UK: The London Convention Bureau said that the number of hotel rooms to open in 2020 will reach 8,000.
Across 2019 and 2020, the total number of additions to the London hotel market is expected to reach 121 hotels with 14,840 rooms. Of these rooms, 10 per cent are five-star standard, 31 per cent four-star, and 26 per cent are budget.
In 2020, 7,995 hotel rooms across 65 new hotels will open, adding to an existing stock of 158,956 existing rooms. This compares with 6,845 in 2019 and 3,222 in 2010.
Global investment in hotels and venues has contributed to the city topping Cvents’s European Meeting Destination rankings for the fifth year in a row. London is said to provide more choice of meeting and event options than ay other major European destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).
Several North American hotel brands have announced plans for new properties in the UK capital, including The Standard – the sixth hotel in the series – which opened in July.
Later this year, the Biltmore, Mayfair (which has undergone a multi-million-pound redevelopment) will reopen as the first UK hotel to join Hilton’s new luxury collection – LXR Hotel & Resorts.
Similarly, Japan’s Prince Hotels will debut The Prince Akatoki next week.
Looking further ahead, Edwardian will open The Londoner in the West End, and Pan Pacific Hotels Group will mark its first London footprint. Both properties are slated to open next year.
Director of conventions and major events at London Convention Bureau, Tracy Halliwell, commented: “London is a top global destination for leisure and business travellers, and we are delighted to see a record number of new hotels and rooms opening in the capital. We’ve seen a range of exciting and cutting-edge hotels open recently like The Hoxton Southwark, The Stratford and Bankside Hotel, and we look forward to the upcoming openings.”
She added: “London is a truly dynamic city with a range of new venues, hotels and experiences offering event planners the opportunity to be innovative. We continue to see strong interest from the North American MICE market, with major corporates, associations and conference organisers committing to a whole range of events.”
