Hatton checks into Cardiff's newest hotel

Boxing superstar, Ricky 'The Hitman' Hatton was one of the first guests to check into Cardiff's newest hotel last night when he paid a trip to the city centre to watch close friends Oasis perform at the Millennium Stadium

The two time IBF and IBO welterweight champion checked into the Radisson Blu Hotel which started its phased opening this week.

Ricky, who was visiting the Millennium Stadium for the first time, was the first guest to stay in one of the Radisson Blu’s 12 suites. With a prime location, the new hotel, which is the first Radisson Blu in Wales, is the biggest and tallest hotel in the capital with 21-storeys and 215 guest rooms offering floor to ceiling windows, with top floors offering guests views as far as the Severn Bridge

He said: “I can’t believe the hotel only opened on Thursday. You would think that people would be running around finishing things but it all seems to be running very smoothly and looks fantastic. Staff have been very professional and have treated me very well. The view from the room are unbelievable, I feel like I’m looking out over the whole of Wales.”

Hatton also took time to officially mark the reinstatement of the statue of Welsh boxing legend Jim Driscoll which is located at the entrance of the hotel. Like the peerless Cardiff-born Jim Driscoll, Hatton has also been fortunate enough to win the coveted ‘Lonsdale belt’. Hatton said: “Jimmy Driscoll was a world class boxer and a highly respected sportsman and it is great that he has been honoured by this statue. The fact that he’s got a statue shows how much of a legend he is in Cardiff and I would be proud if one day there was one of me in Manchester.”

Simone Sander, general manager of the Radisson Blu hotel, said: “It’s great to have Ricky staying as one of our first guests. I first heard about the Welsh links with boxing when the statue of Jim Driscoll was reinstated outside the hotel, so it is very apt that one of our first guests is a boxing legend.

“It has been a hectic couple of weeks but the hard work has certainly paid off. The hotel opened on Thursday to welcome our first guests and we’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response we have had, especially about our unique rooms and the fantastic views across the city.”

Eyeing up a potential venue for a comeback fight, Hatton says: “I have never fought professionally in Wales and the Millennium Stadium is a world class venue. I have always been treated well by the Welsh and so a comeback fight in Cardiff is not off the cards. I’m looking forward to seeing Oasis play there tonight. I have seen them perform many times but haven’t seen them yet this year so I’m grateful to the stadium for inviting me and my friends.”

Hywel Thomas, a spokesperson for Cardiff & Co, the organisation charged with promoting the city said, “It seems fitting that Ricky Hatton chose to stay at the Radisson, where the statue of another boxing legend Jim Driscoll stands proudly outside its entrance. The city-region has a proud boxing history and has produced some great fighters over the years such as Jack Peterson, Jim Driscoll, Jimmy Wilde and just down the road in Newbridge – Joe Calzaghe. The charismatic Hatton has always shown his support for his good friend Calzaghe and I’m sure that the Manchester boxer has a lot of support in the Welsh capital.

He added: “I understand that Ricky Hatton was in Cardiff to watch Oasis, and I’m sure he will have been bowled over by the views from the Radisson Blu – the city’s latest and tallest hotel – a real oasis in the city centre.”

 

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