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Hotel hails Commonwealth Games boost after scoring record revenues

A hotel which played a key part in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has hailed the event as a roaring success for the hospitality and tourism industry after achieving record revenues.

Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre secured record revenues during the 11 days the Games were held, as well as its highest average room rate since the four-star hotel opened in 2018.

The hotel was the official house for Team Wales and also hosted Team England, Team Jamaica and Team England Futures - a programme to inspire the next generation of young athletes.

Hosted by SportsAid, the group’s patron the Duchess of Cambridge also paid a visit, while other famous faces that took part in celebrations included Shenkin IV – the Royal Welsh goat mascot – for the Welsh opening event!

Billy Harris, head of commercial at Edgbaston Park Hotel, said: “The Commonwealth Games have been fantastic for us. It has helped put the hotel proudly on the map. “We have exceeded 98 per cent occupancy during July and the first week of August at Edgbaston Park Hotel and Peter Scott House and hit record revenues, which is better than we originally anticipated.

“It’s a period we’ve all relished and the staff have really enjoyed being involved in such an event. “To be the Official House for Team Wales was a real honour and we really felt a part of the team, welcoming athletes and their friends and family to celebrate after they won a medal.

“Supporting Team England Futures, which is such a worthy cause inspiring those who aspire to be in major sporting competitions in the future, was also a real highlight, and it was fantastic to see the Duchess of Cambridge come to Peter Scott House too. It couldn’t have gone any better.”

The hotel is part of the University of Birmingham Group and combined with the University of Birmingham’s accommodation, the two were transformed to become one of the largest accommodation providers in the world during the Games.

More than 3,500 athletes, team officials and guests were based across the sites between July 28 and August 8, while media and teams associated to the Games were given exclusive use of the hotel as it provided a prime location to provide coverage of an international event.

The hotel recruited an additional 30 staff to support what has been its busiest ever summer, and Billy hopes it can now push on the from the success of the Games.

He added: “The Games has cemented the future of Birmingham, its ability to host such big sporting events with world-class venues such as Alexandra Stadium and Sandwell Aquatics Centre.

“It has been an opportunity for spectators and visitors to visit Birmingham when perhaps they wouldn’t have before.

“For us, it has proven our ability to cater for a multitude of high-profile events and guests with our accommodation and meetings and events space.

“Not a lot of people may have visited us outside of Birmingham but now more and more people are getting to know and recognise us as one of the leading hotels in the Midlands.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .