This is Leicestershire --A conference centre has already secured £1 million in business, three months ahead of its opening.
College Court, formerly a University of Leicester hall of residence, in Knighton Road, has undergone a £14 million transformation into a residential conference venue, which will be open year-round.
The grade II-listed building, which had been out of use for seven years, has already received more than 100 inquiries for reservations.
Bookers said the centre had been reserved for residential conferences and day meetings and was also proving to be a popular choice for Christmas parties, anniversaries and corporate dinners.
Four requests to host weddings have been received.
Steve Crawford, College Court conference centre director, said: "To have in excess of £1 million of business in the pipeline more than three months before opening is a clear endorsement of the quality people are seeing in College Court.
"It also shows the confidence our customers have that the College Court team will look after their business.
"With our dedicated meeting and training rooms, coffee, free wi-fi and parking, supported by our professional, friendly team, we are ideally placed to be the perfect venue for our corporate customers.
"The acres of grounds in which College Court sits are ideal not just for space to walk and think but as a beautiful backdrop for wedding photos.
"We look forward to establishing ourselves as a leading venue for both corporate and social events."
The first booking is on October 1 – the centre's opening day – with events on the calendar up to August 2015.
Several of the booked events will take the centre to its 160-person capacity, with all 123 bedrooms in use.
College Hall was designed by renowned architects Sir Leslie Martin and Trevor Dannatt in the 1960s and has now been updated. Guests will be able to stay in bedrooms with balconies overlooking the venue's courtyards and the university's Attenborough Arboretum.
The development also houses 19 conference rooms, a 200-seat restaurant, bar, games room and business lounge.
It has been revamped with the help of Associated Architects, which previously worked with the university on the David Wilson Library.
The library has won a host of awards since its opening in 2008 – including the 2008 Royal Institute of British Architects' East Midlands Award for Architecture.
Charlotte Sanders, the university's business development manager, said: "We have secured bookings from organisations that have previously held conferences in cities such as Birmingham, Nottingham and York.
"This is extremely positive, not just for College Court, but for Leicester." Reported by This is 12 hours ago.