Aviva Premiership rugby club Wasps will introduce new restaurants and bars as part of a significant upgrade of its new Ricoh Arena home.

Since its move to Ricoh in December, Wasps has seen the its match day attendances triple and hospitality revenue increase by more than 500 per cent – creating the need for extra capacity. To read more about the Wasps move to Ricoh, click here for an interview with Wasps chair Nick Eastwood.

The refurbishments will include upgrades to existing bars and restaurants as well as improvements to access and overall customer experience.

When finished, the Ricoh Arena will offer five bars, three restaurants on-site and more than 20 other food and beverage outlets to customers visiting the Arena.

Wasps has also secured a new operator for its 121-bedroom hotel at Ricoh, after Hilton Worldwide signed a deal for the conversion of the Ricoh Arena Hotel into a DoubleTree by Hilton.

The Franchisee agreement will be signed upon finalisation of the refurbishment plan and Hilton Worldwide Board Approval.

Work will start on the conversion by June 2015, with the new hotel brand launching later in the year.

David Armstrong, group CEO of Wasps, said: “Working with a high profile hotel partner is a key element in Wasps and the Ricoh Arena’s strategy to position itself as the UK’s leading multi-purpose venue.

“While our match day attendances have tripled, the turnover for the Ricoh’s conference and exhibition business has also increased by 50 per cent in the first four months since Wasps purchased the Ricoh Arena.”

• To read more about the Wasps move to Ricoh, click here for an interview with Wasps chair Nick Eastwood (pictured below).