City looking to attract international hotel brand

Council chiefs are eager to capitalise on recent success stories that have helped boost regeneration in the city, such as the reopening of The Halls and the arrival of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Head of city development Richard Lawrence said that attracting an international hotel brand to Wolverhampton was key to growing its business and leisure economy and encouraging interest from outside investors.

In a report to the council’s economy and growth scrutiny panel, which will address the matter next Wednesday (February 7), Mr Lawrence said: “Wolverhampton is lacking the presence of a good quality hotel offer and demand is being displaced to hotels outside of the city.

"We know there is already an existing demand from both the leisure, tourism and corporate market.

“Although this can limit seasonality, a number of international brands including Hilton, Accor, Marriott and Radisson, as well as white label operators such as Legacy Hotels and Resorts, Aimbridge Hospitality, RBH and Kew Green, have all shown a strong interest in operating a hotel in Wolverhampton.

“There is currently a limited pipeline of hotel schemes, and an international brand will have a wider economic impact in the city – including a positive influence on the night-time economy.

“Having attracted a large number of international bands and artists since it reopened last May and with a full and varied calendar booked in, The Halls has already generated well in excess of £1.6 million for the city economy and is expected to attract upwards of 300,000 visitors a year, generating tens of millions of pounds for the city.

“Wolverhampton Wanderers Molineux football ground has a capacity of 32,000 which generates huge footfall in the city centre, and the yearly estimate for visitors to the Grand Theatre is around 300,000 patrons.

“The 2022 visitor economy in the city bounced back to pre-pandemic levels in both value and volume terms, with visitor numbers rising by more than 360,000, from 9.48 million in 2019 to 9.84 million in 2022, when Wolverhampton’s visitor economy was worth £406 million, up 21 per cent (£70.55m) compared with 2019.

“A vibrant visitor economy is a key part of our Good Growth Strategy, and we will continue aspiring to attract a high-quality hotel provision to the city and exploring potential options in light of difficult local government funding challenges in moving forward.”