Featured image credit: Oxford United
Radisson Hotel Group has further expanded its presence in the UK and Ireland stadium sector by being selected as a partner for Oxford United’s future home.
The English Championship football club will partner with Radisson to deliver a new-build, 180-room hotel as part of the proposed development on land known as the Triangle, north of Oxford.
The site will include a 16,000-capacity stadium, a 1,000-capacity conference and exhibition centre and the hotel, as well as bars, restaurants and fitness and entertainment facilities. More than half of the hotel’s guest rooms will overlook the stadium’s pitch, while the ground floor will include a restaurant.
United last month saw a planning application decision for the stadium pushed back again, with the club maintaining it has “overwhelming support” for the project. United confirmed it had agreed to a request for an extension to allow Cherwell District Council to consider additional information relating to its planning application. As a result, the club said the earliest the Council can provide a decision is June.
The plans were submitted back in February 2024, and the club had been hoping to move into the stadium by 2026. A decision had been expected by June 21 last year, however it emerged that month that the planning application would not be considered until early 2025 following requests from Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council for additional information and studies.
The club has also announced the appointment of Cycas Hospitality, an independent hotel management company, to operate the Radisson-branded hotel.
Cycas Hospitality manages more than 55 global branded hotels across 13 countries, including Radisson hotels in Amsterdam and Zurich.
Commenting on the Radisson deal, Adam Benson, chief commercial and marketing officer at Oxford United, said: “Signing an agreement of this nature marks a major milestone for the stadium development. The fact we can attract a partner of the calibre of Radisson Hotel Group is a real endorsement of the world-class complex we are looking to build.
“At every stage of the process the Radisson team demonstrated a real understanding of what we are trying to achieve. Their offering, accommodation and associated facilities will fit perfectly with the overall development ensuring an exceptional experience for all visitors. The hotel is a key part of our plans to create a multi-purpose venue, whilst supporting the club’s ability to operate an economically sustainable long-term home.”
Jonathon Clarke, development director at Oxford United, added: “We conducted a thorough tender process for our hotel partner and the Radisson Hotel Group stood out for their strong sustainability credentials, beautiful design and understanding of how to integrate a hotel into a leisure and community facility.
“The standards they set are world-class, from interior design and visitor experience through to sustainability. Our visions are perfectly aligned, and we look forward to working together.”
The Oxford United contract comes after Manchester City last week announced it will partner with Radisson on its four-star hotel, which will be connected to Etihad Stadium.
Named ‘The Medlock’, taking inspiration from the River Medlock that runs underneath Etihad Campus, the hotel will operate all year round, providing accommodation for music and sport fans who are attending events at the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live arena, as well guests exploring the Campus and Manchester.
The hotel is part of City’s £300m (€356.6m/$388.4m) venture which aims to deliver one of the best matchday experiences in world sport and a world-class, year-round entertainment destination for fans and global visitors alike.
Centred around an expanded North Stand with one larger, single upper tier increasing Etihad Stadium’s capacity from 53,400 to over 60,000, the project also includes a sky bar with views overlooking the pitch, a stadium roof walk experience, a covered City Square fan zone with a wide variety of food and drink outlets and a capacity for 3,000 people, a new club shop and museum, a workspace and a 401-room hotel.
Commenting on the Oxford deal, Adela Cristea, vice-president of business development for the UK, Ireland and Nordics at Radisson Hotel Group, said: “We are proud to have been chosen as the hotel partner for this very exciting and forward-thinking development.
“The Radisson brand is the perfect choice for a project focused on sustainable living, and we look forward to enhancing the guest experience for visitors to the stadium.”
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