Wyndham Hotels to open flagship hotel in Wales

Wyndham Hotel Group and Bayscape Ltd, a development company based in Cardiff, have announced the signing of a 25‐year hotel management agreement for the new ‘Wyndham Cardiff’ ‐ a £60 million upscale hotel project that will be built on the waterfront of Cardiff Bay. The hotel location is on the prestigious site of the International Sports Village and connects with the newly completed, 350 berth Cardiff Marina.

The 200 room hotel will be in the form of an iconic 127m tower (circa 32 storeys) making it the tallest building in Wales and the tallest hotel tower in the UK. In addition to the 200 rooms there will be 35 exclusive serviced apartments on the top floors of the tower. The hotel will include a signature bar and restaurant on the 24th and 25th floor providing panoramic views of the Bay and the City. It will also offer a state of the art Spa, conference facilities, meeting rooms, two restaurants and three bars that include a health bar and a cafe.

Malta‐based hotel operators CHI Hotels & Resorts (CHI) will be giving its technical assistance and advice in the planning and design of the ‘Wyndham Cardiff’ and will take on the full management of the hotel on completion.

The development will include 100 exclusive residential units that are aimed unashamedly at the owner occupier, demonstrably different to anything that can currently be found in Cardiff Bay. The plans show a vibrant public realm, providing space at ground level for community shops, offices and businesses many of which will overlook the marina and the adjacent ‘Cardiff International White Water’ (CIWW) centre that opens this week. The project will connect with the Pont y Werin footbridge and link with the 10.5km circuit of the bay edge walkway.

The 200‐room upscale hotel integrates with the council backed master plan for the International Sports Village turning the once derelict area into an exciting mix of world class sporting facilities, hotels, residential accommodation, offices, bars, restaurants and shops.

Cardiff Council Leader, Rodney Berman said: "This hotel, which will be the tallest building in Wales, is another landmark for Cardiff and a striking addition to Cardiff’s International Sports Village (ISV).

"2010 is going to be an important year for the ISV and following this announcement will be the opening this week of Cardiff International White Water (CIWW) and in June the opening of the Pont y Werin footbridge which will provide the final link completing the Bay Edge Walkway, connecting Cardiff Bay to the Vale of Glamorgan.

"I am delighted that Wyndham has chosen Cardiff as the destination to develop such a prestigious business and, once again, this shows that even in these difficult economic times the Welsh capital is a desirable place for world‐renown companies to invest in and this hotel is going to complement all the exciting elements being delivered in Cardiff Bay."

Development of the planned project will be in the hands of Bayscape Ltd, a privately owned development company led by Christopher Odling‐Smee and Drew McDonald. Drew McDonald, Director of Bayscape Ltd said: “The people of Cardiff are rightly proud of their city; it’s a dynamic, vibrant place with a real buzz about it. We are thrilled to be bringing a Wyndham hotel to the city and can’t wait to bring this iconic building to life”.

Construction work on the ‘Wyndham Cardiff’ is scheduled to commence towards the end of 2010, with the hotel set to open its doors approximately 2 years later. VINCI PLC the world’s leading concession and construction group will partner with Bayscape on the scheme.

23/02/2010

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