An historic hotel at the heart of Newcastle’s most prestigious street has unveiled the results of a £1.2m development.
Grade II-listed Grey Street hotel, on one of the most famous Regency streets in Britain, has come to the end of an 18-month phased refurbishment by its owner, North East hospitality heavyweight, Malhotra Group plc.
And, it is now set to become one of the city’s most prominent hospitality venues for corporate, leisure and spa visitors alike. The hotel – which retains a number of historically significant features such as art nouveau tiling and mosaic flooring – remained open throughout the development which began with the transformation of its 49 en-suite bedrooms.
Each has been individually styled to combine contemporary luxury with unique tributes to the city’s heritage. Decorated in a monochromatic scheme with accents of teal, green, pink or purple, each room has a feature wall bearing a large-scale image of a Tyneside landmark – including the neighbouring Theatre Royal – or figure, such as Earl Grey, from whom the street and hotel take their name.
There have also been changes to the hotel’s layout, including the relocation of the entrance and the creation of All About You, an urban beauty retreat in the upper basement.
For corporate customers, the hotel’s main conference room, the Monument Suite, has been extended to hold up to 100 people and can be divided into smaller spaces, while a smaller meeting room, The Snug, holding up to six people, has been created for private events.
“This development goes way beyond cosmetic,” said Atul Malhotra, operations director at The Malhotra Group. “We’ve taken an entirely fresh look at the space to widen its appeal to residents and non-residents alike and to ensure it is as attractive to the city’s business community and spa-goers as it is to those visiting from outside the region.
“Our challenge has been in providing the standard of luxury and comfort today’s hotel visitors expect, while respecting the building’s historical and architectural significance and I am confident we have achieved this,” he added.