Best Western opens first boutique lifestyle property

Best Western has announced it will open its first Boutique Lifestyle branded hotel in Britain this week adding a new conversion and development segment to the Best Western portfolio. The Sadie Luton Hotel is set to open on Friday 1 July after a coronavirus enforced delay of two years. It follows a multi-million-pound refurbishment of an existing landmark building and now provides 87 rooms. Stylistically the Sadie Luton hotel will feature large, neon lit social spaces and contemporary new bedroom designs reflecting the locality of the area. Local touches include light fittings which represent the heritage of the town’s hat making past and the nickname, Hatters, of the town’s Championship play off final football team. Local artist Jignesh Patel, who has appeared in the Guinness Book of Records five times, also hand painted over 120 canvases to hang in the guest bedrooms to further reflect the connection to the millinery industry in Luton. Tim Rumney, CEO of BWH Hotel Group GB, said: “This is an exciting new segment for Best Western, a boutique lifestyle brand with conversion opportunities, which is attractive to investors and owners as well as guests who want a highly individual, photographable, and shareable backdrop to their stay. “It is a great achievement by the whole team to bring this to market, but particularly Ali Mussani, director of Centro Hotels Ltd, who bought into this new concept and has brought the hotel to life, despite the setbacks caused by the pandemic.” In the last few years, the BWH Hotel Group has added over 120 new hotels to its brand portfolio growing in segments such as economy brand SureStay by Best Western, the core Best Western brands and the new luxury five-star upscale brand, WorldHotels. Mark Stanley, head of Hotel Development and Member Services said: “The Sadie Luton hotel is the springboard for many more new build and conversion projects in the pipeline over the next few years, as BWH strengthens its presence in the Boutique Lifestyle sector. “The appeal of non-prescriptive design, individuality with a strong localization is something we look forward to exploring more with developers and investors alike as we work towards our second opening in this segment in early 2023.” Ali Mussani, the hotel’s owner, added: “From the word go I was convinced with the potential of the new upscale brand from Best Western. I was hooked with the whole boutique concept, as I come from a high-end interior and design background. “It was a difficult journey through the pandemic, suffering with the shortage of materials and labour, but the journey has been well worth it to end up with a fantastic product like we have. Hopefully, this hotel will be a case study and set a benchmark for future developers.”