o Concerns that the 212-room Britannia Airport Hotel at Northenden is changing its use to a hostel have been voiced over recent reports that 300 asylum seekers are staying there. Asylum seekers are placed in hotels by Home Office contractor Serco when there is a shortage of housing.(The Business Desk)

Apparently Manchester City Council knew nothing of this and have said that the agreement between Serco and Britannia could have broken planning laws, and that they did not believe that hotels were “appropriate places for asylum seekers to be housed”

o Planning permission for the US Embassy in London’s Grosvenor Square to be turned into a five star hotel is being sought by the Quatari Investment Authority.

The Grade 11-listed building becomes empty in 2017 as the American officials move out to Nine Elms, and the plan is to convert it to a 137-bedroom unit with a spa, a ballroom for 1,000, and six luxury shops and restaurants.

o Dutch firm Flexotels, which offers temporary cabins for accommodation to festival and concert organisers are expecting to have the first en-suite versions ready for June.

Currently the 3m x 2.5m cabins, which are delivered, erected and then dismantled on site, accommodate two persons on two separate boxspring beds and are fully furnished with power for heat and light provided.