Is this the post-pandemic future of hotels in Sheffield? Developer reveals plan for £5 million ‘autonomous’ suites with no human interaction

And it’s being brought forward in Sheffield, where developer Southern Grove is creating what it describes as an 'autonomous aparthotel’.

Costing £5 million, The Workshops is understood to be the first venture of its kind locally and will take shape behind the red-brick facade of a former industrial building.

The scheme on Garden Street is the third phase of the £35 million Steel City development, adding to a 324-bedroom student accommodation project on the same site that is being delivered by Southern Grove’s sister company Future Generation.

The Workshops will feature 19 serviced apartments designed by Axis Architecture; during term time, these will mainly be used by parents and friends visiting student tenants.

It is being overseen by Tim Barrett, who is leading Southern Grove’s hospitality team having joined the company from hotel group Marriott.

Andrew Southern, the Sheffield-born chairman of Southern Grove and Future Generation, said: “The irony of unveiling an apartment block, halfway through a pandemic, where guests don’t have to see anyone else hasn’t escaped us.

“Clearly social distancing wasn’t what we had in mind when we conceived of The Workshops but these units do operate almost independently. They are completely self-contained and can be accessed by guests without any human interaction.”

Mr Southern said lower staffing costs were 'a deliberate strategy’.

“Guests get a premium product at a price they’re not expecting.

“A lot of people realise they pay a hefty fee to stay in city centre hotels and are aware that much of that cash is being used to pay staff when they barely spend any time there.

“Steel City phase three has no staff and the only other visitors, besides guests, will be the cleaners who reset the apartments between stays. We think this is part of a bigger trend towards better value accommodation where money isn’t wasted on things guests don’t value.”

Tendering for a construction contractor will begin this month.

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