Cooke & Arkwright
News
New Hotel for Cardiff Airport
21/10/04
Alfred McAlpine Capital Projects has begun construction of a new £5.3 million Holiday Inn Express Hotel on land adjacent to Cardiff International Airport, acquired by Cooke & Arkwright.
The 111 bed hotel will provide parking for 127 vehicles and is due to be completed in time for the peak season of summer 2005. Once constructed, the hotel will be the nearest available to the airport and create between 30 and 50 new jobs, all of which will be filled locally.
Martyn Osborne, Wales’ regional manager for Alfred McAlpine Capital Projects, commented on the importance of such a prime location. “Cardiff International Airport continues to enjoy rapid growth and Alfred McAlpine is investing heavily in this, securing sites such as that for the Holiday Inn and working with companies to bring projects forward,” he said. “This development will be of significant benefit to airport passengers, as well as the airline operators’ flight crews, which currently have little choice of quality accommodation in the immediate vicinity of the airport.”
Simon Owen, project manager added, “Alfred McAlpine Capital Projects has also contributed towards the new rail link into Rhoose and the planned road infrastructure improvements, alongside the hotel.”
Cooke & Arkwright, which acted in the acquisition of the 2.6 acre site on behalf of Alfred McAlpine, confirmed that a planning application has also been lodged for restaurant facilities on one acre of land alongside the hotel site. Managing Director Michael Lawley said, “The hotel will provide much needed accommodation in close proximity to the airport as well as bringing jobs to the local area. It will hopefully act as a catalyst for further developments and job creation opportunities.”
Cardiff International was the UK’s second fastest growing airport in 2003 when it was used by over 1.9 million passengers. It offers direct flights to a growing number of European destinations and is the only airport in the South West to offer transatlantic routes. A new service to Orlando, Florida was recently announced and new, twice daily return flights from Cardiff to Liverpool and Aberdeen are due to commence in November. UK’s fastest growing low cost airline, bmibaby, recently celebrated carrying its millionth passenger out of the airport.