A NEW £25 million hotel in York city centre is on track to open next Spring.

Plans for the new Hampton by Hilton in Piccadilly were approved in February last year and the hotel is currently being developed by Avantis Hotels, which already runs the Hampton by Hilton in Toft Green.

The Piccadilly-site - which overlooks Clifford’s Tower on the opposite bank of the River Foss - most recently housed offices, a carpark and a motorcycle accessory shop. It is also the first of three large hotels earmarked for the area.

In addition to its 143 guestrooms, the site will also include eight private residences, all enjoying uninterrupted views of the tower.

Ravi Majithia, Avantis Hotels’ Development Director, said: “Whilst we were concerned about progress due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are confident that we can still achieve our target of a Spring 2021 opening.

“However, as we are now living in a very different world, city planners need to reconsider their aspirations for Piccadilly.

“We are the first of three new hotels to be developed on Piccadilly, and we are delighted that both opposite and adjacent sites, the former Banana Warehouse and HMRC building, are earmarked for development.

“Now is the time for planners to focus this positive development appetite to serve a real need for flats and houses within the city centre.

“York is crying out for houses, and with the possibility of the House of Lords moving here during the renovation of parliament, it will need living space more than ever.

“The renovation of this part of the city has already begun with Newby’s transformation of Ryedale House, an office block being converted into a fantastic residential scheme.

“In our scheme, we have included eight private residences, which have already attracted considerable interest. York is and always will be a wonderful city with such great diversity, even in the aftermath of Covid.

“We are now hopeful the leisure and business market will start to regain the confidence it enjoyed earlier in the year helping to rebalance supply and demand.”