Future attendees of Bicester Heritage events may be checking into a track-side hotel, officials at the former Royal Air Base-turned event site said in a press release.
Plans have been submitted for a first-of-its-kind hotel to be built by the side of the site’s track. The hotel would boast 344 rooms upon completion. It would be adjacent to a raised earth bank with a Mille Miglia-style start line, which the release said would be ideal for rallies and other events.
“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,” Dan Geoghegan, the managing director of Bicester Heritage, said in the release.
The hotel would take inspiration from and be built next to historic RAF hangars that housed aircraft and materials during World War II.
“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,” Dexter Moren, the British designer and car enthusiast heading the project, said in the release.
The hotel would have a four-story atrium that would house automotive exhibitions and displays, a restaurant, bar, gym and swimming pool, among other features.
But the hotel is just another step toward turning Bicester into a full automotive resort. Officials hope to add luxury residences and motor lodges -– garages with track access and rooms above them –- in the coming years.
The former RAF base was converted into a collector car and vintage aircraft event center and business park in 2015.