Dream Hotel Group to bring Unscripted brand to UK

US-based hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group has announced plans to open its first UK hotel.

The group is set to launch the 135-bedroom Unscripted hotel in the Birmingham Central Hall building in 2020 in partnership with private equity firm Ciel Capital. The building will operate as dual occupancy, sharing the site with a 51-bedroom Stow-Away aparthotel.

Stow-Away, a joint venture between Ciel Capital, developer Stow Projects and hospitality operator BridgeStreet Global Hospitality, revealed it had gained funding from a group of private investors to redevelop the site earlier this year.

The hotel is part of a £40m redevelopment of the former Methodist Central Hall. Designed by architects Ewan Harper and James A. Harper, the three-story, Edwardian red brick and terracotta Grade II-listed building originally opened in 1905.

Dream Hotel Group chief executive Jay Stein said: "Birmingham is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse city in the United Kingdom, and therefore an ideal destination for the Unscripted flag."

The site will feature five dining and nightlife venues, including a rooftop lounge on the third floor and two restaurants on street level.

The Unscripted brand is personalised to each location, offering local food and beverages. Dream Hotel Group debuted its flagship Unscripted hotel in North Carolina in the US in July and plans to open another five by 2020.

Vedrana Bilanovic Riley, chief executive of Ciel Capital, added: "We are very excited to announce Unscripted as the centrepiece of this landmark redevelopment. We needed a completely fresh take on hospitality, one that would bring action back to the location, and Unscripted was the right match for us."

Dream Hotel Group has 17 hotels and four main brands: Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, the Chatwal Hotels and Unscripted, and is mainly based in the US but also in Thailand. The group plans to sign another 30 hotels and resorts worldwide over the next four years.

Stow-Away secures funding for Birmingham and London aparthotels >>

Videos from The Caterer archives

Are you looking for a new role? See all the current hospitality vacancies available with The Caterer Jobs