The Hilton Garden Inn Stoke-on-Trent

- Written by Emily Whitehead, Business Support Officer

I have to admit to being one of those people who had driven past the new Smithfield development and Hilton Garden Inn with little more than a glance & a vague notion that some people don’t like the ‘colourful building’ as they drive past. I was aware that it was a fresh new building and I was also aware that having a new hotel in the city was a welcome addition to the much needed good quality bed nights total.
However, I was completely unaware of the journey of the hotel, the people in it and
the impact it is already having on Stoke on Trent.

I arranged to meet Sales Director Steve Alty, at the Hilton Garden Inn to find out more about this story and more about what’s happening at the Smithfield site and I was blown away. On arriving, the light, bright lobby was full of laughter and Steve was already talking to Kaye from Stoke Creative (more on that in another story from the city centre) and already I felt that I’d stepped into a community. I was introduced to the staff, and immediately we sunk into a velvet sofa to talk more.

A Modern Retreat with a Touch of Heritage

The Hilton Garden Inn actually welcomed its first guests in October 2020 but with no
fanfare or special celebrations. As Steve says, it was one of the strangest times of his career in the hospitality industry. But there were visitors, key workers and those who needed to travel. The hotel evolved its services to room service dinners and a socially distanced welcomes but welcome people it did.

The hotel, strategically located in the heart of the city, represents a significant milestone for this part of Stoke-on-Trent, known for its rich industrial heritage and vibrant cultural scene. As part of the Smithfield development, it is regularly full, looking after both business and leisure travellers from all over the world. Brilliantly located with easy access to all the major networks you could want, Hilton Garden Inn has become an essential stop off and destination for international visitors, large businesses and football clubs to name a few.

Experiencing how modern meets heritage

The Hilton Garden Inn is a striking addition to the city's skyline, featuring a  contemporary design that seamlessly integrates with Stoke-on-Trent's evolving urban landscape. The exterior is all clean lines, glass and brickwork but the inside is something unexpectedly special. One might easily assume that a chain hotel like this
would endure a standard corporate interior design job but not here.

The first thing you notice is the warm, human welcome in a bright entrance area but coming in a quick second, is the stunning design of the dining area with a beautiful mirrored wall featuring a silhouette of the Spitfire, designed by Stoke On Trent’s very own Reginald Mitchell. This is more than just a nod to the heritage of its location.

The Hilton Garden Inn is packed full of sensitively displayed icons of the city from
beautiful ceramic ware made in the city to the wing shaped profile of the Spitfire wing, designed into wooden room partitions. There’s also a rather stunning glazed tile map of the city to greet every visitor, leaving no one in any doubt where they’d landed. There’s stunning photography and artwork throughout the hotel depicting both historic and contemporary views of the city. No visitor can fail to notice the rich heritage and powerful renaissance of Stoke-on-Trent. And that’s what this hotel feels part of. There’s an enthusiasm, passion and real warmth that both reflects what we know to be part of our city centre, but that might be something new for those visiting.

For anyone staying in this part of Hanley, there’s little doubt that Stoke-on-Trent is growing a fresh identity; a place to do business; a place to discover; a place to create a new perspective; a place to innovate and a place to feel excited about.

Why are people visiting and staying here?

Steve says that they’ve never been busier - With regular returners from big business, they are also the hotel of choice for visiting tourists, seeking out the best of the city and wider county including the Monkey Forest, ceramic attractions and more. There are travelling premier sports teams, celebrity performers and countless TV and film crews all working in the city or region.

Not only is this exciting in itself, it is also opening the eyes of many who may have believed the hype that Stoke-on-Trent is failing & fading. Nothing could be further from the truth when you set the hotel in its context.

Part of the a regeneration project by the property developer Gener8, Hilton Garden Inn sits next to the Smithfield building 1 and 2, now home to countless businesses, cultural and government organisations, not to mention new apartments that are being loved and lived in by a new generation of dwellers in the city centre. Smithfield Works and Smithfield 2 are already hubs of innovation where a community of commerce is bubbling away with new growth and new opportunities.

Hot desking and networking are regular features galvanising this entrepreneurial energy that is rapidly seeping outwards. New eateries are popping up at this end of the city and the new Library sits comfortably between Smithfield, the much loved Mitchell Arts Centre and the Potteries Museum, home to the Spitfire exhibition itself.

So what can we conclude about a new Hilton Garden Inn in the heart of Stoke-on-Trent? I think it’s safe to say that it is delivering something pretty special. With all the
trappings of a well known, luxury chain hotel, it’s firmly rooted in the city, with dedicated local staff and beautiful designed tributes to the culture, heritage and industry of Stoke-on-Trent.

Better still, it’s passionately introducing a new generation of visitor to our brilliant city, sign posting them to everything there is to discover from neighbouring places to eat, theatres, concert halls and of course shopping. Steve says that almost exclusively, visitors are impressed and seek to return and adds:

"Last year 50,000 guests from 55 different countries stayed here. In my role I get
fascinating insights, often months in advance, for the reasons why people choose to come to the city. I also spend a lot of time chatting with guests in the hotel. They are always very positive about the city and area. I'm lucky. I get to hear positive opinions and good news about Stoke-on-Trent every day."