Chris Heck - President of Business Operations

[pauliewalnuts]

Business travellers aren't going to want to stay in Aston. Why would they when the city centre is down the road with all the appeal that has?

And even if they did, how much revenue is a hotel going to add?

And yes, there are buildings that used to be hotels there already - and they can't even survive as pubs, let alone hotels.

[Percy McCarthy]

Business travellers aren't going to want to stay in Aston. Why would they when the city centre is down the road with all the appeal that has?

And even if they did, how much revenue is a hotel going to add?

And yes, there are buildings that used to be hotels there already - and they can't even survive as pubs, let alone hotels.

The ones in Small Heath and Nechells survive, and they’re not nextdoor to a famous 50,000 capacity stadium or a 3,500 capacity gig venue.

Pubs rely on local people using them, hotels don’t.

[dave.woodhall]

Business travellers aren't going to want to stay in Aston. Why would they when the city centre is down the road with all the appeal that has?

And even if they did, how much revenue is a hotel going to add?

And yes, there are buildings that used to be hotels there already - and they can't even survive as pubs, let alone hotels.

Most business travellers aren't that bothered about city centres - they want dinner, a room and breakfast. And most of all they want easy access to motorway junctions, airports and the places where they have their early meetings. And as Percy says, there's a lot of overseas supporters who would love, for some reason, to stay overnight at Villa Park.

[Crown Hill]

Business travellers aren't going to want to stay in Aston. Why would they when the city centre is down the road with all the appeal that has?

And even if they did, how much revenue is a hotel going to add?

And yes, there are buildings that used to be hotels there already - and they can't even survive as pubs, let alone hotels.

Most business travellers aren't that bothered about city centres - they want dinner, a room and breakfast. And most of all they want easy access to motorway junctions, airports and the places where they have their early meetings. And as Percy says, there's a lot of overseas supporters who would love, for some reason, to stay overnight at Villa Park.

I presume the Aston Tavern is operating very successfully as a hotel.

It’s 4 star and the rooms are certainly not basic.

Even what’s now known as the Aston Inn is offering rooms.

[eamonn]

I can't believe he's leaving us. He always smooth-talked as if he cared about the Villa family. What a shallow bastard!

[cdbearsfan]

It feels like The Day The Music Died.

[Crown Hill]

Flipping Heck

[Percy McCarthy]

Business travellers aren't going to want to stay in Aston. Why would they when the city centre is down the road with all the appeal that has?

And even if they did, how much revenue is a hotel going to add?

And yes, there are buildings that used to be hotels there already - and they can't even survive as pubs, let alone hotels.

Most business travellers aren't that bothered about city centres - they want dinner, a room and breakfast. And most of all they want easy access to motorway junctions, airports and the places where they have their early meetings. And as Percy says, there's a lot of overseas supporters who would love, for some reason, to stay overnight at Villa Park.

I presume the Aston Tavern is operating very successfully as a hotel.

It’s 4 star and the rooms are certainly not basic.

Even what’s now known as the Aston Inn is offering rooms.

Well, I didn’t know that. Fair play to them both.

Looks as if big money has been spent on the Aston Tavern since the last time I went in about 30/40 years ago.

Of course, one of the best things about Villa investing in, for example, The Warehouse (or wherever else) is that the cost is an allowable loss against PSR, while whatever it generates counts as a positive as well. Win-win.

[Percy McCarthy]

Streets of Aston Weekend inc. 2 nights at the Aston Tavern & AVFC Heritage Tour

Check in Friday.

Evening meal.
Tour of Aston Parish Church and Aston Hall by candlelight.
Witton Arms Disco
Bunk-up or fight in the car park
Kebab from along Aston Lane or the Villa Chippie

Saturday:

7-9 am: Breakfast

10am-12 noon. Visit the graves of George Ramsay, William MacGregor, James Watt and Matthew Boulton at St Mary’s in Handsworth. Visit the first lamppost in Heathfield Road where Villa were founded, the site of the Wesleyan Chapel, and the site of Aston Villa, the house we were named after. Visit Wellington Road, the site of our Perry Barr ground.

12-2.30pm: back to the Tavern to get tanked up.

3pm: Enjoy the game!

6pm: Aston Inn disco and singalong until everyone staggers home throughout the evening.

Sunday:

7-9am Breakfast.
10am - 12noon: Stadium tour, ending in the club shop.

Sunday lunch in the Barton’s, followed by a walk down Summer Lane (where Billy Kimber was from) singing the Summer Lane song.

Songs in your headphones (like on those city- break sightseeing tours):

Streets of Aston

Have you seen the Holte End
On a Satdee afternoon
As they celebrate another Villa win?

Do you remember Ian Taylor scoring diving headers,
Or Tony Tony Daley,
Running down the wing?

So how can you follow the Aaalbion,
Or Birmingham when they’re fucking shite?
Pete the Greek and Danny Brown will chase you through the streets of Aston,
They’ll show you something
To make you change your mind.

