Landmark agreement brings Hilton to St Helens town centre

Article date: October 31 2024

ECF, a partnership between Homes England, Legal & General and Muse, is delivering the project with the Council as part of a once-in-a-lifetime regeneration programme now getting underway. Hampton by Hilton will become one of the anchor brands at the heart of the town centre.

Located on Bickerstaff Street, Hampton by Hilton St Helens will feature 96 guest rooms over four floors, plus 16 long-stay guest rooms ideally suited for families and business travellers staying at the hotel for an extended period of time, and eight accessible rooms. Guests will also have access to fitness facilities. Two flexible ground floor meeting rooms are expected to be available for hire by business and leisure guests, as well as non-residents.

The hotel will form part of a mixed-use area that includes 64 high quality homes, a stunning new market hall and 11,000 sq ft of modern retail space. These elements will be brought together with attractive, sustainable public spaces and represent Phase One of the St Helens town centre transformation. The developments will be built on land currently occupied by the large indoor Hardshaw Centre shopping area, which closed in July.

The hotel will be opposite a new bus station which will replace the existing dated facility and is a two-minute walk from St Helens train station as part of an extended multi-modal transport interchange. St Helens also has several transport links with A580, M6, M62 and M57 providing easy access to major cities like Liverpool and Manchester.

Councillor Anthony Burns, Leader of St Helens Borough Council, said: "This is wonderful news for St Helens and another big win for our borough. We have strong ambitions for the future and the Hampton by Hilton brand fits perfectly into our vision. A new high quality hotel brand offering will help St Helens to retain, grow and attract businesses and boost our visitor economy. This is all part of a journey we are on to provide opportunities for people to live, work, visit, stay and invest in our fantastic borough. It is also a further endorsement of our transformation strategy with Hilton

having the confidence to associate its trusted brand with a return to the town centre after a lengthy absence.

"Before exploring the idea of a new town centre hotel, the Council carried out extensive consultation and market testing. The overwhelming feedback - especially from the business community - backed the idea of including new high-quality hotel in the mix of uses alongside the new market, retail spaces and new homes. The Council duly received multiple competitive bids from international hotel brands and operators for this opportunity, reflecting the strength of case for bringing a high-quality hotel franchise to the heart of our town centre."

Graham Dodd, Managing Director, development, UK & Ireland, Hilton, said: "As St Helens town centre undergoes a significant regeneration, we are delighted to partner with the council to bring this fantastic hotel to life. Hampton by Hilton St Helens will provide an ideal base for the growing number of business travellers visiting the local area, and we look forward to being part of the council's vision to create a thriving new town centre development."

On behalf of ECF, Matt Whiteley, Senior Development Manager, said: "The agreement with Hilton is a very welcome endorsement of the place-led regeneration ECF and St Helens Borough Council are delivering now. The commitment of Hilton, a global hospitality company, is another step forward towards our goal of long term and sustainable transformation of a town centre, making it more attractive for local people and visitors alike."

Hampton by Hilton hotels serve quality-driven and value-conscious travellers at more than 3,000 properties in 41 countries and territories around the globe. The brand prides itself on providing guests with high quality, thoughtfully designed accommodations and amenities, such as modern, spacious rooms and a free hot breakfast included with every stay alongside the brand's signature Hampton Waffle.

The detailed design of the new hotel is the subject of a planning process, which is set to be completed this Autumn and has been directly informed by feedback from the extensive consultation exercises undertaken by ECF and the Council, with several rooms adapted to provide for longer stay corporate business visitors and plans for its exterior to reflect much-loved local heritage. St Helens is already attracting increasing numbers of business travellers because of developments such as Glass Futures, SINA medical glass and the major employers in the area, coupled with the success of its sporting and leisure attractions.

St Helens is also one of the main beneficiaries of Liverpool City Region's new status as a Life Sciences Investment Zone. The St Helens Manufacturing and Innovation Campus is part of the Investment Zone and has the potential to deliver £800m of public and private investment, creating 8,000 new jobs across Liverpool City Region as a whole.

Subject to planning consent, work on the new hotel is set to commence in 2025, with clearance of the existing site before the construction phase begins, with completion due in 2027.