From the major refurbishment of an hotel on the site of the 1986 National Garden Festival, to the recent opening of a new £20m ‘Hilton Garden Inn’, the range and quality of Stoke-on-Trent’s accommodation is changing dramatically – adding to The Potteries’ reputation as a city-break destination that’s “on the up”.
First-off the drawing board, the new ‘Hilton Garden Inn Stoke-on-Trent’ opened its doors to guests in October. Set in a newly-developed pedestrianised area of the city centre close to the Cultural Quarter’s museums and theatres, it offers 140 bedrooms. Other facilities include a bright and inviting restaurant and bar lounge; a shop selling snacks, drinks and travel essentials; and a guest-only gym. Built at a cost of more than £20m, on the city centre Smithfield site, it is the first of a host of new and refurbished accommodation now available in The Potteries.
A short distance away, Hilton’s £6.5m vision for the Stoke-on-Trent Moat House Hotel is now becoming reality. Completely refurbished, and rebranded as a DoubleTree by Hilton, it is aiming to once again unlock its revolving door from mid-November in readiness for 2021.
The hotel offers excellent facilities, including a full leisure club with an extensive spa, and is well placed for visitors to explore a host of award-winning attractions ranging from the newly crowned best small attraction in England, The Gladstone Pottery Museum, to globally recognised brands such as The Trentham Estate and Alton Towers.
‘Courtyard by Marriott Keele Staffordshire’, meanwhile, is another new-build and is located about 10 minutes off Junction 15 of the M6 on Keele University’s ultra-modern and world-renowned Science & Innovation Park. Surrounded by stunning countryside but still just a few minutes away from Stoke-on-Trent this stylish and comfortable 150 roomed hotel will feature all of the quality amenities you would expect – including dining options at Scholars Restaurant and bar, and a well-equipped fitness centre. It has just started to take bookings from February 15, 2021, onwards.
Elsewhere ‘@Potbank’ is a new Aparthotel, offering budget accommodation for the modern traveller in the truly magical setting of the former Spode Works. Having already enjoyed a successful appearance on the popular Channel 4 programme, Four in a Bed, it aims to offer great value for money, by combining functional hotel rooms with Apartment-style deluxe suites. At the same time, The Quarter @Potbank has opened as a café by day and Mexican restaurant by night with an outdoor events area.
Another city centre hotel that has undergone some change in the past 12 months is the former Quality Hotel in Stoke-on-Trent. Now rebranded as the ‘Best Western Stoke on Trent City Centre Hotel’ following a recent upgrade, it is centrally located for all of Stoke on Trent’s major attractions and motorway networks, and boasts 135 bedrooms to suit all tastes and budgets.
Anyone looking for a country house style accommodation close to the city centre, meanwhile, need look no further than ‘The Upper House Hotel’, which is steeped in local history, having been built in 1845 for Josiah Wedgwood’s grandson, Francis. The hotel has been lovingly converted into a luxury character property, and stands in its own grounds close to another of Stoke-on-Trent’s world class attractions, the World of Wedgwood.
Stoke-on-Trent & The Potteries itself has been used as the backdrop for a number of leading TV shows recently, including Songs of Praise, Countryfile, Great Canal Journeys, Great Pottery Throw Down, Escape to the Country, and even Peaky Blinders.
And VisitStoke has been promoting the notion of a #Stokecation as it fights back against the impact of the COVID-19. Aimed mostly as local residents, and encouraging them to make the most of the many and varied attractions of Stoke-on-Trent & The Potteries, its nationwide appeal has been given a boost by the appearance of so much new and refurbished accommodation across the region.
For more details, visit https://www.visitstoke.co.uk/stoke-cation.
All tourist information, meanwhile, can be found at www.visitstoke.co.uk.