Hyatt Hotel/Hyatt Place, Sovereign Square, Leeds

The Hyatt Hotel/Hyatt Place marks the final phase of the Sovereign Square development in Leeds. Sovereign Square is the city’s first new public space in over a decade and introduces a much-anticipated urban park to the area. Situated near the city’s railway station, the development features a 12-story, 305-bedroom hotel in a prime and prestigious location.

The hotel's main feature incorporates red terracotta and light beige brickwork on the façade, which aligns with Leeds' Victorian architectural heritage. This modern hotel is a cornerstone project in the regeneration of the local area and the broader Leeds City Centre. It offers a range of hotel amenities, long-term stay accommodations and commercial, retail and leisure spaces, all contributing to raising Leeds’ profile as a premier destination for travellers.

The Hyatt Hotel/Hyatt Place features hotel amenities and a large, unique and iconic double-height space on the ground floor, providing staff facilities and space for visitors. It also includes a rooftop restaurant and dining location called Azotea. It has access to two external terraces and offers luxurious fine dining for visitors.

Jensen Hughes was commissioned to work on this hotel during the early RIBA Stage 2 design to help with the key fire strategy principles. To support stakeholders in making this a landmark destination in the city, our team worked to ensure safe and secure spaces for both long-term residents and short-stay visitors.

We worked with the design team, DLA Architecture, to provide additional flexibility in the fire strategy approach and meet brand standards by the provision of a commercial watermist system – a unique water suppression system. Our team used this flexibility and a comparative analysis with BS9991 residential guidance to support larger guestroom design, which facilitates the luxury guest experience Hyatt fosters. 

Our team of experts proposed and got approval for the implementation of a single firefighting core. This solution was proposed through a robust fire strategy design that includes key safety measures such as fire suppression, efficient hose laying routes and consideration of the floor area, making this tailored solution both effective and supported by the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and approving authorities.