A new hotel is to be built at Silverstone Circuit which will overlook the start/finish straight at the home of the British Grand Prix.
The Hilton Garden Inn Silverstone will offer views of the circuit and connect directly to the Silverstone Wing pit and paddock complex via a bridge over the straight.The 197-room facility is due to open in 2020. Balconies will overlook the circuit from the hotel, allowing customers to watch the race from their rooms. The hotel will also feature a rooftop terrace.
Peter Prickett, CEO of Bricks Capital Ltd which has agreed a management deal with Hilton, said the site is “an outstanding location” for a hotel.
“The Wing, which will have direct access to the hotel, has helped elevate Silverstone to more than just a racetrack. Our partnership with Hilton and the opening of Hilton Garden Inn Silverstone will enhance the circuit’s appeal, offering quality hospitality year-round.”
Silverstone hosts Britain’s round of the Formula 1 world championship, although its current contract expires after the 2019 race. It also plays host to the World Endurance Championship, Moto GP, World Rallycross and major domestic championships. The circuit’s managing director Stuart Pringle says it expects the number of annual visitors to increase from 1.5 million to over 2 million by 2020.
Hilton has previously opened hotels at football pitches and cricket grounds in the UK.
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Kyle Stephens (@kylestephens)
10th September 2018, 11:37
That sounds pretty cool, for those who can afford it!
Would love to know how the economics of this works out as I assume most of the rooms will lie vacant for most of the year?
tonyyeb (@tonyyeb)
10th September 2018, 11:43
@kylestephens No doubt it will be empty more than a regular hotel but Silverstone is busy most days of the week. You’ve got various teams doing testing for a number of series, track days, corporate events – along with all the race weekends. As an example, it recently hosted the Fully Charged weekend, showcasing electric cars, renewable energy tech etc. Quite a few visitors and exhibitors would have stayed locally so I expect the hotel would’ve been a consideration for some of them.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
10th September 2018, 21:14
Expect midweek rooms to be much cheaper than weekend… …though I’m not sure I could justify the cost of getting one for what I do, it could be useful for staff (maybe even the occasional student) at the on-site technical college, or for part-time workers in any of the nearby small businesses. Depending on the exact price point, of course.
Jere (@jerejj)
10th September 2018, 11:49
Rather unnecessary addition if/when it gets completed although it wouldn’t make any difference to the on-track stuff itself.
ECWDanSelby (@ecwdanselby)
10th September 2018, 13:03
Making money is unnecessary for a business?
rpaco
10th September 2018, 11:50
Will Silverstone still have a GP by then?
They have lost the Moto GP and I suspect all other bike races until the tarmack is relaid.
Aggregates of course are only the supplier of the material and it is doubtful if their own staff had any hand in laying the disastrous surface themselves.
3mm over 1m was quoted somewhere as being the smoothness required and it seems fairly obvious that the track is a long way from that.
On the other hand the contract “Break notice” has been given to Liberty so once again the GP is in doubt long term. (Without which there seems little point in building a hotel, unless corporate track days are extended into residential affairs)
The one dread of regular visitor is that the car parks and camp sites will be sacrificed in th ename of Hilton either permanently or during the build.
Direct access to the Wing may be a selling point for some hotel guests on som edays but will create security problems in both directions.
Chaitanya
10th September 2018, 14:41
Is it confirmed? That silverstone fiasco of MotoGP was embarassing to say the least and must have left bad taste in mouth for thousands of fans that attended the weekend. Even on dry that new tarmac looked dangerous for motorcycle racing.
Gavin Campbell
10th September 2018, 15:54
They lost the Moto GP to the circuit of Wales which doesn’t have a circuit (it was scrapped) so Silverstone has been hosting it – firstly with deals from the circuit of wales people and then from DORNA (Moto GPs FOM). So it now has a deal until 2020.
Realistcally the only other circuit in the UK that could host is Donnington but thats now owned by MSV who don’t really like to pay for other championships (They operate BTCC and British Superbikes amongst other championships which they run mostly at their own circuits). I’m not sure Brands Hatch (also MSV owned) would pass FIM top safety standards and theres also an issue with a limited number of events permitted on the grand prix circuit.
Donnington hosts World Superbikes and Brands hosts DTM otherwise every other international series races at Silverstone currently. So if F1 stays in the UK its going to stay at Silverstone, as long as they sort out the resurfacing so will Moto GP and you can’t think that WEC would head anywhere else too.
Silverstone trades on the value that it hosts all these prestigous events and they are aiming to use it as a conference centre and general technology park when there isn’t racing going on.
anon
10th September 2018, 19:17
Gavin Campbell, With regards to motorcycling races, I have seen a circuit ratings document issued by Dorna that ranked Donington Park as Grade B back in 2016, which means that they currently would not permit a MotoGP race to take place there (only a Grade A circuit is allowed to do that). As for Brands Hatch, they were, after an inspection in 2015, given the lowest ranking of Grade E – which means FIM thought they were only fit for sidecar races.
