In 2009 we were listening to Lady Gaga telling us to ‘Just Dance’ and the Black Eyed Peas ‘I Gotta Feeling’. On TV we were glued to Dr Who, The Inbetweeners and we watched Diversity be crowned champions of Britain’s Got Talent. So much has changed over the last ten years, and Future Inn Bristol has been around to see it. 

2009 – Banksy’s biggest exhibition

Unveiled in the Bristol City Museum, the Banksy's exhibition featured more than 100 works under great secrecy. People flocked to see it, with queues out of the door and it is the most visited exhibition in the history of the museum. 

2010 – Bike-friendly city

In 2010, Bristol was named number one in the poll as a cycle-friendly city, beating Nottingham, Leicester and London which was in 17th. 

2011 – The Census

In April of this year, we all completed The Census. Bristol’s population had increased by 9.7%, making it the 10th largest local authority in England and Wales. 8.3% of the total population was made up of students. 

2012 – The Olympics and Paralympic Games

Hosted predominantly in London, the nation was gripped by the 2012 Olympics and Team GB’s successes. In Bristol, dozens of street artists painted the city centre as part of the London 2012 Festival Event to showcase the talent in the world of urban art and music.

2013 – Vegfest UK Bristol’s 10th birthday

The 3-day festival, Vegtfest, celebrated ten years in 2013 and had already become the world’s biggest vegetarian and vegan event. It welcomes over 25,000 people every year and has around 230 stallholders and 60 different speakers. 

2014 – Best city to live in

Bristol was named as the best city in the UK to live in, thanks to its “great shopping, great scenery and great social scene”. The accolade was awarded in the Sunday Times - Best Places to Live in Britain.

2015 – European Green Capital

In 2015, Bristol became the UK’s first-ever European Green Capital in recognition of what its citizens have already achieved in making the city a healthier, happier place to live in.

2016 – 45th Harbour Festival

The Harbour Festival has grown to become Bristol City Council’s largest annual event, showcasing the city’s talent and heritage. The festival is free for all to attend and brings over 250,000 people together each summer.

2017 – A smart city

Bristol overtook London to become the UK’s leading “smart city”. The report was based on evaluations of 20 cities and their strategies, key projects and overall readiness in using digital technology to improve crucial civic services from transport infrastructure to healthcare.

2018 - Green Tourism Gold Award

Green Tourism awards demonstrate a commitment to people, places and the environment, by improvement in local communities, conserving the local economy by sourcing produce sustainably and ethically, and committing to a low carbon future.

The History of Cabot Circus

Covering 1,500,000 square feet of floor space, Cabot Circus opened in 2008 after a ten-year planning and building project costing over £500 million. Future Inns involvement came in around 3 years before the completion of the project.  Before the building, the site contained post-war shopping units and part of the Bristol inner ring road. This was demolished and re-aligned, and many old streets were wiped off the map, although these had been devoid of houses for some time. 

The name Cabot was selected following a public vote, to commemorate John Cabot, an Italian explorer. Cabot left Bristol, under the commission of King Henry VII, and in 1497 he discovered the coast of North America. 

Boosting the Bristol economy

Cabot Circus has over 120 shops, 2 department stores, restaurants, a 13-screen cinema, adventure golf centre, apartments, 2,500 space car park and of course a hotel – Future Inn Bristol which opened in the summer of 2009. With 149 larger than expected bedrooms, including doubles, twins, superior twins (with 2 double beds) and interconnecting rooms. Families have enjoyed them, as well as couples, groups and business travellers. 

Currently, Future Inn Bristol has over 80 members of staff covering departments which include hotel reservations, meetings and events, housekeeping, reception, food and beverage, maintenance, finance and management, many of whom have started their career here or have progressed through the ranks.  The injection of jobs into Bristol has boosted the local economy and has strengthened what is on offer for tourists and travellers. 

Future Inns in Bristol

Some of the best views of Bristol city centre can be seen from the conference and event function suites, found on the top floor of the hotel. The Future Inn Bristol Events Team have helped plan thousands of conferences and meetings over the years, and have even been able to share special days with brides and grooms, hen parties, baby showers, high school proms, birthday celebrations and Christmas parties.

We are not forgetting the countless steaks, chops and ribs that have been grilled in Chophouse Bar & Restaurant on the ground floor. It would be impossible for us to count how many coffee beans have been ground for visitors seeking a caffeine fix, or the number of potatoes, carrots and other vegetables that have been peeled and chopped. And we are certainly not going to mention the number of bottles of wine we have gone through… including at our Jazz at Future Inns nights!

Our first five-star review’s on Trip Advisor