Following approximately £500 million of public and private sector investment, the North West seaside resort of Blackpool is fast returning to its position as one of the UK’s most popular leisure and conference destinations.
The major financial injection has coincided with an acceleration in tourism, attributable in part to the rising popularity of staycations. The coastal town has now attracted several major hotel operators, including Hampton by Hilton, Holiday Inn, Premier Inn and the five-star Sands Venue Resort Hotel.
Numerous large-scale commercial developments are underway, including a £25 million investment into the Blackpool Conference Exhibition Centre, extending the Winter Gardens entertainment venue by over 60,000 sq ft. Due to complete in spring 2019, the extended development will have a combined capacity of more than 7,000 delegates. This will further enhance the attractiveness of Blackpool to hotel operators as a key corporate destination, matching its long-established leisure appeal.
The Talbot Gateway Central Business District, located at Blackpool North Railway Station, has also attracted hotel-related investment. Due to comprise 1.1 million sq ft of mixed-use commercial space, including Grade A offices, a multi-storey car park, and retail and restaurant accommodation, the development will also feature a purpose built, 142-bedroom Holiday Inn.
In total, Blackpool has a robust current supply of approximately 10,500 hotel bedrooms. This is due to be reinforced with a further 1,032 rooms across 11 hotels by 2020. Alongside the aforementioned Holiday Inn, the new Hampton by Hilton and Premier Inn hotels due to open this year will provide 130 and 150 rooms respectively. The five-star Sands Venue Resort Hotel, due to complete in summer 2019, shows how Blackpool has attracted luxury brand accommodation as well as budget and midscale hotel developments.*
This new influx of hotel investment in Blackpool is very much supported by the industry’s key performance indicators. UK annual occupancy rates showed an average increase of 1.8 per cent from 2016 to 2017, while the average daily rates also rose over this period by 5.8 per cent, from £58.95 to £62.36. The revenue per available room grew further still by 7.66 per cent, from £42.65 to £45.92.*
This flurry of investment activity points towards an exciting future for Blackpool. Further expansion of high quality conference and events facilities coupled with growth in hotel accommodation will ensure that its attractiveness from both a business and tourism point of view is maximised.
*Source: AM:PM
Further information
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