Summer Lane:

You can see the palm trees swaying,
Way down Summer Lane
Ev’ry Satdee night there is a celebration
See ‘em chucking bottles down at Witton Station
There ain’t no snow in Snow Hill
No need to catch a train
To your southern home
Where it’s nice and warm
It’s always summer in Summer Lane!

£1,000 per person, all inclusive.

(Not very busy at work).

[Chap]

I've said it before - Villa Hotel - Mop up all the tourists in the GA+/Corporate seats. Extended stay in Brum, new club shop and beer hall next door.

Yes, who hasn’t dreamed of a lovely long weekend in Aston..

Have a look at where some Travelodge locations are!

[Chap]

Streets of Aston Weekend inc. 2 nights at the Aston Tavern & AVFC Heritage Tour

Check in Friday.

Evening meal.
Tour of Aston Parish Church and Aston Hall by candlelight.
Witton Arms Disco
Bunk-up or fight in the car park
Kebab from along Aston Lane or the Villa Chippie

Saturday:

7-9 am: Breakfast

10am-12 noon. Visit the graves of George Ramsay, William MacGregor, James Watt and Matthew Boulton at St Mary’s in Handsworth. Visit the first lamppost in Heathfield Road where Villa were founded, the site of the Wesleyan Chapel, and the site of Aston Villa, the house we were named after. Visit Wellington Road, the site of our Perry Barr ground.

12-2.30pm: back to the Tavern to get tanked up.

3pm: Enjoy the game!

6pm: Aston Inn disco and singalong until everyone staggers home throughout the evening.

Sunday:

7-9am Breakfast.
10am - 12noon: Stadium tour, ending in the club shop.

Sunday lunch in the Barton’s, followed by a walk down Summer Lane (where Billy Kimber was from) singing the Summer Lane song.

Songs in your headphones (like on those city- break sightseeing tours):

Streets of Aston

Have you seen the Holte End
On a Satdee afternoon
As they celebrate another Villa win?

Do you remember Ian Taylor scoring diving headers,
Or Tony Tony Daley,
Running down the wing?

So how can you follow the Aaalbion,
Or Birmingham when they’re fucking shite?
Pete the Greek and Danny Brown will chase you through the streets of Aston,
They’ll show you something
To make you change your mind.

Summer Lane:

You can see the palm trees swaying,
Way down Summer Lane
Ev’ry Satdee night there is a celebration
See ‘em chucking bottles down at Witton Station
There ain’t no snow in Snow Hill
No need to catch a train
To your southern home
Where it’s nice and warm
It’s always summer in Summer Lane!

£1,000 per person, all inclusive.

(Not very busy at work).

Excellent work.

[VILLA MOLE]

Hotel was HDE vision 30 years ago .

I wish i could find that article again 

[PeterWithe]

Aye I wouldn't rule out a hotel working, a lot of business travellers use booking apps and once you've specified a town, budget, amenities and proximity to motorway, train stations etc, its not going to give you a 1* rating for 'surrounding area'.

[Chris Smith]

I've said it before - Villa Hotel - Mop up all the tourists in the GA+/Corporate seats. Extended stay in Brum, new club shop and beer hall next door.

Why are they going to want to stay in a hotel in Aston? Rather than in the vibrant city centre down the road, with anll the hotels, bars and top quality restaurants?

And how many GA+ customers want to do a stopover anywhere?

The Aston Tavern seems to do ok

I've said it before - Villa Hotel - Mop up all the tourists in the GA+/Corporate seats. Extended stay in Brum, new club shop and beer hall next door.

Why are they going to want to stay in a hotel in Aston? Rather than in the vibrant city centre down the road, with anll the hotels, bars and top quality restaurants?

And how many GA+ customers want to do a stopover anywhere?

There's plenty of scope for the sort of hotel you get in Oldbury, Castle Bromwich, Great Barr, Walsall... And never underestimate the attraction of spending even more time and money at a Premier League ground for Scandinavian/Irish/Far Eastern twoday-trippers.

Exactly. Business travellers in the week who want little more than a clean, comfortable space not far from Spaghetti Junction to get their head down. Football travellers at the weekend - check in on Friday, mill around the ground and go to the match on Saturday, stadium tour on Sunday. And there’s already a couple of beautiful buildings that used to be hotels at either end of the ground with ample, secure parking on non-match days.

Remember the thinking behind the Bull Ring shop - it’s not about profit, it’s about revenue.

The Aston Tavern seems to do ok for match day guests. It’s a wedding venue so I assume the rooms are a decent standard and if the match day food is anything to go by then the catering is also pretty good.

[Chris Harte]

Hotel was HDE vision 30 years ago .

I wish i could find that article again 

In my head it was around 1986 and it was going to be built into the back of the North Stand. Don't know why the old boy didn't go ahead with it.