Brighton's Queen Square Ice Rink

The Light ApartHotel, have concluded negotiations with Brighton & Hove City Council to acquire the former ice rink in Queen Square for their second hotel following the success of their first in Manchester City Centre.

Within walking distance of the station, the sea, the conference centre and hundreds of shops, restaurants, cinemas, bars and clubs, The Light will bring a different type of accommodation to the heart of Brighton.

The proposals currently include apartments, an associated restaurant and café facilities. The ground floor restaurant and café areas have been designed to extend onto the pavement area providing an opportunity for interaction with Queen Square. Above the restaurant sit four storeys of serviced luxury apartments and guestrooms with spacious penthouses set back above.

The Light ApartHotel is a boutique luxury hotel scheme concept for prime city centre locations and styled to appeal to both the business and leisure traveller. Consisting of fully equipped and beautifully furnished penthouses and apartments, guests will enjoy boutique hotel-style accommodation, with the flexibility of apartment living. The Light ApartHotel, designed by Conran & Partners for Stonehurst Estates, is a true alternative to top-end hotels.

The plans for the ApartHotel have been designed by Sir Terence Conran’s architecture and interiors studio, Conran & Partners, who have a national and international reputation for residential, hotel and hospitably design and are based in both London and Brighton.

Conran & Partners have had an office in Brighton for three years, though they have been working in the area since 2004. Past projects include the refurbishment of Embassy Court on the seafront and Argus Lofts in the North Laine while currently they are working on the plans for the Astoria site in Gloucester Place and a luxury house on the beach at Western Esplanade.

The Light and their sister company, Sussex and London based Stonehurst Estates have worked with Conran & Partners for many years on projects in Sussex, London, Leicester and Manchester(home of the first Light).

Conran Director, Paul Zara comments, “We want to bring new life and activity to Queen Square, while respecting the sensitivity of the churchyard to the north. It’s a great opportunity to show confidence and optimism in the city at such a difficult time economically, and this project will provide employment both during the build and when The Light is up and running, as well as a different type of accommodation that is much needed.”

Clive Lynton, The Light’s Managing Partner commented, “We have the a track record in delivering successful high quality projects around the UK, but Brighton & Hove has a special affection for us. I live nearby, and I visit the city often, as do my fellow partners. We want to do something that we can all feel is right for the site and will be an asset. We will work with the community to get the best out of this site; it needs some action and we have the right team to deliver this.”