Mayor officially opens Stockton's new Hampton by Hilton hotel

The Mayor of Stockton-on-Tees, Councillor Eileen Johnson, was on hand to unveil a plaque in the hotel's reception area yesterday (March 13).

She was joined in the unveiling by her Consort, Councillor Paul Kirton, the hotel's manager, John Lambourne-Richardson and world champion sprinter, Richard Kilty.

The 128-bed, five-storey hotel built by Bowmer & Kirkland is owned by the Council and opened to guests last month.

The Mayor said: "It gives me great pride to officially open this high quality hotel from a famous global brand. I'm sure it will be a huge asset to the Borough and in particular, the business community, who have been saying for years that there isn't enough hotel provision for business travellers here. I wish it every success."

Councillor Nigel Cooke, the Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing, added: "The hotel could not have opened at a better time. We've got a thriving International Study Centre with hundreds of overseas students, an events programme featuring the likes of Stockton Calling that pulls in people from all over the country and next year, we'll have a restored 3,000 capacity Globe theatre too.

"That's in addition to the obvious demand from businesses in the area, and the demand brought by the Hilton Honors club and its 60 million worldwide members."

What do the others involved in the project think?

The hotel site forms part of the mixed-use Northshore regeneration scheme, incorporating new offices, homes and leisure facilities near Stockton town centre.

The 56-acre, £300million scheme is a partnership between Muse Developments, Homes England and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.

Simon Dew, senior development surveyor at Muse Developments, said: "The Hampton by Hilton hotel is a key milestone in the Northshore regeneration programme and the renaissance of the town centre. This major investment complements the wider scheme, along with the Council's progressive vision to rejuvenate the town centre and surrounding areas. Stockton is a town with real vibrancy and we look forward to continuing momentum at Northshore in 2019."

Marie Kiddell, Head of Public Sector Land, at Homes England added: "The opening of this new hotel on the key gateway site into our Northshore development, will complement residential, commercial and leisure facilities on the site."