Chain pulls out of city site after planning setback
EASYHOTEL has gone back to the drawing board on its plan to open in Bristol. The budget hotel chain, which was founded by the entrepreneur behind easyJet, is searching for alternative locations in the city after pulling out of the spot it initially set its sights on.
It unveiled plans in October 2018 to open a new 134-bedroom hotel along Old Market’s West Street, and submitted a planning application in early 2020.
The three-storey building would have been built back from a building formerly used by Bristol Genuine Seedbank, retaining the old Swift and Co. facade on the other side of the plot.
But Bristol City Council rejected the plans in July 2020, saying it would “result in unacceptable impacts on the character and appearance of this part of the Old Market Conservation Area”.
Andy Thorne, whose family owns the site, said at the time the investment was worth £12m and the council was “crazy” to turn it down.
There had been talk of appealing the decision, which could have been a costly process at a difficult time for the hospitality industry.
It has been almost a year since the rejection and easyHotel has now confirmed that it has walked away from the site - but it is searching for alternatives.
A spokesperson said: “Unfortunately we are not progressing with the original site in Bristol that had planning rejected last year. We are however still searching for a new site in the fantastic city of Bristol and hope to provide an update in due course.”
Bristol businessman Mr Thorne, managing director of Thorne Security Ltd, is still disappointed about what he feels was a missed opportunity.
He said: “It would have been a massive anchor that would have pulled other people in. We still own the building and are now deciding what to do.”
The hotel plan has not been completely ruled out, and he said that would be his preference if it could be amended to gain the council’s approval.
He expressed how much potential the Old Market area has, particularly with its proximity to the city centre.
The neighbourhood is already home to the Old Market Quarter Gay Village and a popular selection of independent bars, shops, pubs and restaurants.
Mr Thorne said: “Particularly nowadays, with the pandemic, most cities will be opening their arms to a £12m investment and not putting up barriers. Bristol was based on trade and commerce - we’ve got to get back to those roots, otherwise we’ll end up with dead no-go zones with no businesses.”
EasyHotel has a portfolio encompassing more than 30 European cities.
Bristol is the only one of the ‘big six’ cities in the UK - Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and Edinburgh - that it has yet to open a hotel in.
Other chains are expanding into the city, with Leonardo Hotels opening in Temple Way last month and the new Moxy hotel near Cabot Circus also taking shape.