Couple fear loss of £8,000 wedding deposit as city hotel ‘in difficulties’

A couple fear they will never again see the £8,000 they have spent booking a wedding at the troubled Coal Exchange Hotel in Cardiff.

Leysha Xuereb and her fiancé have already paid more than threequarters of the cost of their £11,000 wedding, which was due to be held on July 20 next year.

But with uncertainty surrounding the future of the hotel, whose owners have fallen into administration owing £25m, the couple decided to cancel and re-book at another venue.

Now, after two years saving up for their big day, the couple fear they will never see the money again.

Miss Xuereb, from Llanrumney, said they could have to wait another five years to get married while they save up the money from scratch.

Miss Xuereb, 36, said: “I’ve told them we want to cancel the wedding for next year. I want to book another venue which I know is secure.”

Their big day was initially postponed to 2021 because of the coronavirus lockdown and the couple were sent a new contract to secure the date. But after hearing that Signature Living was in financial difficulties, they decided to pull out and cancel entirely and didn’t sign.

The Coal Exchange is owned by

Signature Living Coal Exchange Ltd, which went into administration on May 6 owing at least £25 million and with just £17 in the bank.

Miss Xuereb met her fiancé, Jamie Attard, 17 years ago.

She said: “We had planned to get married on July 20 this year, which was my nan’s birthday. I’m just worried that if next year comes and we can’t get that date, we’ll have to postpone it again.”

She has provisionally re-booked their wedding at Hensol Castle but needs the money back from the Coal Exchange to pay for it.

The cost of the wedding is £12,500, so they can “scrape togeth