Two new Dorsett hotels for London
Hong Kong-based group Dorsett Hospitality International has confirmed plans to open a 200-plus-bedroom hotel in London's Canary Wharf, with another property earmarked for Hornsey in the London borough of Haringey.
The company, which has a total of 45 hotels open and in development worldwide, opened its first UK property in 2014 with the launch of the 317-bedroom Dorsett Shepherd's Bush. It will open its second hotel, the £58m, 276-bedroom Dorsett City in Aldgate, at the end of April.
Work has started on the construction of Dorsett Canary Wharf, which is expected to take up to three years to complete. The development will comprise two buildings of 65 storeys (incorporating the hotel) and 35 storeys. Apartments, affordable housing, a health centre and a school will be included within the scheme.
Meanwhile, the details of the Hornsey hotel, which will be located within the Art Deco, Grade II-listed Hornsey Town Hall building, are currently being devised.
Winnie Chiu (pictured), Dorsett's president and executive director, said that she is looking for further sites for developing hotels in London and Manchester, but has scaled back her original plans for opening 10 hotels in the capital due to the high acquisition costs, which currently amounts to around HK4-5m (£422,000-527,000) per bedroom for a four-star style property.
Instead, the company has transferred its attention to Australia, where the company is currently building 11 hotels due to cheaper development costs.
However, Chiu said she is "very happy" with the performance of the Dorsett Shepherd's Bush which has achieved an average year-on-year revpar growth of 15% since opening. Today the hotel runs with an average occupancy rate of 85% and a revpar figure of around £100. While the domestic market accounts for 40% of business, around 30% comes from Asia.
Chiu expects a larger proportion of guests at Dorsett City will be corporate, compared to strong leisure market attracted to Shepherd's Bush by the nearby Westfield London shopping centre.
Also an attraction will be the hotel's three food and beverage outlets: Shikumen, offering Asian dishes, the 24-hour international eaterie VQ and a rooftop bar.
Dorsett City is a new-build property, which has been developed on the site previously occupied by the Matrix office building.
Dorsett Hospitality International is a subsidiary of the property company Far East Consortium International. Dorsett Hotels and Resorts is one of three brands developed, owned and operated by the company, alongside the a collection of individual, boutique-style properties and the budget Silka Hotels. Chiu said that as well as expanding the Dorsett brand in the UK, she said she would also like to open a boutique hotel in London.
First managerial appointments for Dorsett City hotel announced >>
Hong Kong company plans to open 10 London hotels >>
Green light for Asian brand Dorsett to open in City of London >>
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