A stunning new eco-friendly hotel, ‘The Orchard’, has opened for business on The University of Nottingham’s award-winning main campus.
Designed to complement the University-owned De Vere Venues East Midlands Conference Centre next door, the £20 million hotel complex will provide top class accommodation on University Park with extensive facilities including a roof garden, brasserie and gym.
The Orchard Hotel has been built to the highest environmental standards featuring state of the art technology to minimise carbon emissions including a green roof, photovoltaic panels, energy-efficient lighting, heating and ventilation systems.
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Landmark ‘one-stop’ venue for Nottingham
Pro-Vice Chancellor for Environment and Infrastructure, Professor Karen Cox, said: “The University is proud to open The Orchard as a unique and environmentally-driven addition to our conferencing facilities. It is a beautifully designed complex, funded entirely by the University, and will be available for use by conference delegates, university visitors, local businesses and the general public.
“The hotel will aim to achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating under the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), which recognises low-impact buildings that incorporate the best environmental practice. The Orchard is the latest in a series of award-winning buildings developed on The University of Nottingham’s campuses which have underlined our commitment to sustainable architecture and construction.”
Tony Dangerfield, CEO of De Vere Venues added: “The Orchard Hotel is fantastic new addition to our portfolio representing a significant investment by the University in the city of Nottingham. At De Vere Venues we are committed to redefining the guest experience, doing things differently and giving our customers what they actually want and this new beautiful hotel will make the East Midlands Conference Centre a complete, one stop venue to fulfil and exceed all our guests’ expectations.”
The Orchard offers 202 bedrooms, of which 55 are executive suites and 5 are accessible bedrooms. There is also a brasserie-style restaurant, bar area, terrace, gym and four meeting rooms accommodating up to 20. Architects and interior designers have created a venue with accessible roof-top gardens, a glass atrium reception and lobby which is flooded with natural daylight, floor-to-ceiling windows, bespoke furniture and unique decor throughout. An executive lounge, leading to an exclusive roof-top garden is reserved for those staying in executive accommodation, whilst a separate mezzanine provides a stunning area for private hire in the evening for up to 100.
The hotel is aptly named as it has been constructed in an area of land next to the East Midlands Conference Centre that was previously an orchard. During the build, several rare varieties of apple tree had to be carefully relocated to make way for the new hotel. Some of these are related to the original Bramley apple tree, which has its origins in Nottinghamshire's cathedral town of Southwell.
In honour of this, the onsite 160-cover brasserie-style restaurant has been aptly named ‘Bramleys’ and will offer a delicious menu including Homemade Blythburgh Scotch egg, piccalilli dressing, cress salad; Classic Game stew, dumplings, braised red cabbage; Homemade Arctic roll, rhubarb compote and Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire cheeses, apple chutney, biscuits and breads.
Corrie Jones, Associate at RHWL Architects who designed the Orchard Hotel, said: “The design concept for the hotel was inspired by the university’s parkland setting, with sweeping lines, lots of timber and regional stone, and echoes of the surrounding trees and plants throughout the interior. Creating two separate wings, joined by a central atrium area, has helped to give the spaces a light and airy feel and we have focussed on minimising the building’s impact on its surrounding environment through sustainable features and careful location within the surrounding hillside.”
Gerard Flanagan, construction director at building contractors,BAM Construction , said: “BAM Construction is proud to have worked with the University and De Vere to build The Orchard. We share The University of Nottingham’s commitment to buildings of the highest standards and are pleased to have designed and built this new hotel to match this aspiration”.
With over 25 years’ experience, the East Midlands Conference Centre has the flexibility to accommodate between 10 and 850 delegates. A stunning modern venue with a stylish contemporary look, it is perfect for delegates looking for inspirational surroundings away from the office. Combined with the adjacent Orchard Hotel, there are 21 flexible meeting rooms, state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, free WiFi throughout and friendly staff who will help plan your event and make sure everything runs smoothly.
