Station Suites "A Real Asset" For Middlesbrough And Visitors
Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke has welcomed the opening of a new accommodation concept for the town, praising it as “a real asset”.
Station Suites offers 42 spacious apartments for guests whose stay in the Tees Valley is likely to be longer than one or two nights.
They will enjoy all the services of a hotel as well as additional benefits - such as bigger rooms, king size beds, kitchenettes and access to a laundry and lockers – which is why the developer of Station Suites describes it is a “home from home plus”.
The apartments are located in Linthorpe Road, 200 yards from the railway station, and Mayor Cooke said they will play an important role in the continuing development of an up-and-coming part of the town.
In recent years it has seen millions of pounds of public and private money invested in the station, Exchange Square, the hugely successful Middlesbrough STACK and now Station Suites.
Performing the opening ceremony – alongside Mark Ashall, one of the project’s main investors – Mr Cooke said: “I think it’s amazing, well-developed and stylish. It’s really nice to have it here – so close to the amenities, the station and the A66. It’s a real asset. I think it’s spot on. An absolutely fantastic development.”
This is the second major accommodation project in Middlesbrough to be financed by Mr Ashall, the Managing Director of Ashall Projects, and fellow investors.
Ten years ago they opened the 159-room Holiday Inn Express, the town’s biggest hotel. Half of the rooms have just been refurbished and the rest will follow later this year. The cost of that work and the investment in Station Suites amounts to more than £2.5m.
The award-winning management team at the Holiday Inn Express will also manage the apartments. Ten extra people have been recruited and a number of existing staff promoted.
“The hotel has been hugely successful,” said Mr Ashall. “But we recognised that there was an urgent need to offer a different type of accommodation to cater for some of the thousands of people who are coming to the Tees Valley because of the new opportunities created by Net Zero Teesside, and other major projects at the Wilton Centre and Teesworks.
“These contractors and consultants will often need to stay for a few days, weeks or even months and they want a bit more space, comfort and independence. Station Suites offers the best of both worlds: a ‘home from home plus’, as well as the support, service and security provided by our fantastic hotel team.”
There are 33 apartments which, at 27m2, are about a third bigger than the average hotel room, six bigger suites with sofa beds – and three two-bedroom apartments. All the apartments have a kitchenette with a fridge, microwave, hob, dishwasher and sink.
On the ground floor there is a large comfortable seating and dining space – where guests can hold informal meetings or just relax – a pantry and a bar serving drinks and snacks. The reception will be staffed 24 hours a day.
Ashall Projects has made a major impact on Middlesbrough town centre during the last decade. As well as opening the Holiday Inn Express, it has built three office buildings at Centre Square where around 1,500 people now work.
As well as welcoming thousands of guests the hotel has also become a focal point for Tees Valley charities and community groups, with its staff have helping to raise large sums of money for local good causes.