The De Vere group has rebranded its Village hotels as Village Urban Resorts, and new CEO Robert Cook announced an extensive expansion plan in the UK targeting business and leisure travellers.
Cook, formerly CEO of Malmaison and Hotel du Vin, unveiled the new concept at a gala launch party at De Vere’s Farnbrough property, showcasing its Velocity fitness club with large gym and swimming pool.
The fitness club is open to the local community as well as hotel guests and day delegates at the meeting facilities. Many of the hotels also have a Viva Urban Spa, in collaboration with ESPA and Dermalogica.
Party guests from the travel industry and local businesses also enjoyed the new brand’s enhanced dining offerings, in the Victory Ale and Chop House and the Victory Ale House – including an impressive gourmet grill menu in the Chop House, and traditional fare and real ales in the Ale House pub.
Rooms come in two types: the 20sqm standard, and for around a £20 upgrade the Upper Deck room, a slightly larger (22sqm) room with a Sealy SweetDreams bed, enhanced linens, Arran Aromatics toiletries, Bose speaker dock, Starbucks coffee and SkyMovies.
Coming soon is also the VShack room, aimed at the younger market; an 18sqm space with all the facilities of a standard room but on a smaller footprint for a lower price.
All venues have free wifi and parking, laundry service and meeting rooms.
De Vere’s Village Urban Resorts roll-out programme of 15 hotels includes properties at Milton Keynes, Durham, York, Portsmouth, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Bristol.
For more information visit villageurbanresorts.com
Report by Julian Gregory