A historic hotel will close its doors in just six months following a shock discovery at the 160-year-old building.
The Chester Grosvenor, one of the city’s most celebrated historic hotels, will permanently shut its doors on September 30.
Bespoke Hotels broke the unexpected news to employees earlier this week at the Grade-II listed establishment, which stands beside Chester’s famous Eastgate Clock.
The Victorian building, dating back to 1865, has long served as a landmark destination in the city centre.
Staff were informed of the decision following recent structural surveys that uncovered significant safety concerns within the property.
The hotel’s management team subsequently outlined its extremely difficult choice to end operations at the prestigious venue.
Surveys revealed the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, commonly known as RAAC, situated above the hotel’s function suites.
The hazardous material, which has caused widespread concern across British buildings in recent years, prompted the immediate closure of the conference facilities as a precautionary measure.
Bespoke Hotels broke the unexpected news to employees earlier this week at the Grade-II listed establishment, which stands beside Chester’s famous Eastgate Clock
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In a statement, Bespoke Hotels said: “Following the recent discovery of RAAC above the function suites, the scale and complexity of the works required to put a long-term solution in place, alongside necessary refurbishment works, we have taken the very difficult decision to cease operating The Chester Grosvenor.”
The extent of remediation required, combined with additional refurbishment needs, rendered continued operation unfeasible.
Employees at the hotel were left devastated by the announcement.
One staff member described the team as “heartbroken” when speaking to Cheshire Live.
The extent of remediation required, combined with additional refurbishment needs, rendered continued operation unfeasible
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Chief operating officer Richard Grove addressed the workforce directly in a letter, acknowledging the profound impact of the decision.
“We recognise that this decision will be deeply upsetting and may lead to the loss of jobs for many colleagues,” Mr Grove wrote.
He added that the closure “is not a decision we have taken lightly, and it is in no way a reflection of the performance of the team”.
The company also stated its immediate priority is providing support to affected workers during the transition period.
The Grosvenor Estate appointed specialist hotel management firm Bespoke to take charge of operations at The Chester Grosvenor in 2015.
Despite the impending closure, the company confirmed that guests can continue to use most of the hotel’s facilities without concern.
“The safety of our guests and colleagues is of the utmost importance and the affected area will remain closed as a precaution,” Bespoke Hotels stated.
“All other public areas of the hotel, as well as the car park, are unaffected and continue to operate as normal.”
The hotel will remain open for business until the scheduled closure date at the end of September.
The confirmed closure was announced shortly after another Cheshire hotel revealed it is closing its doors to asylum seekers.
All residents of The Crewe Arms Hotel are set to be relocated to alternative sites and, where possible, to “more appropriate dispersed accommodation”.
Connor Naismith, the Labour MP for Crewe & Nantwich, said the site opposite the town’s railway station would stop being used by people in the asylum system from the end of April.