Radisson SAS Hotel - Durham

In February 2009, The Rezidor Hotel Group announced the renaming of Radisson SAS to Radisson Blu. This change marks the latest step forward in the upscale brand’s story and reflects the natural end of Radisson’s relationship with the SAS Group following Rezidor’s IPO back in November 2006. President and CEO Kurt Ritter said in his announcement: “We’re extremely proud to hoist the Radisson Blu flag. After many, very successful years with SAS, we are eager to start cruising high on our own. And we’ll fly the flag in an ever growing number of destinations.”

One of those new destinations was revealed towards the end of 2008 when the Radisson SAS Durham opened its doors. After an unexpectedly long pre-opening phase, business commenced at a time of economic uncertainty in a region largely unfamiliar with the group’s Yes I Can! service philosophy and contemporary design solutions that have become synonymous with the brand in other parts of Europe.

However thanks to the hotel’s welcoming interiors, and Rezidor stalwart Deborah Haines at the helm, Radisson SAS Durham is gradually being recognised as a credible leisure and MICE destination.

The multi-million pound newbuild was designed by Red Box Architecture to complement its riverside location and urban views. Clad in a combination of locally sourced natural stone, slate, brick, and cedar boarding, the four-storey building has a splayed frontage with two angled wings following the curve of the river, linked together by a dramatic glass atrium. Alan J Smith OBE of Red Box Design Group comments: “We had to demonstrate huge respect for the nature of the location when responding to the brief and it was essential that the resulting building would fit in now and in the future.” He adds: “The scale, textures and materials were chosen to respond to the site and deliver a building that can become a benchmark for design in that part of the city.”

For interior designers Ward Robinson, with their longstanding reputation working on boutique and independent hotels, the successful and complex job in Durham represents a new milestone which sees the firm breaking into the corporate sector. Following projects such as Seaham Hall Hotel and Jesmond Dene House Hotel, the practice was awarded the contract for the design and specification of all 207 guestrooms as well as public areas.

The original brief from the client was to design a hotel that would ‘sit within the traditional University city values, but be instantly recognisable as the Radisson SAS brand’ explains Jill Holst, Design Director at Ward Robinson. However, throughout the duration of the project – almost seven years from conception to completion – these standards changed significantly. Holst was faced with the task of adapting aspects of the design in the latter stages of the project, in which time General Manager Deborah Haines was brought on board. The resulting partnership between Holst and Haines allowed for a synergy between design and function. Haines believes that this has led to a better product, both for the guest, and from an operational point of view.

Radisson SAS Durham is home to the fifth Filini Bar and Restaurant in the UK, as well as eleven flexible meeting spaces, a 15m swimming pool, and Pace, a health club with gym, sauna and treatment rooms.
The four categories of guestroom including Business Class, are differentiated by size and view. Suites are situated on the top floors of the hotel and offer unparalleled views over Durham Cathedral, whilst the 80m2 Presidential Suite sits up in the rafters. Natural light floods through its sloping windows into a king-sized bedroom, two separate living areas and a dedicated boardroom which doubles as a dining room.
Each room type is designed to create a sense of comfort and luxury to add to the contemporary design and style culture of the hotel. The colour scheme in the bedrooms is based around muted tones and earthy browns highlighted with a deep red. Casegoods designed by Ward Robinson and manufactured by ODonnells use a combination of walnut veneers and solids teamed with decorative laminates. ODonnells supplied the desks, TV columns, fixed and free-standing luggage racks, and numerous variations of wardrobes from walk-in units to storage space. One of the main features of each bedroom is the headboard constructed using walnut veneer and laminate with leather-upholstered panels. ODonnells were also able to supply the headboards with a plug-and-play electrical system already fitted with switches and light fittings.

The Harlequin Harris-upholstered chairs, Sinclaire curtains, and Skopos cushion coverings keep the red and brown theme in harmony with the rest of the hotel. The bespoke floorcoverings, manufactured by Hammer Taepper, were inspired by the leafy National Trust Estate close to Holst’s Northumberland home. These are complemented by the brown leather sofas in the lobby and banqueting areas. Special features are provided by the carpeted wall behind reception, and circular sofas by B&B Italia. The only deviation from the colour scheme is in the restaurant and health club. The Italian-styled Filini integrates electric blue into its decor and is illuminated by Conciluce light trees. Pace Health Club meanwhile, is tiled in darker hues with splashes of zesty lime. The poolside furniture is supplied by the Modern Garden Company.

“Offering modern chic combined with innovative interior design from the moment you walk through the door, the Radisson SAS is a distinctly different hotel,” explains Holst. And despite a slow start, the restaurant and MICE facilities of the hotel are beginning to attract business from across the region and further afield.

Rezidor have said that many of their more recent Radisson SAS hotels are “new breed contemporary flagship properties with iconic architecture and bold design solutions,” a description that fits the Durham property perfectly. The hotel will eventually be renamed Radisson Blu, in line with the 200 other hotels currently in operation or under development.

RADISSON SAS HOTEL, DURHAM
Framwellgate Waterside, City of Durham, County Durham, DH1 5TL, UK
Tel: +44 (0)191 372 7200
www.radissonsas.com

Rooms 207 guestrooms and suites
Dining Filini Restaurant and Bar
Drinks The Bar
Leisure Pace Health Club, Emmanais Treatment Rooms
Facilities 11 meeting and events rooms