Hotel puts down roots for success at official opening

A native Silver Birch from the National Forest has been planted to mark the official opening of the greenest hotel in the East Midlands and for the future enjoyment of visitors from all over the world.

Specially invited guests from all over the UK converged on the new Radisson Blu Hotel at East Midlands Airport as Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive of the National Forest Company, planted the Silver Birch donated by the National Forest Company.

Sophie Churchill said: "Opening a hotel is not something someone from the forestry world does that often, but this hotel is a gateway into The National Forest and the development team has shown a very clear commitment to reducing its environmental impact - from the innovative new technologies that manage the hotel's day-to-day performance to the commitment to carbon offset the entire build. That chimes very strongly with our approach at The National Forest. I hope many people will enjoy their stay, from the green environment on their doorstep to the birds that provide a natural theme in the interior décor."

Daniel Keane, General Manager at the new Radisson Blu Hotel East Midlands Airport, said: "This is a great opportunity for us to say thank you to our valued partners, including North West Leicestershire District Council, our development partners Manchester Airports Group, Bowmer and Kirkland and the National Forest Company, to name just a few.

"We've been astounded by the level of interest in the hotel before and since opening. Business is booming. In our first full month of trading our Meetings and Events revenue exceeded expectation by more than 600% and we welcomed over 5000 guests.

"This hotel has an extra touch of class and goes to a new level of quality for the region - we're luxurious but affordable and that's proving a very attractive package for both business people and holidaymakers using the airport. We've got some great deals for Christmas and New Year and some exciting events - we're hosting our first wedding reception on December 23 and the bride is bringing a real, live reindeer!"

Manchester Airports Group, which owns East Midlands Airport and built the hotel, says that it is another major milestone in the airport's expansion as a major international hub with new routes, more frequent services and better facilities. The £22million hotel was completed by MAG Developments, the property arm of the owner of East Midlands Airport, Manchester Airports Group (MAG).

David Roberts, Property Development Director, MAG Developments, said: "This stunning hotel represents another major investment in East Midlands Airport significantly boosting the on-site offering at the airport, as well as our own UK-wide hotel portfolio. We believe this is the greenest full-service hotel in the UK, demonstrating both our desire to be a premier sustainable developer and MAG Developments' ability to deliver such a significant project during the current economic climate, on time and on budget."

The four star hotel includes luxury leisure and spa facilities as well as a gourmet restaurant using the best of local produce and a wine room is available for wine tasting led by the hotel's in-house experts. The 218-room hotel includes:
• Eight executive suites including five Junior Suites, two Senior Suites and one Presidential suite
• Full service restaurant and bar with wine room
• Conferencing facilities with function suite
• Full leisure and health facilities including swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms.

The hotel's 195 Standard Rooms feature a flat-panel television, individual climate control and free high-speed internet access. Fourteen Business Class Rooms include extra amenities designed for corporate guests and leisure travellers such as the Super Breakfast Buffet, Nespresso coffee machine, free pay-per-view movies, daily newspaper and free, high-speed internet access.

For further information visit http://www.radissonblu.co.uk/hotel-eastmidlandsairport