The first images of a 150-bed hotel which could be built in the city's Cultural Quarter have been released.

Blueprint, the developer behind Phoenix Square, is considering options for adjacent land it owns in the Southampton Street and Midland Street area of the St George's quarter.

The company has already attracted interest from hotel operators with its idea for a three or four-star boutique venue, but it may instead decide to build a 50,000sq ft office block, which would accommodate up to 350 jobs.

Blueprint's development director, Peter Connolly, said the popularity of the £21.5 million Phoenix Square, which opened in November, had encouraged it to bring plans forward for more investment in the area.

The company is working with economic development agency Prospect Leicestershire and city planners on the ideas.

John Long, also a development director at Blueprint, said that if it goes ahead with a hotel, it could include a first-floor restaurant and meeting room facilities.

If it builds an office development, it would be aimed at professional services firms such as solicitors or architects already in Leicestershire as well as attracting businesses from outside the county.

Mr Long said: "At this stage, we are beginning to talk to people who are interested in owning or operating a hotel.

"If we are to build offices, we would be looking for tenants.

"There's definitely interest from hotel operators.

"There's an appetite there and Leicester is definitely on the radar for hotel operators – hotels weren't really investing in new sites during the economic downturn, but that's beginning to turn around again.

"Anything we do decide to do, we will want to make sure it fits into the city's Cultural Quarter area.

"We will have to weigh up what works best next to Phoenix Square and what's in keeping with that area – it won't be a case of putting up a for sale sign and giving it to the highest bidder."

He said either the hotel or office block could take between 18 months and two years to build, but it was too early to say when development might start.

As previously reported, another developer is considering building a 150-bed hotel in Leicester. Architects behind the Southgates site, in Peacock Lane, Leicester, said they had won interest from operators in creating a four or five-star hotel with a conference centre.

A spokesman for Leicester Shire Promotions, the organisation responsible for attracting tourists to the county, said getting the interest of major hotel operators was a vote of confidence in Leicester.

Phoenix Square was created by the city council, Blueprint, East Midlands Development Agency and De Montfort University.

An outdoor seating area would link the new development with Phoenix Square.