New Hampton by Hilton hotel at IWM Duxford cleared for take off
A 168-bedroom Hampton by Hilton hotel at the Imperial War Museum (IWM) Duxford has been given planning approval by South Cambridgeshire District Council's planning committee this week.
The proposal is for the Hampton by Hilton Duxford to be built on the IWM site to support the existing conference centre. The hotel is expected to open spring 2022.
The six-storey hotel will be an L-shape, with bedrooms on the ground to fourth floors, a lobby and gym on the ground floor, and reception, bar and dining area on the top floor, with an outdoor terrace. The plans also include additional car and cycle parking and an opportunity to employ 40 staff.
The Imperial War Museum comprises a number of listed buildings including a Grade I-listed control tower, and three Grade II*-listed hangers.
Graham Dodd, managing director of UK and Ireland development at Hilton, said: "We are delighted to be partnering once more with Propiteer Hotels to expand their portfolio in the UK, having opened the Hampton by Hilton Exeter Airport in 2016."
Mike Aspinall, director of Propiteer Hotels, said: "We are pleased to secure planning permission for our exciting hotel project at IWM Duxford. We are working in partnership with both IWM and Hilton to ensure the finest possible experience for every one of our guests. We look forward to welcoming them in due course and to continuing our rapid expansion of branded hotel assets across the UK."
John Brown, IWM executive director commercial services and operations, said the hotel would "bring great benefits to the local economy through the creation of jobs and attraction of new visitors to the local area."
He added: "We believe it will also improve our offering as a museum with the option to stay overnight and explore more local attractions and increase the ease with which people can enjoy multiple days of our fantastic annual air shows."
Councillor doctor Tumi Hawkins, lead cabinet member for planning, said: "It makes perfect sense for a hotel to be built on site so that visitors can attend these spectacular displays more easily. It will also create economic prosperity for local people and create 40 new jobs."
