The 147-room Radisson Blu Hotel in Leeds has unveiled a sophisticated new look and feel – the result of a £ 3.5m investment programme. Work to completely upgrade the city centre hotel began in January and since then 72 guest bedrooms, meeting rooms, breakout areas, and public areas, have all been transformed and are now sporting a contemporary new look. The hotel’s ground floor space has also been completely remodelled, creating the new Fire Lake Grill House and Cocktail Bar – a stand-alone venue within the hotel.
The use of contrasting warm and cool tones, with accents of black and white, and the addition of stylish new furnishings; has evolved the hotel’s rooms and public areas. Throughout, bold artwork pays homage to the heritage and roots of the destination, with various nods to Leeds and Yorkshire on prints and walls; including the dramatic imprint of Leeds legend Peter O Toole on a wall in Fire Lake. The Fire Lake Grill House and Cocktail Bar is a destination in itself.This industrial chic venue boasts an eclectic range of furniture and several drinking and dining spaces. The Leeds launch of Fire Lake, a concept born in Minnesota, marks its first location outside of the USA. Fire Lake combines the mid-west traditions of open-flame cooking and the art of cocktail creation and is all about the flavour of the flame. As many dishes as possible are wood and flame-cooked, or wood-smoked. Food is from the local neighbourhood and often organic, cocktails are barrel-aged, and beers hand-crafted.
The newly designed bedrooms offer guests two modern styles: Naturally Cool and Permanently Blu, and boast new: carpets, curtains, soft furnishings, mood lighting and furniture. Media hubs have been added to support the needs of guests looking for the latest in in-room technology. The project has also seen the hotel’s meetings and events space restyled.All ten meeting rooms now have a fresh, modern look, complete with feature walls, additional sky-like lighting and new audio and visual equipment. Guests and meeting delegates also benefit from upgraded WiFi lines into the hotel, delivering fast and free connections for all.
The refurbishment is being carried out in two phases, with the first phase, the largest and most significant; now complete.Phase two, which begins in January 2016, will complete the hotel’s transformation by refurbishing the remaining 75 guest bedrooms.