Two global hotel chains are looking for at least three new sites for hotels in and around Birmingham, it has emerged at MIPIM, the global property conference being staged in Cannes this week.

Hilton Hotels are understood to be in discussions over a new 150 bed hotel on the former HP Sauce site in Aston and another major operator is said to be keen on a site near Birmingham International Airport and the new High Speed rail station planned for that area.

The same hotel group is also keen on a further city centre site to build on the success of its current hotel in Birmingham.

City officials are keen to steer hotel executives in the direction of the Southern Gateway, the 150 acre area round the wholesale markets site.

They believe that a prestigious brand could act as the cornerstone of future regeneration of the area and would be a magnet for other investors keen to develop in a strategically vital part of the city.

This interest from some of the world's top hotel brands means that Birmingham is bucking the trend at the start of what City Council leader Coun Mike Whitby has dubbed the "Decade of Delivery".

A survey by global law firm DLA Piper released last week showed that only two per cent of hotel industry leaders in the UK were predicting sustained upturn in 2010 and many did not expect any real recovery in room rates until after 2012.

But the DLA Piper 2010 European Hospitality Outlook Report does reveal an unexpected upturn in new build activity, with 45 per cent of respondents predicting an upturn in new developments.

Coun Whitby said: "We are starting to win more major events in Birmingham, such as party conferences and with our strengths as a leading European convention city through the ICC and the NEC, clearly we are becoming more attractive to hoteliers.

"New developments such as High Speed Rail and the inward investment expected to be attracted to the city from events like MIPIM will be key factors in persuading global hotel chains that Birmingham is the place to invest."