A hotel near Baldock has submitted plans to nearly double its capacity, anticipating increased visitors from the upcoming Universal Studios UK park.
A little bit of news that really shows the ripple effect already starting from the Universal Studios UK project 👀
A planning application has just been submitted to expand Redwings Lodge, just off the A1 near Baldock. The plan is to add 51 new rooms, taking the hotel from 40 rooms up to a total of 91.
But here’s the key part… and it’s the one that really stood out to me 👇
The planning statement *directly* points to the upcoming Universal theme park near Bedford as a major reason for the expansion. Essentially, they’re expecting a noticeable rise in visitors once the park gets going — and they want to be ready for it.
The application even highlights that the hotel is within about 35 minutes of the site, making it a strong option for future guests heading to the park. On top of that, they’re already seeing increased demand from things like HGV drivers and weekend stays, with Universal expected to push that even further.
If approved, the extension wouldn’t just add rooms — it would also create around 17 new jobs across cleaning, front-of-house, management and maintenance roles.
Design-wise, the new section would sit behind the existing building and match its height and style, so it wouldn’t drastically change how the hotel looks from the A1.
For me, this is another early sign of how big the impact of Universal Studios UK is going to be. We’re not even at construction yet, and nearby businesses are already planning ahead for the demand it’s expected to bring.
What do you think — are we going to see a wave of hotel expansions like this around the area?
Comments