What’s New

Accommodation

Refurbishments: After a £10m refurbishment in 2020, the DoubleTree by Hilton Bath now features 173 contemporary rooms, a restaurant, bar and four impressive meeting rooms, the largest seating 210 guests. The Abbey Hotel, Bath, located on the doorstep of the historic Abbey in a Palladian Bath building was refurbished in 2020 and has contemporary rooms, a restaurant and Bolthole room for events.

Once owned by King Henry VIII, Thornbury Castle Hotel in South Gloucestershire has undergone a multi-million pound refurbishment, sympathetic to its Tudor past, due to be unveiled in late spring 2021.

New Hotels: Set in a Georgian terrace, the Indigo Hotel, Bath opened in 2020 in Bath city centre. There are 166 stylish rooms and a private-use house perfect for corporate retreats with rooms and business space.

The Leonardo Bristol Glassfields opens in May 2021. The low energy, green hotel will have 197 rooms and a meeting room. Artist Residence Bristol will open in summer 2021, close to the city centre. The eclectic bohemian boutique will have 23 vintage-chic rooms, a café, bar, garden and events space. Part of the Marriott group, Moxy Hotel Bristol is due to open in 2021 with 160 affordable rooms, offering boutique style bedrooms close to the city centre and the vibrant area of St Paul’s. Designed by the renowned Soho House Group, Mollie’s Motel and Diner, Bristol is set to open in summer 2021 with 123 rooms and an American-style diner, close to Aerospace Bristol and The Wave.

The Clayton Hotel, Bristol will open in 2022 in one of the city’s most distinctive Art Nouveau buildings with 255 rooms and extensive meetings space in the heart of the city. The Hampton by Hilton, Bath due to open in 2022, will have 202 rooms, and a high percentage of twin rooms, making it perfect for group accommodation.

Experiences

Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein, Bath is a new experience, unearthing the author’s dark past and the remarkable story of Frankenstein, which was written whilst Shelley lived in Bath. Expect themed rooms, corridors and dark passageways as well as an escape room available for groups.

Venues

The Camp at The Wave, Bristol (north) opened at Easter 2021 with safari glamping tents which can sleep up to eight people with kitchenette, toilet and private balcony areas. The tents are just metres away from the surf lake which generates up to 1000 waves per hour for surfers of all ages and abilities.

Freedom Auditorium, Bath opened in 2020 as a purpose-built auditorium for up to 500 delegates with breakout space and a private mezzanine level. Re-live the scenes from Bridgerton, the biggest show to ever have aired on Netflix. Take a tour around Bath to discover filming locations and hear about the history of the featured buildings and life in the early 1800s.

2020 also saw the opening of Klosterhaus Event Space, Bristol located in the iconic Quakers Friars building in the shopping quarter. The venue boasts a two-storey restaurant, three stunning private event spaces and an outdoor sunken terrace catering for up to 160 guests (standing).

YTL Arena Bristol is set to open in 2024 with three interlinked arenas including a multi-purpose, flexible hall with 11,000sqm flat floor space for exhibitions, trade shows and conventions, plus a 17,080-seat arena, making it the third largest arena in the UK.

Ashton Gate Sporting Quarter Development, Bristol is planning a 4,000 capacity sports and convention centre with four star hotel and urban village development, adjacent to their existing venue, which is currently the largest conference centre in the Bristol area. Date to be confirmed.