Opius beds down the Yotel concept

Yo! Sushi founder Simon Woodroffe has confirmed his first branded hotel concept, Yotel, will open in central London in the next 18 months.

The news follows the announcement last week that Woodroffe has sold a controlling stake in his sushi chain, and is investing an undisclosed amount in the hotel venture. Initial design concepts by Opius will now be developed, he says.

‘We have already identified [several] central London venues, but intend to develop one high profile site first and do that really well,’ Woodroffe explains.

Yotel, a budget hotel chain, will be modelled on space-age pods found in Japanese capsule hotels. ‘It’s an urban concept based loosely on aircraft design, with a focus on personal service. The rooms will be small but contemporary, with references to transport design,’ says Opius managing director Joss Newberry.

Opius, a ‘risk-sharing’ design partner with Woodroffe in the Yotel venture, has created concepts ‘from the ground up’, adds Newberry. It has been working with Woodroffe for two weeks.