Abingdon: Work starts on new four-star hotel at Milton Park
Construction has begun on a new four-star Marriott Courtyard hotel at Milton Gate, the gateway to Milton Park in South Oxfordshire. The hotel will be the first four-star luxury hotel with conference facilities to be developed in the region for over 20 years and will help address the current shortage of overnight accommodation. Completion is anticipated to complete in autumn 2018.
The site was acquired by Reef Estates from Milton Park for an undisclosed sum.
The new Marriott Courtyard hotel will comprise 170-beds, featuring a destination lounge bar, restaurant with al-fresco dining (using locally sourced produce), business meeting pods, state-of-the-art conference facilities and a boutique gym. All the features have been designed to provide a chic, contemporary lifestyle hotel to complement the heritage and landscape of the surrounding area.
The scheme has been granted planning consent under Milton Park’s Local Development Order, which allows for development to be fast-tracked and therefore delivered more quickly.
In July 2014, South Oxfordshire District Council and the Vale of White Horse commissioned a report entitled “Hotel Needs Assessment”, which identified “a need for a significant increase in hotel supply in the Science Vale area through new hotel openings and the expansion of existing hotels.” Marriott’s arrival at Milton Gate will help fulfil this need and create a first-class destination to complement the surrounding area.
Piers Slater, chief executive of Reef Estates, commented: “We are excited to be working with Marriott Hotels International to deliver a much needed quality hotel in South Oxfordshire. The hotel and its associated facilities will provide a unique local experience for the business traveller, and a new destination for Didcot Garden Town and the wider area.”
Philip Campbell, commercial director, MEPC, added: “We are delighted that the Marriott brand is coming to Milton Gate. The new hotel will help meet the needs of Milton Park’s occupiers by providing superb overnight accommodation and conference facilities. It will also be beneficial to the local community and visitors to the Oxfordshire region. The imminent opening of the nearby Backhill Lane Tunnel, connected to Milton Park will create a convenient pedestrian and cycle route to the new hotel.”
The Milton Marriott hotel is being constructed by Bowmer and Kirkland.
