New ‘Civic Square’ hotel to boost Oldham revival

OLDHAM’S Future . . . an artist’s impression of how the square will look

Revitalising Oldham
A luxury hotel will be the predominant fixture in a brand new Oldham Civic Square.

This is the vision of Hotel Future — which project chiefs claim will create thousands of jobs in the next five years. The impressive-looking hotel is a world first — doubling up as a full-time vocational training centre.

Hotel Future will become the bigger brother of neighbouring Queen Elizabeth Hall — which will be refurbished and linked to the hotel — remaining at its current town-centre home — if the “frontrunning” site is preferred.

The site is expected to be open in 2015 — with the creation of a new civic square — to rival Bolton’s Victoria Square and Manchester’s Albert Square.

Extensive plans were unveiled at a special “Invest in Oldham” event at Gallery Oldham last night.

The evening gave Oldham Council the chance to showcase what Oldham has to offer to potential investors.

Stephen Miles, chairman of the Manchester Hoteliers Association, has been working closely with Oldham Council to bring the initiative to fruition for a number of months: “This is a completely new idea which we expect will roll out across the UK and maybe beyond.

“The key difference is that this is not a catering or hospitality college; it’s a real luxury hotel that will succeed on its own merits.

“It just happens that at every level, apart from general manager and heads of department, the staff will be apprentices, experienced hospitality staff seeking to gain skills and others looking to take a degree to enhance their careers.”

Up to 100 apprentices are expected to be among the staff at the hotel — which will contain 120 bedrooms and two restaurants — one upscale fine dining the other more casual.

An undisclosed well-known chef has expressed his interest and may front the dining operation.

There will be extensive meeting, event and exhibition space — with the Queen Elizabeth Hall providing a conference centre.

Hotel Future feel that once the Oldham site is under way similar buildings will be replicated in other UK cities and international expansion is also being considered.

Hotel Future said that Oldham was chosen because of the quick-thinking actions and enthusiasm of Oldham Council, the imminent Metrolink and the town’s position on the motorway network.

Mr Miles added: “We have the backing of two of the leading universities, Oldham and Manchester Business Colleges and the Disney Foundation — as well as Hilton, Marriott, Malmaison, Carlson Rezidor, Radisson Edwardian, Rocco Forte and other major hotel groups.

“Courses which you would normally do at Cornell or Oxford Universities, you will be able to take here, cheaper.”

Leader of Oldham Council, Jim McMahon said the project will bring in more “footfall” to the town centre.

He told the Chronicle: “This can’t be about a project and building a hotel in Oldham — it won’t be enough.

“So this is one of many projects across the borough which is about a fundamental shift and if you look at the last 10 years in Oldham when other places were doing well — our economy declined.

“So when times were good, they were bad for Oldham.

“We have got a very skilled regeneration team at the council, with people from the private sector, who are developers and come to make money by developing in Oldham.

“This is about upping our game.”