Birmingham car park forms unlikely setting for hotel revolution

Hotel management company Fiveways Hospitality has chosen Birmingham as the launch city for the second generation of its successful hotel brand, nitenite.

The company is looking to offer the pod concept as a franchise, manchise or fully managed operation – and it already claims to have strong interest in the model.

The first 104-room nitenite hotel in central Birmingham has enjoyed almost a decade of consistent trading and was, the developer believes, the first purpose-designed, windowless hotel concept to be built in the UK.

With building space in the city at a premium – with prices to match – maximising revenue opportunities has taken on added significance for not just hotel operations, but and city centre-based business.

Therefore, Fiveways has tweaked the nitenite model and in an under-used car park adjoining the existing hotel it has opened a prototype pod as an example of how the new-look hotel would operate.

In an efficient use of space, each room takes up only the area of one parking space, while still providing double-room en-suite accommodation for guests.

For nitenite generation two, the company’s design team has developed a completely new guest room, bringing together the benefit of its experience in the running of Britain’s original pod hotel and the latest hi-tech specification, with the brief to create ‘compact luxury’.

The new room concept has been refined over a six-month development process with input from designers, service providers, planners, hotel management and visiting guests.

Fiveways Hospitality director Nigel Atkinson said: “The beauty of nitenite is that it provides attractive, good value accommodation in a city centre setting and those are key ingredients in maximising occupancy and higher than average return on investment.

“Nitenite rooms have always been cosy, attractive and enjoyed by guests, but this next generation adds a new level of opulence.

“The financials are good too. The optimal size range for nitenite begins at 100 rooms, with more if location and space permits. Each needs around 10.6 sqm of floorspace for each room, plus communal and support areas. It can be a good way to cost effectively revitalise a tired asset, or even convert a difficult commercial space into a profitable hotel. At that size, the build cost can be less than £39k per key and deliver an annual 35% profit.”

The company is looking at reusing existing city centre buildings such as cinemas, car parks, offices and other facilities as potential venues for its hotels.

The new nitenite concept room is open for viewing in Birmingham.