The Holte Standard: Aston Villa’s new era of hospitality
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- Project name
- Aston Villa Hospitality
- Project sector
- Hospitality
- Completion date
- 17/04/25
- Client
- 20.20
- Ranges
- Rockstone, Palos, Format, Carnival, Blockwork, Ornamentation, Aspiration
- Photography
20.20
Aston Villa welcomes guests to their redesigned hospitality suites.
In their 150th anniversary season, Aston Villa have unveiled a suite of reimagined hospitality spaces at Villa Park. Designed by 20.20, the project brings together fine dining, history, and atmosphere in a way few football grounds can match.
The commission, awarded in spring 2024, asked for more than an upgrade. Villa wanted to broaden its premium offer, creating a collection of spaces that could flex between matchday and non-matchday use, all while staying true to the club’s story.
For designers, the challenge was significant: seven distinct destinations, each with its own narrative, within the physical limits of a historic stadium.
“Villa Park is steeped in history and when it came to our part in bringing elements of history and unique details into the design, we were spoilt for choice,” says Jon Lee, Executive Creative Director at 20.20. “It’s been a wonderful journey learning about the richness of the club, and we are delighted with how the design of all the spaces has come together.”
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The Oak Room
The Oak Room is a contemporary reinvention of the original restaurant first opened at Villa Park more than a century ago: the first of its kind in any football stadium. Here, history takes centre stage. Trophies including the 1982 European Cup and the original Football League trophy are displayed alongside stained glass windows, Italian mosaics and timber panelling. The design balances warmth and grandeur: natural stone floors, patterned timber, and art deco touches frame a space that feels both rooted in the club’s past and ready for the future.
A collection of stories
The Oak Room is one of several new experiences now available to Villa’s most discerning guests. The Chairman’s Suite and Trophy Suite provide invite-only fine dining with black marble, brushed gold and panelled ceilings. The Aston, inspired by nearby Jacobean mansion Aston Hall, offers tapestry hangings and pitch-facing loges for intimate dining. Legends Lounge opens into the treetops of Aston Park, creating a more social, relaxed setting with lighter timbers and mid-blue tones.
Other venues carry a more contemporary edge. The Villans Lounge celebrates the community, its design accented by blue and green tiling and views directly onto the pitch. The 150 Club reclaims an under-used part of the Doug Ellis Stand, transforming it into a moody, energetic bar and dining space that stretches the length of the stand.
For Ashley Macfarlane, Design Director at 20.20, it was about renewal through storytelling. “We thoroughly enjoyed working with the team at Aston Villa to re-design the spaces while instilling deep narratives for this unique and dedicated audience. They are now fresher, beautifully laid out and a modern take using classic materials. We wanted to inspire new memories while telling stories of old.”
Legacy and innovation
The Trinity Road Stand, designed in 1922 by Club Chairman Frederick Rinder, was once considered the grandest in English football. With its Dutch gables, stained glass and mosaics, it echoed Aston Hall and helped establish Villa Park as a benchmark for stadium architecture. That spirit of ambition runs through this latest redevelopment. Each space respects Villa’s heritage while enhancing the experience for supporters, sponsors, and visitors.
John Rose of Solus sums it up: “This project is about more than interiors. It’s about restoring Villa Park’s reputation as a place where football history, architecture and hospitality meet. As suppliers and as fans, we could see how much care 20.20 put into weaving those threads together. These spaces don’t just look extraordinary, they feel like Villa.”
For the fans
For supporters, the project is another sign of Aston Villa’s upward momentum. Just as the team has returned to European competition, so too has the stadium re-asserted its position as one of football’s great landmarks. Few clubs can boast a restaurant legacy that began before most stadiums even had tea rooms, let alone a collection of ultra-premium spaces designed for a new century of football.
Villa Park remains what it has always been: a ground where heritage is honoured and ambition is alive. With The Oak Room and its companion venues, 20.20 have helped ensure that the matchday experience is as memorable off the pitch as on it.
