Construction of new Brighton hotel begins

Work has started on building a new 221-bedroom hotel behind the Metropole on Brighton seafront.

The hotel is set to operated by Maldron – a mid-market Irish chain which has recently started opening hotels in Britain.

It is being built on the former Metropole conference centre, which has been demolished in recent weeks. Developer Topland was given permission to build the hotel in February last year.

Topland also owns the Hilton Brighton Metropole, which is also being refurbished. It is spending more than £55 million on the two sites.

Contractor CField Construction is due to finish the building in 2024. The brick exhibition space has been completely knocked down, but the grade II listed facade of the Georgian houses on the corner of Cannon Place and St Margaret’s Place is being retained.

The completed hotel will include a bar and restaurant and open courtyard at ground level.

William Davies, director in the asset management team at Topland Group, said: “Alongside the major refurbishment underway at the adjacent Metropole, this new hotel will breathe new life into the Brighton seafront and provide a high-quality guest experience that will ultimately drive local growth.

“We’re looking forward to partnering with Dalata on a long lease basis as we continue to support a range of operators and the re-emergence of the hospitality sector following the pandemic.”

Sol Zakay, chairman and CEO of Topland Group, added: “The significant capital involved in this project, coupled with the strength of our structured finance division, highlights our commitment to the UK hospitality sector despite current headwinds.

“As market conditions continue to prove challenging, it’s important that we look beyond the end of this cycle, push ahead with our plans, and support those of our clients across a wide variety of sectors – standing ready to deploy additional capital and boost growth where possible.”