HOTEL’S SHOCK CLOSURE
Pandemic blamed for closure of business
A FAMILY-RUN hotel which celebrated its 40th year in business last year has closed as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
Adrian and Lynn Oldfield, who run the Tollgate Hotel in Blurton, made the shock announcement via a statement on their Facebook page.
They said: “We regret to inform you that, after much careful consideration, we will not be reopening the doors to Tollgate Hotel & Leisure.
“If you wish to contact us, or have any items left on the premises that you wish to pick up, please let us know via Facebook messenger so we can make the necessary arrangements.
“These are very sad times for the family and for many others hit by the Covid crisis. We thank you for your loyalty, membership and the many fond memories of all the people who came through our doors.”
The Tollgate Hotel has been in the Oldfield family for more than 40 years when Adrian’s father, Geoff Oldfield, built the squash courts on the site of the Ripon Road venue in 1979 because he was constantly having to wait for a court at his local club.
Today the hotel boasts 27 hotel rooms, a sports bar, function rooms, a gym and a dance studio as well as dedicated areas for squash, snooker and hair and beauty.
Shapemaster Stoke - a womenonly fitness centre which was based inside the hotel - closed last month.
For the last four decades The Tollgate has been popular with tourists, particularly those visiting
Alton Towers and Trentham Gardens. It also regularly welcomed Stoke City fans from Norway and Sweden.
Stoke-on-trent and Staffordshire LEP chairman Alun Rogers described the closure as a ‘huge blow.’
He said: “This is a huge blow to all employees working at the hotel and leisure complex which is longestablished in the city.
“All sectors have been hit hard by this pandemic, but retail and leisure have particularly suffered.
“Our visitor economy is hugely important and we will do all we can to support it through these difficult times. We hope with gradual easing of lockdown measures people will begin to support our hotels, restaurants, shops and pubs safely again.”
He added: “Our priority at the LEP is to ensure those employees affected have all the support they need in finding alternative employment as quickly as possible.
“Last month we set up our Countywide Redundancy Task Group which is made up of 21 organisations which together have put in place a number of support services and is ready to act whenever there is an announcement like this.
“These services provided in a timely manner will help to redeploy, retrain, reskill, and signpost people to new employment opportunities ensuring support is available to those affected and their families.”
David Webster, chief executive of the Douglas Macmillan Hospice, took to Twitter to wish the family well.
He said: “(I am) very sorry to hear the news of the closure of Tollgate Hotel, best wishes to everyone there from your neighbours across the road at Dougie Mac.”