The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 15: Spring 2020 | Page 8

BUSINESS NEWS
The changing face of Bath’s Hilton Hotel
Situated on Walcot Street, Bath’s Hilton hotel is in a prime location for Bath residents and tourists alike, but in recent years it’s looked a
little tired and in need of some love. If you’ve walked past the hotel recently you may have noticed there’s some exciting work going on...
The Bath Hilton hotel franchise has been
snapped up by Kew Green Hotels and its
new owners are investing millions into
its refurbishment. Every inch of the hotel
is included in the revamp, but the major
transformation will be on the ground
floor which includes a new cocktail bar,
restaurant, outside terrace dining area and a
unique internal secret garden destination.
A new name will also be going above
the door with the hotel now to be known as
DoubleTree by Hilton Bath. Chris Cottam,
General Manager, said, “This is the largest
investment the hotel has had in nearly 50
years since the opening in the 70s. We will
have spent over £10 million by the end of the
project with a further £500,000 in operating
equipment, buying the very best our industry
has to offer. I am extremely pleased with
how the hotel is coming together, bringing a
whole new look and facilities that I hope the
local people of Bath with enjoy.”
DoubleTree by Hilton Bath are recruiting
26 more people to join the already growing
team. Chris Cottam added, “Whilst we have
been closed, we have kept every member of
the team employed and during that time we
have done over 15,000 hours of training.
“I believe it is important that our whole
team is allowed to put their own touch to this
hotel; our lively cocktail bar will be called
Fusion Bar & Restaurant, which was named
by our Head Chef.”
As part of the hotel’s investment it has
recruited well-known Bath face, Amanda
Jones. Amanda is the new Director of Sales
and is excited to be part of the team giving a
new lease of life to the property.
Highly respected in her field, Amanda
successfully helped launch Bath’s Apex
Hotel into the marketplace in 2017, and
prior to that was an integral part of the team
at Searcys of Bath, managing sales of the
Roman Baths, Pump Room and Assembly
Rooms.
Amanda said, “I am delighted to be
involved with the rebrand and relaunch of
the Hilton Bath to DoubleTree by Hilton Bath.
It is wonderful to be involved with such a
huge investment and repositioning of what
some would say for various reasons, is a
‘famous’ hotel. Being able to share the plans
and invite customers to see the changes
is a great privilege. The hotel will fully
reopen in June 2020 and we plan to have a
launch event to celebrate the opening. We
very much hope to continue to attract the
international and national market, but a
huge focus is to interact with and attract the
local community.
“Our new food and beverage offering is
designed to be accessible to all, not just our
hotel residents. The new Secret Garden is a
unique and quirky offering for afternoon tea
and events. Its amazing plant living walls
command a view over the River Avon and
Pulteney Bridge.
“The new cocktail bar will have a separate
entrance, cocktail offers for the local
community, and high tables and desk areas
for people to hot-desk and have informal
1-2-1 meetings. We will also be offering local
grazing boards with ciders and ales, and the
grab and go café situated at the front of the
hotel will offer a loyalty scheme for locals.
Take part in a Roman Rescue
The Roman Baths have launched a fun new escape room
experience that is perfect for team building or a bit of office fun.
During the challenge, groups work together to help free a
desperate Roman slave from his centurion master. The slave is
guarding a chest with hidden treasure who’s bathing in the Great
Bath. There’s an hour on the clock to solve puzzles and clues to
unlock the chest and win the slave’s freedom!
The experience is suitable for teams of up to six and costs
£60. Sessions are taking place on selected dates each month
until November 2020. To find out more and to book visit:
www.romanbaths.co.uk/events/roman-rescue
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www.tbebathandsomerset.co.uk
“Roman Rescue is like jumping into a time capsule. It
brings to life what it was like to walk the streets of Bath in
Roman times, from clothing to military armour and currency.
Completing the challenge against the backdrop of the
famous Roman Baths helps you to imagine the characters
that would’ve trod the pavements all those years ago. A fun
experience for Bath residents and tourists alike.”
“The new function suite will accommodate
200 delegates for a meeting but is versatile
and can be split into two. It has its own
private bar, cloakroom and toilets for events.
All of the conference and event function
rooms offer natural daylight as well as
state-of-the-art AV, screens, staging and a
dancefloor. Situated on the ground floor it
will have a separate access area for loading
and dedicated events staff.
“The aim is that the product is a welcome
addition to the market for meetings,
conferences, dinner-dances, Christmas
parties, weddings and more. We can’t wait
to invite people in and showcase our new
offering.”
“A huge focus is to
interact with and attract
the local community.”