London Marriott Hotel, Twickenham, United Kingdom

The new London Marriot Hotel at the Twickenham rugby ground is set to be one of the most exciting new hotel and conference venues around London. The new hotel, which is due to be opened in mid-2008, will enhance this important venue and allow the England rugby HQ to be associated with more than just the great game.

The hotel will sit within the redeveloped South Stand of Twickenham Rugby Stadium and will offer a contemporary setting and modern design, as well as the well-known Marriott styling. The hotel is conveniently located six miles from Heathrow airport and only 20 minutes from the centre of London in a quieter suburban setting.

HOTEL FACILITIES

The three-floor hotel will offer 156 guest rooms, including 27 premium bedrooms and 6 VIP suites, which will overlook the pitch. The hotel will incorporate Marriott's Revive bedding, LCD flat screen TV (cable/satellite), Wi-Fi, high-speed internet, mini bar, flexible work desks, business centre, express check in/out and a comfortable contemporary design.

The hotel will feature excellent conferencing facilities including 11,032ft² of meeting space, which is comprised of a 7,400ft² conference room that is divisible into three sections and two 1,816ft² meeting rooms. There is meeting space for 9,000 people and parking for 2,000 cars on-site.

There will also be a Virgin Active Health Club adjacent to the hotel for swimming or working out. This will include 44,000ft² of space and a 20m pool, climbing wall and state-of-the-art spa, with complimentary membership for hotel guests.

The hotel site will be integrated with the Twickenham stadium to some extent and will share some of the stadium's restaurant facilities, but will also have a very fine bar and restaurant of its own. There will be the 'Side Step Bar' which serves drinks and also lunch and dinner and also the 'Twenty Two South Chophouse restaurant', which serves international cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

There is also a lobby bar at the hotel and a 'grab and go' coffee lounge for guests on the move. The hotel has private dining space for up to 26 guests; however, the stadium can accommodate up to 800 diners at functions as well. Parking at the hotel is complimentary.

CONTRACTORS

The hotel interior was designed by the interior designers Richmond International of London. The project to redevelop the south stand at Twickenham started in July 2005 and was undertaken at an estimated project cost of £95m.

The old stand was demolished by explosion and the new construction was started with a scheduled finish date to be ready for the autumn international matches of 2007.

The project manager was Capita Symonds, the designers were led by Ward McHugh Associates and Arup and Gillespies. The quantity surveyor was Stace and the main construction contractor was Mowlem.

The project represented the final phase in the redevelopment of Twickenham, completing the seating arena and increasing the ground capacity to 82,000. The project includes a new commercial centre including the new Marriott hotel, Virgin Active Leisure Centre, new RFU shop and office space as well as state-of-the-art conference and banqueting facilities and a performing arts centre for the local community.