And they’re off
Hamilton Park starts work on £10m hotel
Work has started on a new multimillion pound hotel at Hamilton Park Racecourse.
Bosses hope to have the facility open to the public by the summer of 2019.
And the £10million Hampton by Hilton Hamilton Park will feature 118 rooms, create 20 jobs and bring in around £6million a year.
Vivien Currie, chief executive at Hamilton Park, said: “We are pleased to be working with Robertson on this landmark project for Hamilton Park, which has been driven by both public demand, not only for racedays, but also for other events.
“One of our main business objectives has been to welcome an event to Hamilton Park on at least every other day of the year, whether that’s a raceday for thousands of visitors, a board meeting or that extra special wedding day.”
Planning approval was granted by South Lanarkshire Council in December 2017.
The hotel is being built on land previously used as a car park for racecourse guests.
It will be the first on-site hotel in the racecourse’s 90-year history. The hotel will support up to 20 new jobs, doubling the current number of permanent employees at the venue. Based on an independent economic impact study, the hotel will generate an additional £5.9million per year in visitor expenditure.
Ed Parry, managing director of lead contractor Robertson Central West, said: “It is hugely exciting to be working with Hamilton Park Racecourse in supporting them in realising the next phase of their business plan.
“The collaborative approach adopted by the client and the design team has enabled us to commit to delivering a hotel that the racecourse, Hamilton and the west of Scotland will be proud of.
“Robertson have previously built two Hampton by Hilton hotels in Aberdeen and another in Leeds so we know exactly what is required and that experience will prove invaluable in delivering a truly exceptional hotel.
“We will be combining traditional construction methods with modular techniques, which means we will be able to reduce build time without sacrificing quality.”
It is not the only new hotel coming to the town.
Premier Inn have been given approval for a £7m plan that will transform the derelict Hamilton Town Hotel site. As well as having 96 rooms, the Townhead Road development will also have a Beefeater restaurant.
And pub giant JD Wetherspoon’s £5m plan for the empty Bairds building also include a hotel.