Bicester Heritage has submitted plans for a 344-room hotel on the former RAF Bicester site as part of a vision to create the “world’s leading automotive resort”.
The hotel will use materials inspired by existing pre-war RAF buildings and will include a four-storey atrium to showcase rotating automotive-themed exhibitions and displays. Situated next to the track, the hotel will provide unrivalled views of the events and rallies held on the 420-acre site.
Other amenities will include a restaurant, bar, courtyard, gym, swimming pool and sauna.
Dan Geoghegan, managing director of Bicester Heritage, said “We very much look forward to welcoming enthusiasts to our motoring hotel, from which they will be able to experience a range of automotive destinations on a single site, from the existing centre of excellence for historic motorcars to private track, exhibition hangars, OEM brand centre and future technology.”
The hotel is designed by British designer and car enthusiast Dexter Moren, who said: “Hospitality specialist architects and interior designers, Dexter Moren Associates, are thrilled to have been selected to design a landmark hotel within a former RAF base, forming part of the Bicester Heritage master plan vision focusing on motorcars and aeroplanes.
“The design objective has been to respond in a contemporary manner to the site’s rich and unique story, drawing inspiration from its historic position at the forefront of aviation, engineering, and innovation while complementing the existing period buildings.”
Motor lodges
Future plans include the building of so-called ‘motor lodges’, allowing individuals to stay within the ‘resort’ with their car and adjacent to the circuit. It will complete the transformation from a derelict site into a thriving business community.
Today, Bicester Heritage is home to 35 businesses with a collective turnover of over £20 million and is the UK’s only hub for historic motoring excellence.
Details of the planning application can be found on the Cherwell District Council website.
