Kentish Express Ashford & District
Bosses’ delight as hotel proves a hit
The team running Ashford’s new Hampton by Hilton hotel say they are delighted with how the 140-room facility has been received.
Owned by Victoria Point Hotel Limited, the long-awaited site opened last month, overlooking the Ashford International station.
It is the 39th Hampton by Hilton in the UK and boasts four different types of rooms housing up to three people, including accessible suites.
Each room – except the accessible options – is built from identical ‘shipping containers’, pre-fabricated in China and moved into place by crane.
All four types boast en-suite bathrooms with a shower, as well as a 49-inch flat-screen TV and soundproof windows to prevent traffic noise bothering guests.
General manager Arshad Khan says he is “really happy” with how the hotel has been received, and is excited for the future.
“We were at capacity on the first weekend, the reception from everyone in town and coming in from outside the area has been incredibly positive, so we’re very happy,” he said.
“Lots of people have wanted to come in and see inside; when we opened we had people practically pressed up against the window to have a look in!
“We’re looking forward to opening up more as well, we’re hoping to potentially open memberships to the hotel gym to the public, and have a few projects in the works.
“We are working closely with the Designer Outlet, because it has meeting rooms and we don’t, as well as the Curious Brewery; we are hoping to put a package together with them, where you can stay a night or two with us and go for a tour around the brewery, and maybe have a meal there too.”
The building caused a stir among residents after the ‘shipping container’ modules were seen being put in place.
Mr Khan hailed the tried and tested method of building hotels as the future of the industry.
“I think they are definitely the future of hotels, which is great,” he said.
“On one hand, it reduces build time by nine months or so, which is great for everyone involved, especially when you are building by a crossroads.
“On the other, the modules are all very spacious, safer than normal buildings and they help us guarantee the consistent level of quality you assume with the Hampton by Hilton brand.”
The hotel was originally set to open last December after building work started a year earlier, but the pandemic delayed construction.
Do you like the look of Ashford's Hampton by Hilton? Email kentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk