The Elite Athlete Centre and Hotel (EAC) – the first sports-centric venue of its kind in the UK – has opened at Loughborough University. Designed by David Morley Architects and developed in partnership with UK Sport, Sport England, the English Institute of Sport, and Imago Venues, the 44-room, fitness-focused hotel also includes 20 'high-altitude rooms'. These unique chambers simulate the low oxygen atmospheric conditions of transalpine mountains and accelerate the production of performance-enhancing red blood cells, allowing athletes to literally strengthen their muscles in their sleep. Guests staying at the EAC also have access to nutritionist-approved meals and dining stations and are free to make use of the university's 50-metre swimming pool, ball courts, and fitness studios. Speaking on the hotel's inauguration, Loughborough University's vice-chancellor, Robert Allison, said: "The new facility offers something unique within the UK and will undoubtedly help us to reinforce our position as the country's leading university for sport."