Urban&Civic, owner and developer of the new hotel being built at London Stansted Airport, celebrated an important milestone with key members of the project team at a topping out ceremony on the roof of the building.
The event, hosted by design and build construction partner McAleer & Rushe, celebrated the completion of the hotel’s superstructure and, following the exchange of an engraved trowel, representatives from Urban&Civic, McAleer & Rushe and Manchester Airports Group (the owners of London Stansted Airport) pitched in to lay the concrete for the final step.
Martin Magee, Managing Director of McAleer & Rushe Contracts UK Ltd, said: “Good clients generally result in good projects and, from the outset, our collaboration with Urban&Civic has been overwhelmingly positive, which has made us determined to exceed expectations. It is always challenging managing a project of this scale on an airport site and we remain extremely grateful to Manchester Airports Group (MAG), who have proved very supportive and played a large role in helping us deliver on time.”
Work started on the £45m hotel, which will be Hampton by Hilton’s largest hotel in Europe, at the end of last year and it is on track to welcome guests in summer 2017. The 357-bed, eight storey hotel will be linked to the terminal by a covered walkway and will support any future expansion of the Airport’s main terminal.
Robin Butler, Managing Director of Urban&Civic, said: “This is a key site for us as we continue to invest in the London-Stansted-Cambridge corridor and it is great to be able to celebrate this milestone. Alongside the strategic sites we are developing at Alconbury Weald and Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire, this hotel at Stansted Airport forms part of our commitment to this nationally important growth area. Good design in the right location remains a touchstone for Urban&Civic.”
London Stansted Airport has seen rapid and sustained growth in passenger numbers under the ownership of MAG and is the largest single employment site in the eastern region with over 11,600 people working at the Airport. Now boasting over 500 flights each day, London Stansted Airport’s long haul destinations include Orlando and Cancun.
The hotel sits alongside MAG’s £260m investment plan to attract more passengers, airlines and long-haul services to London Stansted, the fastest growing airport in the UK.
Lynda Shillaw, MAG Property CEO, said: “The new Hampton by Hilton hotel will be an important asset to London Stansted Airport, supporting the UK's fastest growing airport. This is a great example of how MAG Property works with investors and occupiers to unlock the potential of our airport locations for a wide range of uses to ensure they get the competitive edge from the exceptional locations we own and manage.”
Offering travellers a friendly service and high quality amenities, including complimentary Wi-Fi and hot breakfast, Hampton by Hilton is a rapidly expanding global brand. As well as operating 21 hotels in the UK, in addition to the hotel at London Stansted Airport, other forthcoming airport hotels include Bristol and Humberside.