A NEW hotel café bar has opened in York.

The Hilton hotel café bar in Piccadilly is welcoming customers ahead of the hotel’s official opening later this month with 50 new jobs.

It's part of a new £25 million Hampton by Hilton 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.

It's directly opposite Spark:York and on a widened pavement to increase footfall.

It boasts a large, elevated outside terrace overlooking the River Foss and the historic Clifford’s Tower beyond, along with lots of cosy hubs for friends to meet, plus bigger tables and workstations for out-of-office gatherings.

Ravi Majithia, Director of Avantis Hotels, said: “We want this café bar to inject new life into Piccadilly by providing an inviting place to stop off while shopping or sightseeing, to relax with the family, meet colleagues or to have a few drinks or a meal in the evening.

“We’ve taken the time to think about what people really want from a café bar, providing workstations equipped with charging points, so battery power’s never an issue during those Teams meetings, as well as cosy seating and some quirky, attractive lighting. The open plan layout’s been carefully designed to accommodate a host of uses throughout the day; from banquette seating for smaller intimate groups to enjoy drinks, to long chaise-type seating for guest to lounge and relax. We think the resulting bar has a sense of intimacy and buzz not all hotel bars can offer.”

The 143-room hotel’s décor features a new ‘easy living’ design spec from the Hilton group. Avantis Hotels commissioned designers to come up with an exclusive colour scheme and chic furnishings to achieve the elevated ambience it sought. Unique artwork incorporates key features in the history of York and its people, with accompanying explanatory texts offering guests an insight into the artists’ inspiration.

“We want the café bar to encourage hotel guests and visitors to stay a little longer, play a little longer and generally relax and enjoy themselves,” said Mr Majithia. “It’s in a fantastic spot - close to the bars and restaurants of Fossgate and right next to the shops. We think it’s a great addition to York’s café bar culture and our early customers seem to agree.”

The bar offers hot drinks and snacks, plus wines, spirits including local York Gin, and beers from the Black Sheep Brewery. Meals on the menu include fish finger sandwiches, burgers, a curry of the day, plus a separate kids’ menu.

Fifty new jobs, all recruited locally, have been created to operate the Hampton by Hilton Piccadilly, which is now taking bookings and will officially open on May 25.

Avantis Hotels is a small family business that owns, develops and operates Hilton Hotels including the Hampton by Hilton Toft Green, York. Both hotels will be overseen by Victoria Gabb, Avantis Hotels’ Operations Director, who was formerly the Operations Manager at the Hampton by Hilton on Toft Green. Her deputy at Toft Green, Stuart Clelland, has been promoted to the role of Operations Manager at the Hampton by Hilton Piccadilly.