Bloc Hotels names new Property Director
Bloc Hotels has announced the appointment of Dominic Mayes as its new Property Director. Hayes brings with him more than 18 years of experience in the acquisition of hotels, both within the UK and key gateway locations across Europe.
Formerly Property Director for Qbic Hotels and Head of Hotels & Proprietary Partner at Knight Frank, Hayes will spearhead the multi-million pound expansion of Bloc Hotels, which follows significant investment in 2018 by Crescendo Real Estate Partners.
Construction has already begun on the flagship 22-storey Bloc Grand Central hotel in the heart of Birmingham, where a high-tech design scheme and fit-out will help realise the City Council’s vision of making the district surrounding New Street Station a vibrant and attractive destination for visitors.
The area is at the centre of the Big City Plan – a 20-year project to create thousands of jobs and bringing £2billion a year into Birmingham’s economy. Bloc’s designers, with innovation partners Samsung, have developed a high-tech, smart hotel that matches these aspirations.
Bloc also launched its Apartment Bloc suites in Birmingham in 2017; the innovative apartrooms combine the convenience of a hotel with the creature comforts of a residential home, and are ideal for guests booking longer stays.
“I’m really excited by the challenge of sourcing and securing new sites for Bloc Hotels,” says Hayes. “Bloc is a brand that is ready for significant growth. I want to build on the success it has already enjoyed. Our primary target locations in the UK include London, Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and we are particularly keen to secure additional sites on transport hubs, such as the existing hotel at Gatwick Airport.”
“We will also be looking at gateway locations in Europe, including Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona and Milan,” Hayes adds. “Our preference is newbuild, but we will also look at conversions and will either buy and develop ourselves or take a lease from a third-party developer.”
Rob Morgan, Managing Director of Bloc Hotels, adds: “We are delighted to have Dominic on board. We are confident that he will be the catalyst to help unlock our ambitious expansion plans.”
