Closure-threatened hotel poised to reopen as part of new group

» A GLOUCESTERSHIRE hotel that was under threat of permanent closure has been rescued from administration and is set to reopen under new ownership.

The Prince of Wales hotel near Berkeley will reopen on June 1 as part of the Coast & Country Hotel Collection - a newly formed group of former Shearings Hotels.

The 39-bedroom venue fell into administration in May 2020 as part of the Shearings Hotels group, and it was feared it would remain closed indefinitely.

It is now under new ownership following a hotel management agreement with Bespoke Hotels, which is in the process of hiring 30 staff to run the site.

Paul Fitzgerald, portfolio managing director of Bespoke Hotels, said he hoped the Prince of Wales would attract people looking for leisure breaks and also local residents to its restaurants, bars, weddings and events spaces.

“Given the enormous challenges of the last few months, we’re delighted to bring the Prince of Wales back to market,” he said.

“We know the initial closure was felt keenly amongst those associated with the hotel, but now, with reopening plans in place, we’re able to offer not just jobs and wider tourism opportunities, but a hospitality service that people can engage with as restrictions lift.”

A number of other former Shearings Hotels are also reopening across the South West region, including The Ship and Castle in St Mawes, Cornwall, as well as six hotels in Devon, including The Esplanade in Paignton and The Imperial Hotel in Exmouth.

Coast & Country said that it had sought to re-employ previous hotel staff, while it added it was also looking to offer new roles to those people who were keen to join the hospitality industry.