Hilton partners with CIMC to develop its first modular hotel at Bristol Airport
Above: (left to right) Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development, Europe & Africa, Hilton Worldwide, Karen Liu, Global Head of CIMC MBS and Robert Sinclair, Chief Executive Officer at Bristol Airport.
Financed and owned by CIMC, the hotel will be managed by Hilton Worldwide, drawing on its extensive experience of operating airport hotels at many of the world’s top transport hubs.
The announcement marks a strategic partnership between Hilton Worldwide and CIMC. CIMC’s innovative modular technique significantly reduces the time taken for construction by manufacturing and assembling portions of the hotel, including guest rooms and hallways, in China, before transporting them to the final site for assembly. The model helps ensure consistent quality and accelerates the build schedule on site, a benefit for developers and investors in mature and emerging markets alike.
Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development, Europe & Africa, Hilton Worldwide said, “CIMC’s capacity to deliver modular sections of the building to the final hotel site offers an incredible opportunity to overcome many of the challenges faced during construction.
“Alongside potential time and cost efficiencies, CIMC’s ability to provide senior debt to developers using its modular building technique underpins its robust growth model, and we are seeing more and more opportunity for this structure in mature markets such as the UK, and developing economies, most notably in Africa.”
Robert Sinclair, Chief Executive Officer at Bristol Airport said: “The development of a high quality on-site hotel to be operated under such a world-renowned brand will be a very welcome addition to our facilities for the growing number of passengers choosing to fly to and from Bristol Airport. Alongside the terminal extension currently under construction, this is another statement of our ambition to be a world class regional airport serving the South West of the UK.”
The 201 guest room property is expected to open in Q4 2016 and will be the first hotel at the Airport. Bristol is the only top 10 UK airport to see passenger growth every year since 2009 and saw record volumes last year when 6.7 million people passed through the terminal, making it the UK’s ninth busiest passenger airport . It was also named the UK’s most punctual airport for the second year running, in a league table measuring on-time performance based on data compiled from over 43 million flight records by aviation data provider, OAG.
Karen Liu, Global Head of CIMC MBS said “CIMC MBS are very happy to be working alongside Hilton Worldwide and Bristol Airport to develop a quality hotel with the strength of the Hilton network and the continuing growth of Bristol Airport. This is a key milestone in the ongoing relationship with Hilton Worldwide and the first of a number of Hilton hotels CIMC will build in 2016. Under the leadership of Paul Blackmore CIMC are focusing on Hilton opportunities across Europe, Middle East and Africa.”
CIMC MBS is the modular division of parent company CIMC Group, the $12 billion turnover Chinese PLC. The funding for the scheme will be coming from the Internal Financing Division, CIMC Capital. CIMC have capabilities to own, develop, fund and supply modular units to hotel projects and are actively pursuing development opportunities with Hilton Worldwide in multiple countries.
Hampton by Hilton has grown exponentially across Europe, where it now boasts more than 100 hotels trading or under development. Hampton by Hilton Bristol Airport will incorporate flexible meeting spaces for business guests, a 24-hour fitness room, parking for 120 cars, in addition to complimentary WiFi and Hampton’s On the House hot breakfast.
