Empty city centre office to become boutique hotel

The Sayturk Group is behind a number of renovations in Newcastle city centre

An empty building in the heart of Newcastle is to be turned into a boutique hotel.

Metropolitan House, in Collingwood Street, was previously used as a retail space and offices but has stood empty for about seven years.

The site, close to Central Station, will be remodelled after the lease was taken over by leisure operator, the Sayturk Group.

The firm said the refurbishment would bring the building "back to its former glory".

Many of the office buildings on Collingwood Street have been undergoing renovation work for several years.

The forthcoming Boardwalk hotel is set to have 21 bedrooms, in addition to a bar and a private rooftop garden - the latter for the exclusive use of hotel guests.

The Sayturk Group has completed a number of purchases in the past 12 months, including the purchase of the Société bar and cafe on Grey Street and the former Coop chicken restaurant, which sits alongside Metropolitan House.

"The plans for the venue are very exciting, and it is shaping up to be a fantastic addition to the Newcastle hospitality scene," said Surbhi Vedhara, managing partner of law firm Sweeney Miller, which advised on the acquisition of the Collingwood Street site.

Designs, submitted in November 2023, show how the new hotel could look