Demolition

[dave.woodhall]

The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.

There's plenty of hotels near the airport, plenty of hotels in the City Centre and near the City Centre and plenty of hotels near the motorway network without having to drive through the back streets of Aston.

You may be right, but I wouldn't put my money on it.

All these hotels are being built, they're regularly full, but one more will be too many. How does that work?

[dave.woodhall]

The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.

Goldmine or disaster, I know which I'd go for.  There's a Holiday Inn, Travelodge and Premier Inn that aren't far from Villa Park and that share the same characteristics you mention in terms of area, but have the disctinct advantage of not being in Aston.  If I needed to stay in the area for business, I'd either choose one of those, or a hotel actually in the city centre.  There's a good reason there's not a hotel near VP already I would suggest.

Like the Holiday Inn in downtown Nechells or the Travelodge at sunkissed Fort Dunlop?

[Risso]

If it's such a good idea, and given how much seemingly semi-derelict land there is around Aston, why hasn't anybody built one already?

[VILLA MOLE]

If you are going to regenerate you need to start somewhere

[Risso]

The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.

Goldmine or disaster, I know which I'd go for.  There's a Holiday Inn, Travelodge and Premier Inn that aren't far from Villa Park and that share the same characteristics you mention in terms of area, but have the disctinct advantage of not being in Aston.  If I needed to stay in the area for business, I'd either choose one of those, or a hotel actually in the city centre.  There's a good reason there's not a hotel near VP already I would suggest.

Like the Holiday Inn in downtown Nechells or the Travelodge at sunkissed Fort Dunlop?

The Fort Dunlop Travelodge a minute away from the Fort Shopping Park with its shops and restaurants?  Yes, that one.

[chrisw1]

The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.

There's plenty of hotels near the airport, plenty of hotels in the City Centre and near the City Centre and plenty of hotels near the motorway network without having to drive through the back streets of Aston.

You may be right, but I wouldn't put my money on it.

All these hotels are being built, they're regularly full, but one more will be too many. How does that work?

I would just say most are better located than the back streets of Aston Dave.  Like I said you may be right but personally I just don't see a Travelodge at Villa Park being a particularly attractive proposoition.  And if it's just after the cheap market, then we're hardly talking a goldmine anyway.

[dave.woodhall]

The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.

Goldmine or disaster, I know which I'd go for.  There's a Holiday Inn, Travelodge and Premier Inn that aren't far from Villa Park and that share the same characteristics you mention in terms of area, but have the disctinct advantage of not being in Aston.  If I needed to stay in the area for business, I'd either choose one of those, or a hotel actually in the city centre.  There's a good reason there's not a hotel near VP already I would suggest.

Like the Holiday Inn in downtown Nechells or the Travelodge at sunkissed Fort Dunlop?

The Fort Dunlop Travelodge a minute away from the Fort Shopping Park with its shops and restaurants?  Yes, that one.

Have you been to the Fort lately? Are you seriously saying that anyone would want to spend a night in a hotel after shopping there?

[chrisw1]

The thing about the hotel gets brought up every so often and the point is missed every time. It wouldn't be a hotel aimed at tourists, or at Villa supporters. It would be a hotel five minutes from the hub of the national motorway network, ten minutes from the city centre and twenty from the NEC/airport. It's a potential goldmine.

Goldmine or disaster, I know which I'd go for.  There's a Holiday Inn, Travelodge and Premier Inn that aren't far from Villa Park and that share the same characteristics you mention in terms of area, but have the disctinct advantage of not being in Aston.  If I needed to stay in the area for business, I'd either choose one of those, or a hotel actually in the city centre.  There's a good reason there's not a hotel near VP already I would suggest.

Like the Holiday Inn in downtown Nechells or the Travelodge at sunkissed Fort Dunlop?

The Fort Dunlop Travelodge a minute away from the Fort Shopping Park with its shops and restaurants?  Yes, that one.

Have you been to the Fort lately? Are you seriously saying that anyone would want to spend a night in a hotel after shopping there?

But the opportunity of a night in Aston will whet the appetite?  I know which I'd lean towards.

The point is, if you're picking a hotel near spagetti Junction, do you pick the one with some shops, restaurant and leisure complex nearby or do you pick the one in the back streets of Aston, maybe with a Toby attached to it at best?