That means the only circuit which FIM rates as being fit to hold a MotoGP race in the whole of the UK is Silverstone, which means that it is pretty much the only choice for Dorna to deal with after the collapse of the Circuit of Wales proposal (unless they decided to reclassify Donington Park).
As for automotive races, both Donington Park and Brands Hatch are Grade 2 only, meaning that anything like the WEC is out of the question (though you could have added the Blancpain GT3 Sprint Cup race to your list of international races at Brands Hatch). Again, that leaves Silverstone as the only option if they want to hold a race in the UK, enabling Silverstone to sweep up the most prestigious series given that no other circuit seems to want to invest to secure a top rank race, be it either cars or motorbikes.
rpaco, since you make that comment, I suspect that, if pushed to it, CRH, via their subsidiary Tarmac, would be capable of providing the raw materials – they are a major rival supplier to Aggregates Industries. You do seem to be right that, if the photos that Silverstone put up themselves are anything to go by, they didn’t lay the surface themselves, although that is not surprising – I think that they have a contracting arm, but their main business work is just selling the raw products themselves.
q85
10th September 2018, 12:17
personally id spend the money on resurfacing the track or tidying up the dump that is the spectator areas.
But what do i know..
Andrew in Atlanta
10th September 2018, 12:33
Yes, because Hilton would love to spend their money backing your repaving?? Doubtful the track is putting up most of the build costs and likely will make money on the deal to have the hotel there. So yes, it might actually make money for the track rather than be an expense.
jamesluke2488
10th September 2018, 13:43
So you want Hilton to invest in resurfacing the track and tidying up the spectator areas? Whats in it for them?
Fudge Kobayashi (@)
10th September 2018, 14:29
That’s up to the BRDC, not Hilton.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
10th September 2018, 21:18
@q85 I think the hope is that Hilton will give Silverstone money for the land to be used for the hotel’s space – that, for example, could be used to improve track surface.
SparkyAMG (@)
10th September 2018, 12:40
Should we assume that the Hilton group are confident that Silverstone’s F1 contract is going to be renewed, or are they just confident they’ll get their ROI from year-round bookings regardless?
I hope it’s the former. I’m British so am biased but the Silverstone track and our weather tend to produce exciting races more often than other events on the calendar.
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
10th September 2018, 12:46
Damnit – I have worked on the grandstand that this will replace (security) and for me the very right hand end seats offer one of the best racing views at Silverstone and was always popular with genuine fans.
Now it will be a insanely expensive hotel room for some corporate type to impress his guests :(
Yes I feel negative about this.
Ju88sy (@)
10th September 2018, 16:19
@nullapax My first thought was will this replace the International Pit Straight grandstand?
Julie Fletcher
19th January 2019, 19:26
Yes it does, well the majority of it at least! The only part that will be left is the podium end where there is no view into the pits! Really disappointing for the people who can’t afford hospitality!
Alan Kirkland
10th September 2018, 17:50
couldn’t agree more. you could see from stowe to Abbey. are there any other circuits in the world that have a hotel as the pit straight ?
Joss (@racerjoss)
10th September 2018, 13:41
I’m in!
Can I borrow a 4×4 and canoe so I can forge my way across the bumpy/flooded ground?
Phylyp (@phylyp)
10th September 2018, 19:51
@racerjoss – sorry, those have been booked by the MotoGP riders and crew.
PeterG
10th September 2018, 14:05
So there replacing the part of the grandstand that actually lets you see into the pits with a hotel that actual race fans likely won’t be able to afford to stay in or watch the race from.
Meanwhile it seems the actual race fans get treated to a tiny grandstand at the end of the pit lane where you can’t even see into the pits because of how that end of the pit lane goes down & is hidden from everyone.
Makes perfect sense to me.
Julie Fletcher
19th January 2019, 19:34
Completely agree, this is extremely disappointing for genuine fans! I think after this years F1 race, I’ll look at travelling abroad instead!
joe pineapples
10th September 2018, 16:16
With balconies no doubt brimming with totties, preferring their text messages than watching the track. Another heatwave and it could almost be the Monaco crowd.
Paul Gawne (@foolishyouth)
10th September 2018, 16:48
I think its good for Silverstone. They are obviously making some decent money out of the deal. I would also suspect that Hilton wouldn’t commit their name and money to such a project if the F1 deal wasn’t close to being finalised.
The only drawback I can see will be the loss of some very decent grandstand seats. I’d like to know more details about what its going to fit in and what grandstands are going to be in front of it / around it.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
11th September 2018, 8:47
I laughed at the fact even in the graphical mock up, the McLaren is off the track.
Cliffo
11th September 2018, 10:35
I’m finding it hard to even watch them on the tv after the way they treated us let alone go again
Julie Fletcher
19th January 2019, 19:20
Really disappointed that Silverstone has decided to do this as the International Pit Straight stand is the only stand where the people who can’t afford hospitality can get a view of the pits! I really enjoyed being able to watch P3 and Qualifying from this stand as you get a great view of the pits! Sadly no more, as the small section of this stand that they have kept doesn’t look across onto any of the pits! The rich of F1 win once again and the loyal fans lose out!