Member Article

Completion plans underway for Crowne Plaza Newcastle

Construction of the fabulous and much anticipated Crowne Plaza® Newcastle – Stephenson Quarter hotel is well underway and on schedule for its July opening.

A new milestone was reached recently with the appointment of its General Manager, Andrew Fox. He joins what is set to become Newcastle’s most luxurious and contemporary hotel when it opens this summer in Stephenson Quarter.

His immediate task is recruiting his senior management team while also working closely with the property developer Clouston Group, overseeing the final phase of construction along with the fit-out. The hotel will be under a management contract with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®).

Once complete, the impressive, seven-storey, 251-bed Crowne Plaza Newcastle – Stephenson Quarter will add a major new business conferencing and banqueting facility to the city.

The main conferencing suite – uniquely shaped – will seat and cater around 400 people. The hotel will also offer eight adaptable meeting rooms that can accommodate small seminars of 12 people up to large private meetings of 32 and delegate meetings of 100.

Combining the large conference suites and meeting rooms, the hotel can provide more space to become an ideal venue for exhibitions

The hotel and luxurious bedrooms have been carefully designed for both business and leisure guests visiting Newcastle. The restaurant and bar will be a perfect combination of urban chic and relaxing space for classic entertaining to more intimate social evenings. A deluxe swimming pool, spa and treatment rooms offer the perfect antidote to a busy day.

For Andrew, his appointment represents an exciting challenge and a welcome return to the North East. Married with four children, he was brought up in Ponteland, Northumberland before leaving the area to study in Manchester and begin a career in hospitality.

Now living in Morpeth, Andrew has around 25 years’ experience in the hospitality and leisure industry having most recently been regional general manager for Q-Hotels, overseeing a collection of hotels in the Midlands. Prior to that he worked at Crowne Plaza Nottingham and worked within management in Marriott Hotels for eight years.

He said: “The development of Crowne Plaza in Newcastle is not only an exciting milestone for the city but represents a great personal opportunity. The chance to come back to the North East, the lifestyle of the city and the wider area, was too good to miss.

“Crowne Plaza Newcastle will become an asset the city will be proud of and a beacon for the Stephenson Quarter and the wider business community.”

Paul Szomoru, head of business tourism at NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Andrew as the general manager of Crowne Plaza Newcastle. The addition of such a fantastic new hotel and conferencing facility in the city centre is a clear signal of investor confidence in the area and great news for the industry, as well as conference and events organisers who will be even more spoilt for choice.”

Anyone interested in more information about the hotel, its facilities and bookings should contact Amanda McBride on amanda.mcbride@ihg.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Crowne Plaza Newcastle - Stephenson Quarter .