Telford

Ironbridge-Gorge-Shropshire

Telford

Hotel Solutions completed a Hotel Futures Study for Telford in 2013. The purpose of the study was to assess the potential for improving, developing and growing Telford’s hotel offer as the regeneration of the town centre and development of the Southwater convention quarter around the Telford International Centre come to fruition and the Telford economy grows over the next 20 years. The study involved an audit of the town’s hotel supply and how it had changed over the previous 5 years; a survey of hotel managers and owners to provide a clear picture of hotel performance and market demand; a review of the regeneration and economic development strategies for the town; consultations with the management of the International Centre; and a survey of hotel companies to gauge their interest in opening new hotels in Telford.

The study showed improving the quality of the town’s existing hotel stock to be a clear priority for the immediate future, including the introduction of further national and international hotel brands. It also showed immediate potential for a further budget hotel, the development of a serviced apartment operation, some form of ‘pop-up’ hotel to cater for the spikes in demand from major conferences, exhibitions and events at the International Centre, and possible scope for a destination country house hotel in the rural parts of the Borough, given a suitable property for conversion.

The work concluded with the preparation of a Telford Hotel Futures Action Plan setting out required actions for the period 2014-2019 to support hotel market recovery and growth in the Borough, upgrade Telford’s existing hotel stock, and capitalise on the short –term opportunities for hotel development. A new Premier Inn has since opened in the town centre in 2015.

‘Hotel Solutions provided very comprehensive research into the performance and future opportunities for the hotel sector in our destination. But it was their action plan that stood out, providing innovative ideas and approaches to help us with our hotel stakeholders to harness and drive growth and build a quality and distinctive hotel offer. The team are true experts in this field and it was a pleasure to work with them’.

 

Sarah Bird, Business Tourism Manager, Telford & Wrekin Council