The Eden Project has unveiled plans for a £6m 115-bedroom hotel on its site at Bodelva near St Austell, Cornwall.
Plans have been submitted to Cornwall Council for the new building, which has been designed to blend with the countryside, and have high standards of accessibility, energy-efficiency and sustainability.
Eden has monitored its direct economic impact on the region from its inception, and research show that the 16m people who have visited since it opened in 2001 have spent at least £1.6b within Cornwall.
The hotel, Eden says, would be a significant asset in sustaining business all year round and unlocking the potential of the wider estate beyond the world-famous Biomes.
“Establishing accommodation on-site has been an aspiration for Eden since it began and we are now in a strong position to make this a reality,” says Eden executive director, David Harland. “The proposed hotel is intended to support Eden’s activities, its educational aspirations, its existing and future conference events, weddings, and the annual Eden Sessions series of concerts.
“Many of these events require visitors to arrive the previous evening and then remain on site until the next day or day after. This new accommodation would enable us to meet their expectations and secure Eden’s identity as a conferencing and events venue.”
The position of the mid-range hotel has been chosen to be both accessible to the main Eden site, and close to the perimeter of Eden’s outer estate.
There would be no provision for any catering in the building – a deliberate decision to create sleep accommodation only, allowing the guests to access facilities on the main Eden site.
The hotel, which would be funded by the private sector, is designed on simple lines. The timber-clad structure would be similar in style to Eden’s Foundation Building, which sits outside of the main visitor area.
Eden is currently in discussion with a number of potential partners regarding the management of the proposed hotel
