Consultation opens for Quayside hotel

Planner Lichfields is working with Dakota Hotels, which wants to convert the vacant St Ann’s Wharf building to a 115-bedroom destination.

The building, at 112 Quayside, sits across from the Baltic. Built in the mid-1990s as an office development, it has lain empty since autumn 2022.

The scheme could feature a ground floor bar and grill area, providing an attractive frontage to the riverside promenade.

Some minor alterations to the building’s façade fronting the Quayside are also planned, with an extension at ground floor level to cater for a new entrance lobby.

The existing courtyard at the front of the property will be reconfigured to provide a vehicle drop-off area, while first floor level bedroom terraces will be added. New balconies at second floor level will also be introduced.

While the team said they will look to retain most of the building’s current features and details to complement the architectural heritage, the new-look entrance lobby, reception and ground floor bar areas will reflect the Dakota brand-style with new signage. Photovoltaic solar panels will be installed on the roof.

A planning application will be made this summer. MEP advisor Hydrock is working with Lichfields and the professional team.

Alex Kennedy, senior planner at the Lichfields Newcastle office, said the hotel would generate a £1.5m local economic uplift, adding: “This is another major regeneration project that represents a significant contribution to the vitality and vibrancy of an important economic sector.

“Local residents, businesses and stakeholders are being consulted to showcase the many opportunities and benefits the investment will bring to Newcastle and the wider region.”

A spokesperson for Dakota Hotels said: “This is a prestigious project that will create jobs, prosperity and deliver a big boost to an important city centre location. We are keen to hear the views of as many people as possible, which will be considered before our plans are finalised and submitted to the local planning authority.”

The online consultation is now open and runs until 12 June.

Dakota is the hotel arm of the Leeds-based Evans Property Group. The hotels it has successfully opened include a luxury offer in Manchester’s Piccadilly Basin.

The ground floor would house bar and restaurant facilities. Credit: via MHW PR