Milestone reached in construction of Peterborough's £40 million Hilton Garden Inn Hotel

A milestone has been reached in the construction of Peterborough’s new multi-million pound Hilton Garden Inn hotel.

A ceremony was held to mark the topping out of the nine storey 160-bedroom hotel which looks out over the River Nene at Fletton Quays.

And its sky bar roof top terrace is likely to provide the wow factor for guests and visitors with sweeping panoramic views across Peterborough with the city’s historic cathedral right in front.

Business and political leaders attended the event, which marked the milestone with a ribbon cutting ceremony to open the skybar roof terrace. A cake decorated with a likeness of the new hotel was also shared.

Guests heard the hotel, which will employ 75 staff, will be completed in January and expects to be open in the summer next year.

The hotel has also been chosen a preferred place to by Burghley House in Stamford.

Steve Cassidy, managing director, UK and Ireland, Hilton, said: “Peterborough has always been a fantastic destination for leisure and business customers so we’re excited to be part of that story with the development of Hilton Garden Inn Peterborough City Centre here and which is going to open in January.

"It will elevate the city’s presence on the global stage and attract an increasing number of leisure and business visitors to the city and we’re very excited about that.

"The hotel, once it opens its doors, will just attract more interest from a business, economic and leisure perspective.

"As a city with excellent services and products, the leisure market is attracted to this city and it is a great place to do business with strong access and transportation links, rail and road in particular, those factors make it a very attractive destination for us.

"It has been a challenging couple of years in construction generally but we are pleased to see the rapid progress today.

He added: “We are at that point where the finishing touches will be put in.

“The aim is to open the doors in January 2023 - so we are not that far away.”

As well as high-quality accommodation, the hotel will offer a focal point for business and community gatherings – with a flexible conference and events offering catering for 85 to 200 people.

Construction has been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has meant repayment of a £15 million loan from Peterborough City Council has had to be extended.

Council leader Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald said the resulting extra interest on the loan would now mean a £1 million payment to the council after the building’s completion.

He said: “Looking around today, you can see what an iconic building this will be on the city’s landscape. It has changed the city’s skyline.

"People want to come here and they want to invest here they want to start a business here.

“The city council want to encourage people to visit the city and if they do they have got to have somewhere nice to stay and what better than a brand like Hilton.