[Pat Mustard]

I don't see that Villa Park is any worse a location than most of the places where Premier Inn/Travelodge/Holiday Inn Express have lots of their hotels.  I'm fortunate/unfortunate enough to have to stay in these places on a fairly regular basis with work, and most towns and cities across the country have got budget hotels in areas no better than Aston.  Indeed, most of the clientele is there on a weekday and don't leave the building after arrival, just using the on-site pub for meals.  If anything, the fact it's at a famous location like Villa Park would make it more popular.  It's also why they offer the rooms at next to nothing most weekends as they are otherwise empty - again, at least 20 weekends of the year there will be people wanting to stay there that other similar hotels wouldn't attract.

The other thing you notice in these places is they are often filled with contractors working on local building projects.  Given Aston and Perry Barr are about to go through a massive regeneration project for the Commonwealth Games, getting a hotel built quickly might well be a priority - there are near enough 3 years of guaranteed bookings right there.

[Risso]

Have you been to the Fort lately? Are you seriously saying that anyone would want to spend a night in a hotel after shopping there?

Yes I have.  No, I'm saying that if you wanted to choose a convenient hotel near to the M6, people would more likely choose one where they'd have a choice of restaurants and some shops to have a nose round a few hundred yards away, than they would in the middle of Aston, which has nothing else going for it whatsoever if you're not a Villa fan.

[dave.woodhall]

Have you been to the Fort lately? Are you seriously saying that anyone would want to spend a night in a hotel after shopping there?

Yes I have.  No, I'm saying that if you wanted to choose a convenient hotel near to the M6, people would more likely choose one where they'd have a choice of restaurants and some shops to have a nose round a few hundred yards away, than they would in the middle of Aston, which has nothing else going for it whatsoever if you're not a Villa fan.

I can only echo what Pat has said above. Most time I've used those sort of hotels, having a Primark or WM Smith close by isn't very high on the list of priorities. A free, secure car with easy access to where I have to be next morning is far more important. 

[PeterWithesShin]

One Stop and Star City cover shops and leisure nearby. Most bookings at a VP hotel would be match day and conferences. As has been said a lot of the time with the conference attendees they will either stay on site or catch taxis/drive to restaurants, town etc. I think it could do ok because with the number of conference rooms and suites VP has it will be be able to do events a lot of Travel Lodges etc can't host.

[algy]

I don't see that Villa Park is any worse a location than most of the places where Premier Inn/Travelodge/Holiday Inn Express have lots of their hotels.  I'm fortunate/unfortunate enough to have to stay in these places on a fairly regular basis with work, and most towns and cities across the country have got budget hotels in areas no better than Aston.  Indeed, most of the clientele is there on a weekday and don't leave the building after arrival, just using the on-site pub for meals.  If anything, the fact it's at a famous location like Villa Park would make it more popular.  It's also why they offer the rooms at next to nothing most weekends as they are otherwise empty - again, at least 20 weekends of the year there will be people wanting to stay there that other similar hotels wouldn't attract.

The other thing you notice in these places is they are often filled with contractors working on local building projects.  Given Aston and Perry Barr are about to go through a massive regeneration project for the Commonwealth Games, getting a hotel built quickly might well be a priority - there are near enough 3 years of guaranteed bookings right there.

Just agreeing for agreeing's sake here in some ways, but a hotel seems to be such an obvious move - close to the M6, close to the city centre, close to an area that'll be undergoing a load of regeneration, ... something along the lines of a Premier Inn/Travelodge/Ibis/... would do just fine, I'd have thought.

The idea that it being by a shopping centre is in any way important, though ... come on.  Since when do you go to a hotel in another city and mooch about a random shopping centre because the hotel happens to be there?  If there's a couple of takeaways and a Tesco Express-type shop they might get a bit of business, but otherwise having a Primark or whatever is neither here nor there.  Particularly cos, if you're traveling to Brum for shopping, you'd most likely be wanting to go to the Bullring anyway.

[PeterWithe]

I read somewhere that there are more than 80 hotels currently being developed in the West Mids, wouldn't that suggest that there is a lack of hotel rooms currently?

If there is a market for a Travelodge at Castle Vale, I wouldn't rule one out at VP

[chrisw1]

I stay in hotels for work too, and would pick a nicer location with somwhere I can stroll to if possibly available.  Somewhere like Aston would be right towards the bottom of my list in terms of boxes ticked.

As for weekend matchdays, the game finishes at 5, surely if you're making a weekend of it the City Centre or Edgbaston would be far more appealing?

I kind of get the conference thing, but is that enough to sustain it? 

A hotel may or may not work.  If it does it seems we're talking very much of the budget variety.  Seriously, the rent Travelodge would pay for a budget hotel is not going to make any sort of dent in the finances of a football club.  I just can't get excoted about this as an opportunity and suspect there would be better ways to make use of the land.