Hilton Worldwide, a US-based hotel company, has announced a new Hilton at the Ageas Bowl cricket ground, Southampton, in England.
The hotel will be a franchise of the brand, and will be developed by RB Hotels Limited. It is expected to open in 2014, close to Hampshire County Cricket Club, with 171 rooms and four suites.
Patrick Fitzgibbon, the senior vice president development for Europe and Africa, for Hilton Worldwide, said, ‘We are delighted to be opening our second property in Southampton, complementing the existing Hilton Southampton with a new landmark hotel at the Ageas Bowl. English cricket has experienced a period of great success; and we are excited to become a part of that in a year where Hilton Worldwide has contributed to developing a lasting legacy for sports tourism in the UK.
As well as this year’s signature openings, we have a successful recent record in developing hotels within sports stadia. This includes a DoubleTree by Hilton which opened in 2009 at Stadium MK, home of Milton Keynes Dons Football Club.’
The Ageas Bowl site is within close distance of Southampton Parkway train station. The hotel will be offering an ideal location for meetings and conferences, with its 1,000sqm of events space, including a ball room of 600sqm.
Dave Horton, the global head of Hilton Hotels and Resorts, said, ‘The Ageas Bowl has proved its credentials as one of the world’s finest cricket grounds and we are looking forward to being able to offer world class service at the stadium, in the shape of Hilton at the Ageas Bowl / Southampton. This upscale hotel will strengthen our brand’s ties with top sporting locations in the UK, and extend our offering for visitors to the South Coast of England.’
