Green light for Ibis Styles and Marco Pierre White restaurant in Leeds
A new 134-room Ibis Styles hotel and a 4,000 sq ft Marco Pierre White restaurant are set to be built in Leeds after planners gave the scheme a green light.
Town Centre Securities (TCS) received planning permission from Leeds City Council for the development at the heart of the Arena Quarter in Leeds.
The new hotel will open at the site of the former Merrion hotel on Wade Lane. The building is to be transformed by TCS to create the new Ibis Styles hotel for AccorHotels. In addition, Marco's New York Italian, a 90-cover restaurant, will open on the hotel's ground floor in December 2016, as part of a franchise agreement with Black and White Hospitality. The restaurant will be designed by Hawkridge Design.
The hotel and restaurant will both be managed by Interstate on behalf of TCS, which will retain the ownership of both properties.
Edward Ziff, chairman and chief executive of Town Centre Securities, said: "This is a landmark announcement for Leeds' Arena Quarter. The Ibis Styles hotel will provide stylish accommodation for visitors to the city. Furthermore, welcoming the world-renowned and Leeds-born Marco Pierre White for his first restaurant in the city is tremendous news and a sign of the appeal of the Arena Quarter as a location. His New York Italian brand will add something exciting to our dining offer, complementing the existing line-up of great brands."
Nick Taplin, chief executive at Black and White Hospitality, added: "We are looking forward to starting work on this project, particularly because of the significance it holds for Marco with his debut site in Leeds. The Arena Quarter offered the perfect location for us in the heart of the city. Located next to the First Direct Arena, which has rapidly established itself as one of the most in-demand venues in the world, the Arena Quarter is Leeds' most exciting leisure destination."
Since the opening of the First Direct Arena in September 2013, TCS claims to have invested over £15m in regenerating the Arena Quarter and Merrion Centre area, including significantly upgrading the 960-space multi-storey car park.
