The Hilton Garden Inn Stoke-on-Trent opened during the pandemic at a time when travel was banned and people had to stay indoors.

Its first customers were key workers, with Sky News coming to the city to film an interview about the challenges of opening a new hotel during a global pandemic.

From that standing start the hotel has become a Staffordshire success story with its 140 bedrooms usually fully booked on midweek business travel nights and whenever there is a band performing at the Victoria Hall, a touring production at the Regent Theatre or a major sporting event anywhere in the county.

Revenue grew by 37.6% from 2021 to 2022 and 19% from 2022 to 2023 with further revenue growth projected for the current financial year.

Steve Alty, Director of Sales, said: “Building a local customer base and entering into commercial agreements with local and national businesses and organisations ahead of travel’s return has paid off.

“Year-on-year growth in turnover since 2020 clearly demonstrates this, especially in 2023 which was the hotel’s first full year of trading unaffected by the vagaries of lockdowns and travel bans.”

The hotel, which created 50 jobs, has a varied customer base including business travellers to the region, families visiting tourist attractions including Alton Towers and Trentham Monkey Forest and civil servants.

The Hilton Garden Inn Stoke-on-Trent has entered the Growth category of the Staffordshire University Business Awards.