism to the region and contributing around £13m to the local economy. Russell WBHO has now delivered more than 2,500 bedrooms across 12 hotels for eight different brands in recent years.
Managing director Gareth Russell said: “As a recognised specialist in hotel construction, we are extremely pleased to confirm our appointment to this new project in Gateshead. We take a collaborative partnership approach to delivery and our team is working closely with the client and the local authority in readiness for a project start later this year. As part of our commitment to responsible sourcing and social value, we will look to secure labour and materials from local suppliers wherever possible and ensure the project provides training and apprenticeship opportunities for local young people.”
The Russell WBHO team will also be working with local schools and colleges to provide careers advice sessions as part of the company’s ESG agenda to help encourage more young people into construction. The hotel is being partly enabled by the Government’s £20m Levelling Up funding which was secured by Gateshead Council earlier this year.
John Hughes, managing director of Ask Real Estate on behalf of the Ask:PATRIZIA partnership said: “Russell WBHO has a proven track record in the leisure sector and we are delighted to be partnering with them to deliver this superb new hotel for Gateshead. We’re looking forward to making a swift start on site and seeing the creating of another valuable asset for the Quayside area.”
