Burleigh Court Hotel to transform five key business areas

Burleigh Court Conference Centre and Hotel, a conference venue hotel located in the East Midlands on Loughborough University’s campus, has partnered with 360 brand and design agency Harrison to revitalise its communal spaces. As part of the deal, Harrison has developed a design which will create five “distinct” spaces, including: A new F&B space, a fit-for-purpose extension, will have capacity to host up to 120 guests as an eating and drinking space. A modern conference suite, with the ability to host up to 220 people or be broken into up to five smaller, more intimate conference spaces. A new bar and ‘breakout’ area will be able to serve those using the conference suite. An innovative reception area. A link-street which will naturally guide guests from the reception area to the main bar. According to Burleigh Court, Harrison is drawing on inspiration from the surrounding university, incorporating and weaving in design elements inspired by both today’s students alongside “notable” alumni, and injecting the venue with style directly influenced by the university’s past. There is a particular focus on the Aeronautical and Automotive facilities, incorporating the university’s history of engineering into the design of the venue, alongside the School of Design and Creative Arts. As the university has a strong partnership with Rolls Royce, Harrison is looking to incorporate a recycled tornado fighter jet engine that will be used for the reception desk and become a showpiece of the venue. The hotel bar is centred around the idea that most aspects of engineering is based around circles (i.e., wheels, cogs, engines, etc.), including XL industrial doors which slide open and shut. Dean Concannon, design director at Harrison, said: “Burleigh Court is truly uniquely positioned – no other space will have access to the talent, facilities, students, and alumni at Loughborough University that we can tap into today. “What’s more, with so many students – both from across the UK and international – there is a real need for exceptional facilities which not only look fantastic but from a practical point of view, they need to be able to cope with incredibly high footfall in order to accommodate parents and guest, visiting faculty, host speakers, and more.”